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Replies (8)
- Michael Emery, "MikeEmery"
- Contributions:7298
I would imagine that your husband would be mighty ticked if he wasn't your favorite home inspector.
And FYI, self promotion is a no no on Zillow.
And FYI, self promotion is a no no on Zillow.
- Dan, "the_country_hick"
- Contributions:4697
There have been instances where a seller hired a home inspector. The house got a clean bill of health. Not to long after this a buyer hires the SAME INSPECTOR and comes up with a laundry list of problems.
Just because one inspector sees nothing does not mean the next (or the same) inspector will not find a lot of issues later in the process.
Just because one inspector sees nothing does not mean the next (or the same) inspector will not find a lot of issues later in the process.
- Pasadenan
- Contributions:21458
Many have pointed out that with "disclosure laws", that once you have the inspection, you are required to disclose the conditions, that may affect the property, and that sometimes one is better not knowing the inspection details until the buyer's inspection report is prepared.
And regardless, one can easily walk the property and crawl in the attic and under the house oneself to find conditions likely to need attention, and can deal with the obvious ones before found by an inspector (such as earth contact on wood siding or wood sill-plates).
And regardless, one can easily walk the property and crawl in the attic and under the house oneself to find conditions likely to need attention, and can deal with the obvious ones before found by an inspector (such as earth contact on wood siding or wood sill-plates).
- Debra (Debbie) Rose, "Livingston NJ"
- Contributions:2731
The best thing for a seller to do, imo, is make a list (before listing their home) of the items they already know need attention. Walk around the house - inside nd out - and make note of things you see, Then decide whether you will deal with them or not. If the answer is "not", then they need to be listed on whatever disclosure form your agent uses (and say those items are "as is").
If you're a FSBO, make a list and provide any potential buyers with it........this way you are letting them know ahead of time your position on these issues.
The buyers can factor that into whatever offer they may make.
If you know your heat may be "quirky" - call in the heating specialist ahead of time.....you disclose what you know..............and deal with whatever the home inspector finds at that time.
Yes, it can be a bit scary waiting for that report, and some buyers are more reasonable than others, but there is nothing you can do. Having a home inspection ahead fo time (like the corporations do) won't totally prevent having to deal with issues follwing the buyer's inspection....so why spend the money?
If you're a FSBO, make a list and provide any potential buyers with it........this way you are letting them know ahead of time your position on these issues.
The buyers can factor that into whatever offer they may make.
If you know your heat may be "quirky" - call in the heating specialist ahead of time.....you disclose what you know..............and deal with whatever the home inspector finds at that time.
Yes, it can be a bit scary waiting for that report, and some buyers are more reasonable than others, but there is nothing you can do. Having a home inspection ahead fo time (like the corporations do) won't totally prevent having to deal with issues follwing the buyer's inspection....so why spend the money?
- Nina Harris, "NinaHarris"
- Contributions:257
Having a home inspection can also save you money.
A home I listed last year received 10 offers so naturally we took the highest offer with 30% down. After the inspection, the buyer wanted a large amount of money off of his offering price, which we did not entertain.
Another buyer came along and offered almost asking price, had the inspection and the home received a clean bill of health. We closed on the home at the price the buyer offered.
So sometimes a home inspection allows you to talk with strength.
A home I listed last year received 10 offers so naturally we took the highest offer with 30% down. After the inspection, the buyer wanted a large amount of money off of his offering price, which we did not entertain.
Another buyer came along and offered almost asking price, had the inspection and the home received a clean bill of health. We closed on the home at the price the buyer offered.
So sometimes a home inspection allows you to talk with strength.
- Welmoed
- Contributions:1
Getting a pre-listing home inspection makes a lot of sense. Think of it this way: you, as the homeowner/seller, get a home inspection, and the inspector reports on some defects that, while not major, should be fixed. You can now hire an inexpensive handyman to attend to the repairs. If the same defects were spotted during a buyer's home inspection, they will likely insist on having all the repairs -- even the very basic ones -- performed by licensed contractors, at much higher cost.
- Debra (Debbie) Rose, "Livingston NJ"
- Contributions:2731
Ahhhh, I see Wetmoed - so your advice is for the seller to use cheap or unlicensed people to sneak in (possible) shoddy repairs before anyone knows about them!
Great advice!
Great advice!
- Bob Sisson, "Inspectionsbybob"
- Contributions:11
That is the sellers choice, and that's why the buyers will (should) still probably get their own inspection. If the repairs are truly shoddy the buyers inspector will flag them (again) and they will get to pay for the repairs twice. If the repairs are of the typical deferred maintenance type, they may end up being done by the same person they SHOULD have been done by in the first place. Do I really need a plumber to replace the wax ring on a toilet or replace a leaking faucet, probably not. Replacing a dead/Missing GFCI doesn't need an electrician either. Dead appliances, it is going to be a handyman or a store repairing them or replacing them anyway. Garage doors, so long as they pass the safety tests it doesn't really matter...
as for Major repairs by unlicensed people... again there will be clues a good inspector will pickup on. Some inspectors even will pull a copy of recent permits and if they see a new furnace/water heater/electrical work/etc they will flag it to be reviewed/blessed by a licensed individual.
This however doesn't mean that it can't save money. If they are doing the work on THEIR time table they can shop around and get prices from several different licensed individuals. A "need it done now" price is almost always higher than a "in then ext few weeks" price.
What it gives the seller is information, time and choices and removes some of the surprises. Removing surprises may be the most important as there may be hidden issues that the seller would have honestly (and properly) had repaired had they know about them that could be "show stoppers" for a potential buyer, even though they could be easily repaired.
Information and choices are what it is all about. There will always be people who try to "cheat" and that is what keeps good inspectors in business.
as for Major repairs by unlicensed people... again there will be clues a good inspector will pickup on. Some inspectors even will pull a copy of recent permits and if they see a new furnace/water heater/electrical work/etc they will flag it to be reviewed/blessed by a licensed individual.
This however doesn't mean that it can't save money. If they are doing the work on THEIR time table they can shop around and get prices from several different licensed individuals. A "need it done now" price is almost always higher than a "in then ext few weeks" price.
What it gives the seller is information, time and choices and removes some of the surprises. Removing surprises may be the most important as there may be hidden issues that the seller would have honestly (and properly) had repaired had they know about them that could be "show stoppers" for a potential buyer, even though they could be easily repaired.
Information and choices are what it is all about. There will always be people who try to "cheat" and that is what keeps good inspectors in business.
How to avoid the Dreaded Home Inspection?
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- 5.0/5.0
- (6 reviews)
Contributions:3Your house has been under contract with a buyer for 10 days, you are packing and getting ready to move out in less than 20 days. Your realtor calls to says that the buyer has completed the home inspection and has requested numerous repairs by licensed contractors, electricians, plumbers etc...
You are already rushed for time, there is no time to get multiple bids from different contractors. So the buyer suggests a 20k price reduction in lieu of repairs or they walk... What do you do?
[promotion deleted by Zillow moderator. Please refer to our Good Neighbor Policy for posting guidelines]
DO NOT WAIT for the buyer to do a home inspection...
Hire a qualified home inspector prior to listing your house. The home inspector will point out what the buyer is going to find out later. Knowing what is wrong ahead of time will give you plenty of time to fix minor items yourself and to get multiple bids to get the work done at a reasonable price.
And if the home inspector finds nothing wrong with your house? Then you have a clean report to share with potential buyers. Potential buyers will appreciate that you want to sell them a quality home.
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