Sellers' Tips:
The Home Inspector's Coming
By Marcie Geffner
Your home is in escrow, and the buyer has scheduled
a home inspection. Should you be worried about
what the inspector might find? The answer depends,
of course, on the condition of your home and how
well you've maintained its major components over
the years.
Regardless of what the inspector may uncover,
however, you shouldn't be overly concerned about
the actual home inspection. Keeping in mind that
disclosure laws and customary real estate practices
vary from place to place, here are six suggestions
as to how you might help the home inspection process
go smoothly:
1. Leave the premises.
It's perfectly reasonable to absent yourself from
your home during the home inspector's visit and
turn over the duties to your real estate agent.
Your agent should be familiar with the home inspection
process and able to act as your representative.
In fact, many listing agents prefer that the seller
not be at home during the buyer's home inspection.
2. Be courteous.
Some sellers mistakenly assume the home inspector
is an adversary. Experienced professional home
inspectors aren't on a mission to find fault with
every tiny aspect of your home. The home inspector's
role is to offer the buyer a fair assessment of
the property. Tips: Don't keep the inspector waiting
on your doorstep and allow at least two hours
for the inspection.
3. Don't attempt to refute negative comments
about your home during the inspection.
Inspectors don't appreciate being followed around
by argumentative or defensive home sellers (or
sellers' real estate agents). The time to explain
and negotiate will come after you receive and
review your copy of the inspector's report.
4. Don't make statements about your home
that are beyond your personal knowledge.
For instance, if the inspector asks you how old
the roof is or when certain appliances were installed,
check your records before you answer. If you have
documentation, provide a copy of it. If repairs
or modifications were made prior to your purchasing
the home, don't guess when that work was performed.
The same caution about misrepresentations applies
to questions about whether permits were obtained
for remodeling, the exact square footage of your
home, the name of the architect who designed it
and so on.
5. Don't block access to normal living
areas of your home.
If the home inspector can't enter a room or complete
some other aspect of the inspection, that will
be noted in his or her report and the buyer may
question it.
6. Make agreed-upon repairs promptly.
The buyer may ask the inspector to okay any repairs
you agree to make as a result of the inspection.
The sooner you make the repairs, the sooner the
contingency can be met. Delaying the repairs until
the last minute won't stop the buyer from having
those items reinspected, but it could delay the
closing of escrow.
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