As a homeowner, we are often used to seeing every inch in our own home. But when selling a house it often becomes hard to see what could be wrong when our homes are perfect in our own eyes. Most buyers like to have a third-party professional inspector come in and evaluate what needs to be repaired, and if the selling price is correct. A home inspection is good for both the buyer and the seller. After an inspection, the seller will know if they can charge more for their home, and the buyer will know if they should buy a home for less than the original amount. A home inspection is a positive route to go for both the buyer and seller. 

The Importance of a Home Inspection When Buying or Selling a Home

Our homes mean the world to us, they are our safety nest, and what we come home to every night. A home inspection helps aid buyers in deciding on what place will be their next big investment. Homes are too expensive and too big of a risk to purchase without knowing what all will need repaired, replaced, and maintained. No buyer wants to unknowingly buy their dream house then realize it needs a new geosystem, repainting, new light fixtures, HVAC systems, etc. We all want to know if we are getting our money’s worth. With a professional home inspection, the buyer will know exactly what they are purchasing, and what they will need to purchase when buying their dream house. In addition to this, the seller will also know what they might need to repair and replace to sell their house for their desired asking price.

What Does a Home Inspector Look For?

A home inspector examines every last inch of your house. Inspections include the evaluation of:

• Light Fixtures
• Plumbing Systems
• Electric Systems
•  HVAC heating and cooling systems and filters
• Major Appliances and Utilities
• Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors 
• Etc.

Hiring a home inspector before your buyer inspector will avoid conflict around pricing, repairs, replacements, and other issues with the home. Once you have a home inspection and an estimate from your real estate agent you will know the correct value of your home and this will be professionally backed up by the agent and inspector. When repairing items after your home inspection you will avoid long and painful potential negotiations with buyers, and the selling process will be much much easier. Every sellers dream.. An easier selling process.

Selling and buying a home is very stressful, and may be confusing to new buyers/sellers. Here are a few tips to indicate the do’s and don’ts of buying/selling your home with the use of a home inspector. 

Tip #1 for Inspections When Buying a Home: Allow the inspector the necessary time to do a thorough job.

Rushing the home inspector isn’t going to do you any favors. You should expect that the process will take a minimum of 2 to 4 hours for an average-sized home, with a general rule of an hour per 1,000 square feet. The inspection may last longer if your home is particularly old or if it has additional features to inspect such as a pool, shed, attic, or crawl space.

The buyer and their agent are typically at the house during the inspection, but in most cases it’s best for the seller to leave. Have both the buying and selling agents talk about scheduling in order to be prepared. Perhaps you can arrange for the appointment to be carried out while sellers are at work or another time when the sellers can get everyone out of the house for a few hours. If the seller/buyer wants to be present for the inspection, we suggest speaking with your agent as well as the home inspection service provider. Be aware that being there may make the opposite party feel uncomfortable.

Tip #2 for Inspections When Buying a Home: Leave the house in a fully operational condition for the inspection.

Make sure that all utilities—gas, water, and electricity—are on, and provide remote controls for any associated equipment such as lights or ceiling fans. This is particularly important when you’re selling a vacant home or if you’ve already moved out of the property. The inspector will want to make sure that all appliances function properly and the utilities must be on for this to happen! All this will make it much easier for the inspector to do their job as quickly and effectively as possible.

Tip #3 for Inspections When Buying a Home: Fix common repairs recommended after a home inspection.

There are some repairs that will be required by lenders before they will release funds to finance a buyer’s home purchase. Typically these address structural defects, building code violations, and safety-critical issues.

If a home inspection reveals such problems, odds are you’re responsible for fixing them. Start by getting some bids from contractors to see how much the repairs will cost. From there, you can fix these problems or—the more expedient route—offer the buyers a repair credit so they can pay for the repairs themselves. This might be preferable since you won’t have to oversee the process; choosing this process allows you to quickly move out and move on with your life.

Tip #4 for Inspections When Buying a Home: Give inspectors access to every room in the house.

Be sure to provide access to every room and space (living and non) in the house, and we mean every space. Inspectors need access to your basement, attic, crawl space, and every other room in the house in order to do their job correctly. If you have a detached garage or other exterior building, inspectors will also look at these structures if instructed to do so. They will also check out the foundation, electrical boxes, electrical outlets, and even the spare air conditioner that is collecting dust in the window of your attic. Cut down on the inspection time by clearing access to all of these areas.

Final Words

At Ernst Home Inspections our goal is to make the transaction process easier on both sides of the fence, for the sellers as well as the buyers. We strive to perform the most detailed inspections all-around, and put a lot of time, effort, and education into doing so. Ernst Home Inspections has been through the process of both buying and selling homes on numerous occasions, and understand how stressful and time consuming it can be. We want to help you get through this process in the quickest, easiest, and most comfortable way possible.  Click here to schedule a full home inspection!