What To Expect When You Are Inspecting

Your home for sale in Tam O’ Shanter has an offer-congrats! However, don’t get too carried away. After all, you have another step to get through: the inspection. This is a contingency that is included in almost all offers. This basically allows buyers to back out of the purchase without losing their earnest money if the inspection comes back with a negative report. If a buyer really wants to buy your house, this can open you up to negotiating repairs or selling your Tam O’ Shanter real estate for less than you had originally anticipated. This is a big part of the home buying process so it is crucial that you prepare for this step.

First, you should know that in almost all situations there will be an inspection. A lot of sellers are actually doing pre-inspections prior to listing their home for sale in Tam O’ Shanter so that they know what condition their home is in and can make changes accordingly. This is also a benefit to buyers as it means the inspection is already on file and removes this step from the process. Now if your Tam O’ Shanter real estate is going to be a tear down for the buyer, they may not care about an inspection and forgo it in the hopes of having their offer considered the most ideal in this competitive market. However, a buyer who is planning on living in your soon to be former home will want to know what they are getting themselves into. Since the home inspection results can give buyers peace of mind and a possible bargaining tool, chances are they will not be skipping this step.

So what exactly happens at a home inspection? Well, an inspector will come to your home for sale in Tam O’ Shanter and look at everything. Their checklist has 1,600 items. So long as they can physically get to it, anyway. Here are the areas they will be looking at and why:

• Structure: Inspectors want to make sure the foundation has integrity and isn’t rotting
• Grounds: Standing water, faulty grading, sick or dying trees and shrubs, crumbling paths and walls are all things that will eventually need to be handled so this will be checked out.
• Roof: This area will be inspected for defects in shingles, flashing, and fascia, chimneys and skylights as well as loose and hanging gutters.
• Exterior: If your real estate in Tam O’ Shanter has cracks or rot, dents or bowing in vinyl, blistering or flaking paint, your new buyers will likely want this fixed.
• Window, doors, trim: Inspectors will look for rotting frames, peeling caulk, damaged glass.
• Interior rooms: These rooms will be inspected to make sure there are no water-stained ceilings and that there is proper insulation and sufficient heating vents.
• Kitchen: This room will be checked out for proper venting, no leaks and that all cabinets and fixtures operate correctly.
• Bathrooms: Toilets flushing properly, shower pressure, and securely fastened tubs will be the point of focus in this room.
• Plumbing: Drains flowing properly; water has the right temperature and pressure will all be checked.
• Electrical: This is huge. Electrical is not only a spendy fix, but can be dangerous if left unrepaired. Inspectors will make sure electrical panels, light switches and outlets are working properly.

So what can you do in order to pass the home inspection short of making a bunch of repairs yourself? Which we should note, you should not do at all unless you actually know what you are doing.  There are a few ways to prepare.

Clean and de-clutter your home. You have to do this before you list anyway. The inspector isn’t there to look at your things, however if you remove the clutter you make their job easier by allowing quick access to the spaces they need to get to.  Plus this allows you to figure out what you are going to keep (and pack!), toss, donate, etc.

Get all your paperwork together. This is another thing you should do for the sake of your buyers. For any repairs or maintenance you have done at your home, create a binder or a folder with all the paperwork. This proves you have handled any problems that have come up as well as any warranties that come with current items in your home.

Allow easy access. This is huge regardless of if it is for the buyer or the inspector. Whether it is a shed or a garage, have complete transparency and don’t keep anything off limits.

Other things to consider when getting a home inspection is to leave. Let the inspector do their thing. If you need to point out some previous repairs or some trouble areas, do so before they get started. Also, don’t take anything personal. Real estate in Tam O’ Shanter is likely to have some things come back. After all, your home is a well loved home which can result in some wear and tear over the years. Buying and selling Tam O’ Shanter real estate is a business transaction between both the buyer and the seller. The seller wants the most money while the buyer wants to spend the least. Don’t get upset with the inspector if the list of fixes comes back longer than you expected. Hash it out with your Tam O’ Shanter realtor and the buyer. A bad inspection report isn’t a deal breaker, but this is where a qualified Tam O’ Shanter realtor earns their paycheck. They will know how to handle the report, which repairs are necessary and which ones could be fixed with a simple price negotiation.

For more information on real estate in my neighborhood, give me a call. I would be happy to share the current market conditions with you.