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What Really Matters in a Home Inspection

Are you buying a home? Buying a new home can be very exciting, but process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but sometimes it may have the opposite effect. You will be presented with a lot of information to try to assimilate in a short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself can make the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do? Relax. Much of your inspection related findings will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and the kind minor imperfections that are present in all homes. These are all important things to know about. However, it's not the number of items in the report that matters, it's the nature and significance of issues that is important (i.e., the big stuff). The issues that really matter will typically fall into four categories:

  1. Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure.
  2. Things that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for example.
  3. Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or insure the home.
  4. Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electric panel.

Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 4).

Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. Keep things in perspective. Do not kill your deal over things that do not matter. It is not realistic to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance, conditions that were already listed on the seller's disclosure or nit-picky items.