Getting your home inspection report might be the scariest part of the real estate transaction.
Deep breath – remember that no house is perfect and what you’re feeling is totally normal.
Here are a few tips and reminders as you read your home inspection report.
Reading the whole report maximizes what you paid for. It gives you the whole picture and leaves no surprises.
If you can’t read the full report at least make sure you’re carefully reading the entire summary.
Remember – it’s your responsibility as a homeowner to learn about your future home. Put the time in to learn about the major systems & components.
It will be tempting to ask for the medium and minor items on the report, but this is a fool’s errand in most cases.
Most markets are seller’s markets. Meaning you won’t get the seller to pay for much with how few homes are for sale.
Focus on the most important health and safety items and negotiate for those.
It’s normal to not know what X repair or Y maintenance will cost.
Utilize your agent, home inspector and Dr. Google to help you learn about the typical cost and effort involved in common home inspection findings.
Owning a home is a long-term game.
Try to resist the feeling that you have to fix everything before moving in.
Most of the items on a home inspection report you can live with. You’ll gradually upgrade over time and prioritize.