Hire a Team You Can Trust
We’re excited to welcome our friend Steve von Ehrenkrook from White Glove Home Inspections, who contributed to this blog.
Things just got real. That’s how a home inspection can feel. The buyer is ready to move forward. The seller is eager to get that “Sold” sign up. And now the home inspector shows up to let the buyer know what’s under the hood. It’s also another part of the negotiation process. That’s why we feel so strongly about hiring a proven, professional home inspector. Make it a good choice!
Who Chooses the Home Inspector?
Most seasoned Realtors® have built lasting relationships with everybody in the business from the pest control company to carpet cleaners and painters to home inspectors — pros they know will do an exceptional job. While your agent will likely make that recommendation, it is ultimately the buyer’s decision as to who they want to hire — although, a seller can also choose to get a listing inspection in order to avoid any surprises.
The Realtor® and home inspector have the same common goal — to make sure the client is happy and confident in buying their new home. That is why we don’t take this referral lightly. In fact, in order to make our recommendation, we look for an inspector to be:
- Honest: The inspector must work independently and present an honest report based on the inspection and clearly explain those findings to the buyer. Ethics is a big party of this. The client should make sure they attend the inspector review and go over the items of concern with both the inspector and their Realtor®.
- Knowledgeable: Home inspectors needs to be certified, trained and experienced in the construction industry. They will be inspecting all of the major systems of a home, from the foundation to the roof, from electrical to plumbing and mechanical. That requires a solid construction background and years of inspection experience.
- Thorough: The inspector can’t take shortcuts. They’ll go into the attic, crawl into crawl spaces, and get up on the roof. Inspecting a roof with Google Maps won’t cut it. Neither will just popping their head into the attic or crawl space.
What about paying for the inspection? Who pays?
Whoever hired the inspector (Buyer or Seller) is usually the one that the inspector is working for and is the one who pays for the inspection. There have been times that a seller agrees to pay for the buyer’s inspection, as a condition of the contract. In these cases, White Glove Home Inspections will not accept the inspections, because it is a conflict of interest. That said, it is important to understand that both sellers and buyers can order their own inspections. Most inspections are buyer’s inspections. However, a seller will often do a pre-listing inspection for their own knowledge. In fact, it’s not a bad idea for any homeowner to get periodic inspections in order to stay up on maintenance and repairs.
Anti-tipping device: What’s that?
We’ve heard rumors of Realtors® who get peeved by the inspector finding something seemingly inconsequential, like an anti-tipping device (a safety catch for your oven to prevent it from tipping forward should something rest on the open oven door). That question actually gets under our skin here at Desert Heritage Real Estate because the whole reason most buyers hire a home inspector is to learn about potential issues with the home they are purchasing. If your oven’s supposed to have an anti-tipping device, don’t you want to know that?
This is another reason hiring an experienced, professional Realtor® will be helpful. Our Desert Heritage Realtors® are trained to put the clients needs first and educate the client on the options that they have once receiving the home inspection. Just because there are a lot of items (which may seem silly to some and important to others), it does not mean it’s a “deal killer” but instead an opportunity to discuss with the client what is important to them and guide them through options. Typically, there are two options:
- Asking for the repairs to be completed and paid for by the seller
- Getting estimates on the cost of repairs and include those costs in the negotiated price of the home
It’s important to understand that the inspection report is about the property on the day of the inspection. A house is a working component that changes by the minute. For example a toilet that is functioning properly the day of the inspection might start leaking a week or even a couple days after the inspection. That doesn’t mean the inspector missed it. It just means that toilet’s time to leak hadn’t arrived at the time of the inspection.
Final Words on Home Inspections
Having a home inspection provides you, the client, with a level of confidence and an overview of the condition of the property at the time of the inspection. Even a brand-new property will have items of safety or concern that a knowledgeable home inspector would report on. When you work with a team of experienced professionals like Desert Heritage Real Estate and White Glove Home Inspections, you’ll know that we are working for you to ensure that you have the knowledge you need to make your best decision.
