Home Inspection Questions
You’ve found the home of your dreams, it’s priced within your budget, and you’ve received a pre-approval from your lender. Your agent has successfully negotiated with the seller’s agent, and you are now under contract. Time to pop the champagne. Well, not quite yet. We still have a ways to go before getting to the closing table and one of the first stages is the home inspection.
Stay with me as we ask ten questions that need to be asked at some point before or after the home inspection.
While the home inspection period is an exciting time, it can also be a time of high anxiety. Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or a seasoned homeowner, every inspection, just like every home, is different.
Asking the right questions during the inspection time will better prepare you for the unexpected. Here are ten:
Who will be at the home inspection?
The only person who must be at the inspection is the inspector. It is understandable that you wish to attend. In that case, here in North Carolina, since the appointment belongs to the inspector, your agent must attend with you. Typically, we allow the inspector his time to conduct his inspection which is usually a couple of hours, depending on the size of the home and then we attend together in the last 30 minutes or so to receive the inspection summary. Use this time to gain a professional perspective from the inspector. Now, I do have a slight warning about this – on very, very rare occasions, the listing agent and sellers may choose to attend the inspection. Like I said, this is very rare, and is very much frowned upon. You as the buyer are paying for that inspection and it’s for your benefit. If you do find them still at home, let your agent field any of their questions or comments.
How will you choose a home inspector?
If you know of a home inspector or inspection company, you can certainly ask your agent to schedule the inspection with them. If you don’t, then your real estate agent will have recommendations and will schedule all of your inspections as soon as possible after the contract is fully executed.
Here’s a friendly reminder for you – the inspection costs are your responsibility. Ask your agent if their inspector allows for these fees to be pushed to closing, or if the inspector expects payment up front. You’ll need to know this for your budgeting purposes.
Should you select any extra inspections?
Here in North Carolina radon is an optional test that can be performed at the same time as the home inspection. Ask your agent for an informational flyer regarding the ins and outs of radon testing. If the home you are purchasing has a well and/or a septic system, you will want to have those added to the inspection. If a wood burning fireplace is a feature, you may wish to have a chimney inspection and, likewise, a pool inspection may need to be considered. Depending on the age of the home, there may be additional inspections that you wish to have conducted like lead-based paint, or asbestos testing. Discuss all of this with your agent, they can happily offer expert advice to guide you on any specialized inspections that should be considered.
What should you do during the home inspection?
It’s more like what NOT to do during the inspection. If the inspector is not quite finished up prior to your arrival, allow him to continue and wrap up. We do not want to be following them around and asking a multitude of questions or chit-chatting while they’re working for you. Wait patiently, perhaps get some room or window measurements, or take a closer look at the grounds and yard until they are ready for you. Once they are wrapped up, you will be given the tour of the items they have called out on the inspection report and will also offer you general maintenance tips for the different systems of the house as well. You will find that most inspectors enjoy educating home buyers about how to best maintain the overall upkeep of your prospective new home, and that they are willing to offer valuable information to you.
How long will I have to wait for the inspection report?
Generally, you’ll receive the inspection report within twenty-four hours, while the other specialized inspections may take a day or two longer. While the inspections themselves only takes a few hours, each inspector needs time to review the repercussions of any problems they found and provide recommendations for repairs or maintenance. The report you receive will consist of highly detailed information and photography of not only the items needing attention, but the inspection report also includes those items that are inspected and got the green light as well.
What should you pay attention to in the home inspection report?
First, review the report with your real estate agent to discuss the items that the inspection has identified as pressing concerns. Together, draw up a list of priorities and decide a strategy for discussing any serious issues with the sellers and their agent. This plan of action, of course, will depend on the type of market you are purchasing in. With the less urgent items, create a to-do list so you can work on those throughout your time spent in the home.
What decisions do I have to make once I receive the report?
You have the option to do nothing. That is sometimes the recommendation in certain selling and buying markets. In North Carolina, it is assumed that properties are sold in As-Is condition unless you are able to negotiate repairs with the seller, but they are not required to.
If you have consulted with your agent and desire to create a wish list of repairs to submit a request to the seller to take care of before closing, be sure to include if you will want those repairs completed by a licensed contractor or if they are simple enough that they can be completed by the seller themselves. Or, you may prefer to ask for a credit at closing – frequently called cash in-lieu of repairs – in order to allow you to do the repairs yourself that were found on the inspection.
Remember, repair requests submitted to a seller will open up another phase of negotiations. One thing to remember is to not allow yourself to be sidetracked by frustrations over a minor repair which could derail your home purchase. At the same time, keep your budget in mind and beware in feeling obligated to continue with a purchase if the inspection has revealed items that are serious and expensive.
How will I know that the work has been completed correctly?
For any of the corrective repair work the seller has agreed to from the inspection, they will have until closing day to complete the work. The corrective repairs will be made according to the requirements you both agreed on from the inspection report. You will receive receipts for any work completed by licensed professionals. If you have agreed to allow them to repair anything themselves, then the sellers should be able to provide you with any receipts they obtained for supplies. As some repairs may not be as straightforward as they might seem, or are in a space you may not wish to enter to check yourself, such as the crawl space, you do have the option of hiring the inspector to do a re-inspection and evaluate the repair. Please note this re-inspection is not a warranty of the repairs that have been made. Also, home inspectors typically charge a fee for re-inspection. You will also have the opportunity to do a final walkthrough just prior to your closing appointment to check the condition of repairs completed.
What if I find repairs that are not completed prior to closing?
If during your final walkthrough you discover agreed upon inspection repairs that have not been finished to your satisfaction, there are some things we can do. The sellers may be able to escrow funds to be held by your closing attorney for a licensed contractor to complete the repairs after closing, or that cash credit in lieu of repairs we talked about earlier may be able to come in to play so that the costs are covered. Depending on your loan type and possibly your attorney’s wishes, this may or may not be able to take place. Talk to your home buying team, your real estate agent, your lender and attorney about your options to ensure that the repair costs are covered.
How can I protect myself after closing?
Discuss with your agent if you should request from the seller or purchase on your own a home warranty to cover unexpected issues with the homes systems and appliances that may arise. A home warranty will help your budget with repairs and replacements for the home systems and appliances when they fail due to regular use, like the HVAC system, plumbing and kitchen appliances.
Once closing has been completed, it can be challenging to hold a seller accountable for incomplete inspection repair issues. Always check with a real estate attorney to ascertain if it is possible to prove negligence or fraud by the seller if a serious problem seems not to have been disclosed.
Purchasing a home is one of the largest investments we will ever make, and homebuyers should gain an understanding of the condition of their potential future home, especially whether any items are defective or if further inspections are needed by a specialist.
If you’d like a better understanding of the home inspection process, what a home inspection is, who can perform an inspection and what to expect during the home inspection period. Reach out to us here at The Old Mill Group we would be happy to help
Click here to download the Questions and Answers on: HOME INSPECTIONS, as provided by the North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board and the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.
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