Are Home Inspections Necessary?

So you’ve found the perfect house.  Lots of open space.  Huge windows to allow natural light to bathe the rooms.  The perfect location close to great schools, parks, shopping and activities.  The rooms are even painted in colors you love.  You are in love with this new home.

But wait!  Is it everything it is presented to be?  Are there any secrets lurking beneath that could cost you big bucks in the long run?  Maybe.  Maybe not. 

The only way to reign in your emotions is to have an unbiased third party examine the home.  That person is a home inspector.  The inspector, if they are proficient at what they do, will look in every nook and cranny from the top of the roof to the bottom of the basement or crawl space and everywhere in between.  They will make a list of everything they find that is deficient, questionable or impressive…complete with photos.

Once you receive the report, you should read it carefully.  Your agent should also read it carefully.  If you have any questions about the report your agent and you should contact the inspector to obtain clarification of any questions.

If there are any issues that affect the health, safety or structure of the property, you should request the Sellers make the necessary repairs.  There may be additional repairs you can request.  In Virginia there is a specific form your agent will complete for you to sign that will be presented to the Sellers. 

Depending on the terms set forth in the initial offer to purchase, as well as the terms set forth in the request for repairs, the agreement between the Buyers and Sellers for repairs must be finalized before the deadline.  Most contracts will state that if an agreement cannot be reached, the purchaser can walk away from the contract without penalty. 

All inspections will be performed at the cost to the Buyers.  Buyers can chose to have inspected the following:  geotechnical inspections, inspections of the structure, foundations, roof, flooring, HVAC systems, electrical system, plumbing system, appliances, exterior insulation finishing systems, drainage, windows, well and septic systems, lead-based paint, and radon. 

The Sellers may have listed in the contract that the house conveys “as is” or parts of the property may convey “as is”.  If this is true then the inspection is for informational purposes only.

As you read this you are probably thinking this only applies to previously occupied homes.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  I always recommend to my clients who purchase new construction to also spend the money to have a home inspection. 

On one occasion my client opted to have a home inspection of a new construction.  The inspector discovered the pipes to the toilet in the master bath missed connecting by three inches.  If they had not had the inspection, every time they flushed the toilet, the waste would have gone under the house.

On another occasion another client had a new construction inspected and the ductwork for the HVAC had not been connected.  They would have been spending large sums of money to heat and air condition the crawl space.

During an inspection of a re-sale home, the inspector summed the Buyer and me to the kitchen.  He had the sink cabinet open.  Someone had taken duct tape and fashioned the pipes for the drain of the sinks to resemble real pipes.  This was one of the homes I convinced a client to walk away from.

All this being said, I always encourage my clients to spend the money to have a professional home inspection.  The cost is determined by the square footage of the house as well as the company used for the inspection.