The Home Inspection Process

It CAN be SO Much Better!

Article by Deb Staley

In our low-inventory real estate market, some buyers are waiving inspections altogether. Most buyers are waiving the right to ask for any repairs identified in a home inspections. (This is the true meaning of “as is.” The buyer purchases a home in its current state, but the seller MUST disclose all known issues.)

On the rare occasion when a home is not purchased “as is,” we get to painfully renegotiate the contract because there are always inspection issues in every home. There are no perfect homes—not even newly constructed ones.

The inspection process would be so much easier if sellers would take the lead there. That would entail having the HVAC system serviced, a roof inspection, and even a termite inspection if there is no system installed for that. The next step would be to have a pre-listing inspection. Basic inspections are not that expensive; it costs around $500 for a typical home inspection including an official termite inspection. If sellers pays for a pre-listing inspection, they can attach the inspection report to the Seller’s Disclosure and feel good about divulging everything material about the home. It is the right thing to do. A seller can opt to repair certain items or not and the buyers can decide—up front—if those things are a problem for them. No hassles necessary and a lot of time saved. I can only hope this becomes the norm here in the KC area someday, but I’m not holding my breath.