How To Know What Fixes Are Mandatory After A Home Inspection
What Fixes Are Mandatory After A Home Inspection?
What fixes are mandatory after a home inspection? It’s natural to want to understand your home inspection report following your home inspection. You want to learn what to do with the new information. As experienced home inspectors, we will guide you through some general advice on what to focus on during negotiations with a seller.
Whether you are partnering with a real estate professional or working with a private seller, you will be best served acquiring some basic knowledge of what to consider when sitting down at the negotiating table.
There are three main categories of items we look at as home inspectors: general defects, maintenance, and safety.
Let’s quickly define each term.
A general or minor defect is a specific issue that may impact a system, component, or functionality of the home. Some examples include a lightswitch not wired correctly or a missing roof shingle. Generally speaking, minor defects are just that, they are minor, so we aren’t sounding the alarms. Can these defects serve as an annoyance and/or cause larger issues down the road? Yes, absolutely. We call them out to ensure you are aware of these issues as a homebuyer, but they are items that typically do not need to be addressed immediately. You have some time to address these issues before they become a bigger problem.
A maintenance item would be something like standing water and lots of debris in the guttering system. As home inspectors, we flag this as a maintenance issue because it needs to be addressed, but it’s not typically something that is costly. If the gutters don’t require more than a good cleaning, it’s easy enough to hire a local handyman to clean them out or do it yourself on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Safety defects are a cause for concern and something you definitely want to pay attention to on your home inspection report. In fact, this is a big reason we always encourage the homebuyer to attend the home inspection. If safety concerns are identified, we want you to get your eyes on things in person. Our trained and experienced home inspector will explain the issue and recommend what you can do to resolve it.
An example of a common safety concern we see often are electrical issues, such as neutrals and grounds not isolated and general electrical box concerns. This can be a huge safety concern, as many house fires are started due to systems not functioning properly or flat out failing. You will want to pay attention to any safety concerns you read on your home inspection report. Always follow up with your home inspector if you have questions regarding safety items. This is a must!
So, what are your next steps with this new information? For starters, if you are partnering with a real estate agent, it’s advised that you consult with him/her on what to bring to the negotiation discussion. Your agent has lots of experience navigating these discussions, so rely on his/her expertise during this step. Many of our agent friends have shared that a good rule of thumb is to ask for repairs over $500 that are not cosmetic. Cosmetic issues would be things like paint colors and visible stains on carpet and flooring. All of those items can be easily altered, are fairly inexpensive, and don’t add value to the home at large. Savvy professionals will advise you to focus your energy on big ticket items that will drain your savings or drive you into debt after the sale is final. The last thing you want is to move into your new home with thousands of dollars in home repairs on your hands. Talk about an excitement killer!
Here’s one common scenario to consider. Let’s say the home inspector finds a ton of defects with the roof and recommends further evaluation by a qualified roofing contractor. A few days later, the roofing contractor conducts an evaluation and reveals that the entire roof needs to be replaced which will cost $6,000. This would be a good example of something to bring to the negotiation table. Perhaps you request the roof to be fully replaced or you ask the seller for a credit off of the home purchase price for the full or partial amount of the repair cost.
Remember, this is a negotiation, which means the seller is on the other end. You can ask, but it doesn’t guarantee a yes. The seller can say no to any or all of your requests. If the answer to one or more of your requests is no, you could try to re-negotiate your offer and see if you can arrive at a fair agreement that is a win-win for both parties. If the seller still won’t budge, you will have an unfortunate decision to make, which is either to proceed with the home sale knowing you have a $6,000 roof replacement ahead of you or walk away. That’s a tough decision on a home you love, but a decision only you can make as the homebuyer.
In summary, knowing what fixes are mandatory after a home inspection really depends on what the inspector finds, whether it’s considered a minor or major problem, as well as your personal preferences, financial resources, and other factors specific to you as a homebuyer.
If you have any questions regarding the information you read today, reach out. We are here to help. We wish you all the best. Happy home buying!
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