What Really Matters
Are you purchasing a home? The buying process can be very stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, flood information, zoning information, property line information, environmental reports, and what the home inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the Seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do? Relax. Most of your home inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:
Major defects - An example of this would be a structural failure. Things that lead to major defects - A small roof-flashing leak, for example. Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy, or insure the home. Safety hazards - Such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electric panel.
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 4). Most Sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during a home inspection. Please realize that Sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the home inspection report. No home is going to be absolutely perfect. Keep things in perspective. Don't kill your deal over things that don't really matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a Seller address deferred maintenance, conditions already listed on the Seller's disclosure, or nit-picky items.
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