Buyers Home Inspection

Home inspections are a vital part of the real estate transaction process, so it makes sense to learn as much as you can about them. The more you know about what they entail, and more importantly, how they affect you as a buyer the more confident you will be about the purchase. Here is a helpful guide on home inspections for buyers. Read on to learn all you need to know about home inspections!

Your Five Star Home Inspector

It is easy to see why picking the right home inspector is important. You want to know that the home you are buying is something you will be satisfied with. Here are a few reasons why Five Star is the right inspection company for your purchase.

1. Referral from your real estate agent
2. We are an inspection company only does inspections - not home repairs and renovations
3. One -Stop Shop for all your inspections needs
4. Multi- inspector staff with over 30 years of experience in the type of home you are buying
5. One Year Limited Report Guarantee / Bonded and Insured with 1,000,000 in coverage

Questions for Home Inspectors

If you attend the inspection when the home inspector finishes reviewing the home, he will do a verbal review of his finding with you. That is a great time for you and your realtor to ask questions and seek advice on conditions and recommendations for repairs. Keep in mind the purpose of a home inspection is to identify items that do not function as intended regarding structural, mechanical or safety defects.

Typical questions we get asked from client's are:

1. How much of a concern is this? Can you give me perspective on what issues are most pressing?
2. Do I need a qualified contractor or handyman to investigate this? Diagnosing issues sometimes requires a more specific evaluation.
3. Is this concern normal / average based on age and typical of most homes?

Trust your Realtor

Your experienced real estate agent will know what repairs are vital and what repairs might better be dealt with later. Trust your agent to guide you through this process, negotiating for your best interests without threatening the deal. Don't be the buyer that thinks a home inspection is your opportunity to present a "punch list" of everything wrong with the house. Focus on significant issues that should be repaired. Most of all be a reasonable buyer.

Tips on How to Negotiate After a Home Inspection

No home is perfect, but some are in worse condition than others. Following the home inspection, there is a chance that you will need to negotiate at least some repairs. Consider that you could probably get credit instead of actual repairs, which may or may not be beneficial for your sale. Credits are more comfortable for the seller to offer than going through the trouble of getting repairs done. For you, it is more likely that the repairs will be of good quality when you are the one hiring the work to be done.

What Are Reasonable Inspection Requests and What Are Not

All our inspection findings are entirely legit. You want to make requests that are likely to be granted, not demands that will frustrate the seller and be harmful to the transaction.

Some reasonable things to ask a seller to do include:

• Damages due to water penetrations on the interior or exterior.
• Mechanical / Plumbing / Electrical concerns
• Safety Concerns
• Wood destroying insect / fungi damages
• Ask the seller if they have ever had any previous events in particular areas of the home It is essential to understand that disclosure laws vary from state to state. In some places, a seller must disclose everything they know about their house.

Some unreasonable things to ask a seller to do include:

• Cosmetic issues in drywall / wood trim / floor coverings
• Anything under $100 cost to repair
• Typical cracks in concrete / brick / block / wood / caulking located interior or exterior.
• Loose fixtures and similar concerns that are simple to fix
• External components like sheds, fencing, power washing / landscaping or minor yard problems