I for Inspection

There is often a misconception that homeowners know all about their houses and that buyers will be told everything they need to know to decide on the purchase. What often happens is that a buyer who is applying for a loan will be required to have the house inspected by a certified professional. The lending agency wants to make sure it’s a good purchase. The careful buyer can request an inspection on their own as well, and it’s a good idea especially if the house is aged.

Lastly, the seller can decide to ask for an inspection if they want to ensure a quick sale that won’t be held up by needed repairs. Since it is optional in many cases, and is an extra expense, many sellers sell their homes “as is” and wait for a buyer who doesn’t mind finding things out on their own. I’ve heard sad stories of people buying houses and finding out the foundation is cracked, or the roof leaks, or the plumbing or electric is outdated and dangerous. A certified inspector should be able to discover these faults and give the buyer a chance to address them in the contract – if they still like the house enough to buy it.

Because we want this sale to go as seamlessly as possible, our realtor thought it would be a good idea to get an inspection. Mr. Owens was the recommended specialist. He gave me a prompt proposal for the two houses and came out the same week. He is a building contractor himself and has years of experience. His son, also experienced, took one of our houses and he took the other. A few days later I was emailed a report with the findings. The report has detailed pictures of their findings and a written summary of their recommendations. It’s very helpful.

Of course, we are living in our house right now without much notice of the faults that were called out. Most of them were not serious. The rental house is a little more problematic, but now we know and can fix it up. Having that list gives us direction and a way to measure our progress. At the end there will be a few things that we have chosen not to fix, which is always our prerogative. Since we do know our house much better after the report we can be sure we are making the sale with full disclosure. That feels like peace of mind to me.

I’m glad we had the inspection.

How would an inspection of  your house, right now, make you feel? Nervous? Confident?