If you’re thinking of buying a home—whether you’re upgrading or downsizing—home inspections are a critical part of the process. They’re there so you know what’s going on with the property and there are no surprises during or after escrow. You want to know everything about a property before you buy it, right?
As a buyer, you have the right to do any inspection you want for the home you’re buying. On my team, we usually start with a general inspection and go wherever that leads us. Unless the general inspection comes back free and clear of any issues (which rarely happens), we’ll move onto mold inspections, electrical inspections, plumbing inspections, etc.
What does the inspection process look like, though?
In California, homes are sold as is, and by that we mean in a visual sense. In other words, if you can see what’s going on with the home’s current condition, your offer should reflect this. We do home inspections specifically because you can’t always see what’s going on inside a property. We don’t want our clients to buy something only to find out later on that it’s in need of repair.
To prepare his clients for the inspection process, my business partner Ryan McMillan first explains what inspections are for. In addition to minimizing surprises, inspections also minimize future costs. At the Robert Mack Group, our goal is to create a seamless home buying experience for our clients and give them peace of mind. Buying a home is a stressful time for some people, because not everyone has the money to tackle every repair or upgrade that needs to be made.
“As a buyer, you have the right to do any inspection you want for the home you’re buying.”
There are a couple things home inspections provide you that you need to be aware of.
The first is awareness. The seller doesn’t have to make any repairs or offer any credits (more on that below), so if you become aware of certain issues and the seller doesn’t agree to repair them or offer a credit for them, you have to decide whether you still feel comfortable buying at the current price.
The second is the request for repairs. If you come across an issue that’s a safety or health hazard, you can make a request for repair or use a credit form and negotiate a solution with the seller so you’re not stuck dealing with the issue yourself. This can go both ways. If you’re getting a good deal on the property, the seller might not be inclined to make the repair or offer credit. If you’re paying at or over list price, they might reconsider.
Every situation is different, and everything is negotiable. There’s no one-size-fits-all method to handling inspections. When you work with the Robert Mack Group, though, we’ve got you covered. We have anywhere from 11 to 13 inspectors on our vendor list who we can call to make sure you’re protected during your purchase and your home is in good shape.
If you have any questions about this or any other real estate topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. My team and I would love to help you.
