Buying a home can be and often times is an emotional and stressful experience. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the real opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. House Examiners includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports and what the inspector noted during the inspection
What should you do?
Relax, most of the home inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. However, the issues that really matter will fall into the following categories:
- MAJOR DEFECTS:
Some issues for example, Electrical, Cooling, and Heating System components of the home that could be potentially dangerous to people and personal property.
Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or the ability to insure the home.
- ELECTRICAL SAFETY HAZARDS:
An insufficient or out-of-date electrical system is a common problem, especially (but not always)in older homes. Examples of other electrical safety hazards are underground outlets, lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), aluminum wiring, and faulty wiring conditions in electrical panels or elsewhere in a building. These are potentially hazardous defects and not to be taken lightly.
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property.
Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection, and sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. Keep things in perspective. Do not kill your deal over things that do not matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance.