Mistakes to Avoid During Your Home Inspection

The home inspection is a critical part in the home buyer process, it gives you insight into the working and safe livable condition of the home. It can make or break a home sale. For this reason it is very important to take the inspection process seriously and avoid the following mistakes when it comes to inspections.

Waving the Inspection Contingency

Some homebuyers consider waiving an inspection to get an edge on the competition, especially in a hot sellers’ market like we are in right now, where there are far more buyers than homes for sale. It is never a good idea to waive an inspection, even if you are purchasing a home with all cash and have the ability to do so. Some buyers will skip an inspection when buying a new construction home because their lender does not require it, we say still get the inspection.

The only way to know for sure that a home is safe and livable and a good investment is to hire a highly trained and skilled inspector for yourself. One that is hired for the sole purpose of your benefit. It is also not a good idea to pass on specialized inspections like the sewer line and radon testing.

Going with the Cheapest Inspector

Some inspectors will offer a lower price for an inspection to hook potential buyers. In some cases this can be a red flag. Not all inspectors offer the same level of service. It is best to do your homework about any inspector you are considering hiring before you hire them. Look into their reviews and ask about their license and qualifications. You don’t want to hire someone that pretends to go through the required checklist and doesn’t actually thoroughly look at the home.

Not Being There

If you have the opportunity right now (some places don’t allow for it due to the pandemic) attend the inspection. It is not uncommon for home buyers to be tempted to just let the inspector go to the home alone and do their job. You can learn a lot about the condition of your potential new home by walking through it with the inspector. It also gives you the chance to ask questions and better understand the answers when they are given in person.

Getting Too Involved in the Inspection

Just like not getting involved at all is a poor decision, so is getting too involved. It is a good idea to follow the inspector around the home and listen to what they discover. It is not a good idea to spend too much of the inspector’s time talking over one issue, a small cosmetic problem, or to hinder their ability to look at important areas of the home. It is also not a good idea to try and inspect things for the inspector.

Expect a Perfectly Clean Report

No home is going to come up with zero issues, even a new construction home. Every home will have some sort of flaw be it a safety issue or something small and cosmetic. Some buyers are shocked that an inspection would have any note at all about something that may need to be fixed and insist a seller make the home perfect. This could result in the seller rejecting your offer and putting the home back on the market.

Not Having Negotiated Repairs Inspected

If your inspection does uncover some pretty significant repairs and you go back to the negotiation table where it results in the sellers agreeing to make some repairs before the sale closes, it is very wise to have those repairs inspected. You want to make sure that the seller did the job the correct way, not just a quick fix to say it was done.

For buyer and seller home inspections in the Champaign area please contact us anytime.

To hire an inspector in Champaign to help locate water damage and other issues in homes for sale please contact us any time. If you are looking for a reputable home inspector in Champaign or surrounding areas? Do you need a reputable home inspector in Champaign? Please contact us anytime we are highly trained and knowledgeable and will give you the best insight into your potential home purchase.

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