Help, I’m scared. I just read my home inspection report. Is the house collapsing?

Oh my gosh … pipes are leaking, roof tiles are damaged, furnace is malfunctioning, there are electrical issues, deck needs attention … gheesh … what do I do now? Is this house, the house that I have fallen deeply in love with, is falling apart?

Well … maybe yes and maybe no. There is no such thing as a perfectly built or maintained home … at least, I have never inspected such a thing nor do I expect it ever to. Rest assured, however, there are houses that are simply in very poor condition. However, the problems identified in a home inspection report are likely to be typical problems for a home of a certain or certain age. While this is not always the case, it is very likely that problems can be repaired. Almost everything can be repaired. Even the most serious items, for example structural problems, water intrusion and resulting damage, heating and air conditioning systems that need to be replaced, etc., can be repaired. Once problems have been identified, regardless of their severity, it becomes a question of whether or not they will be repaired, how and by whom they could be repaired, how much those repairs will cost, and which party you will attend. be financially responsible for those repairs.

First … and in my opinion … the details of what a home inspection is, and how a home inspection report is typically used in a real estate transaction, should have been fully explained to the buyer by their real estate agent before. to the inspection period. Then, at the beginning of the home inspection, the home inspector should explain to the client what to expect from the home inspector and the home inspection report. The home inspection report, and again in my humble opinion, should not be considered an exhaustive list to be used to hit the selling party severely when it comes to the head and shoulders. There are likely … there will almost certainly be … items in the report that, while the standards governing home inspection require reporting, may not be within the scope of the offer to purchase contact of real estate as items that can be repaired by the seller. It is best to leave that determination, or interpretation, in the hands of a real estate agent or attorney. The issues identified in the report, in their entirety, are information … information provided as part of the basis on which to make an informed purchasing decision. That’s why you had an inspection in the first place, right? Paid for a professional home appraisal to make a more informed buying decision.

Second … take a half step back, take a deep breath or two, and reread the report. I promise that the world has not ended as a result of the report. If there are numerous individual items to consider, try to list those topics in the order of their importance to YOU. The report can categorize the problems to some extent, but the home inspector cannot decide how much importance YOU should give to a particular item. Nor should the Inspector advise you whether to buy the house or not; such advice or guidance is simply beyond the scope of a home inspection. There are two questions that I, personally, have never answered. The first is “Would you buy this house?” and the second is “How would you rate this house on a scale of 1 to 10?” There are too many things that a home inspector simply doesn’t know to be able to answer such questions. Sure, they know a lot about the physical condition of the home when the inspection is complete, but that’s only part of the equation. They don’t know how much the house is worth, they don’t know the client’s financial situation, and they don’t know what the financial arrangements might be. I also suggest that they should not want to know.

Third … he set out to gather more information. Information … accurate information … and the resulting acquired knowledge are your dearest friends. You must associate a dollar value with the necessary repairs. Will the repairs require a structural evaluation by a licensed professional engineer? Are the repairs necessary such that they will require implementation by a licensed general contractor? Can any of the items be corrected by a maintenance staff who specializes in general repairs? Find and get estimates from the contractors who will perform the repairs. Use all available resources to get information and make good decisions. Your professional and experienced real estate agent, assuming you have engaged that service, is in an excellent position to assist you in this endeavor. The typical professional real estate agent has at their disposal a wealth of knowledge and resources on how to approach the content and issues of a home inspection report. That is part of what they do when representing their clients during a real estate transaction.

Your success in your real estate transaction depends, at least in part, on gathering appropriate information, processing that information, and making informed decisions based on that information. Doing it in a calm, direct and direct way … with as little emotion involved as possible … will likely contribute to a positive outcome.

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