Home inspections: what to expect and why they matter
What happens at a home inspection, how to read the report, and how to tell a real issue from normal wear and tear.
The inspection is your chance to learn the house
Once your offer is accepted, the home inspection is the part of the process where the house has to talk. A licensed inspector goes through the property systematically, checking the roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, and a long list of smaller details.
Plan on it taking a few hours for a typical home. You're welcome to be there, and I strongly encourage it, it's the best education you'll get on the place you're about to buy.
The report is not a pass or fail
Walk through a finished inspection report and you might panic at first. Nothing looks perfect. But no home is: every report is a long list of observations, and most of them are minor.
The skill is in reading it. I've seen enough reports to help you sort what's cosmetic, what's normal for a home of that age, and what actually matters for how you'll live there and what it'll cost down the road.
What's worth asking for
When real issues show up, we talk about what's fair to ask the seller to fix or credit, and what's not worth risking the deal over. Safety items and big-ticket systems get the attention first.
The goal isn't to squeeze the sellers dry or kill the deal over a light switch. It's to make sure you're not blindsided six months in, and to negotiate from a place of information.
If you're nervous about the inspection, good
Being a little nervous means you care, and it means you're paying attention. That's the right energy for a buyer. My job is to make sure that nervousness turns into questions answered, not sleepless nights.
By closing day you should feel like you know that house, quirks and all. If you don't, we're not done yet.
Written by Mary Kay Stevens
Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Sioux Falls, SD license #18378. People first, real estate second, relationships always. Have a question this didn’t answer?
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