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JIM JOHNSTON
MICHELLE HOPKIN
LEXY KRAUSE
ALAN BEAL
For many buyers and sellers, the home inspection step can be a daunting one— and they may have questions for you! Can a home inspector tell them whether to make the purchase? Do they have to read the report? What if the inspector refuses to go on the roof? And what if they disagree with what the inspector has to say? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, never fear! Home inspection professionals weighed in on how best to help your clients through the process.
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T
he main thing that buyers need to know is that we have their best interests at heart,” says Jim Johnston, Owner of All Around Inspections. “We look for major defects in a house—but we find numerous minor issues in the process.”
Alan encourages buyers to put themselves in a seller’s shoes when it comes to things like outdated appliances. “Is the issue urgent, or is it just cosmetic? Is the broken window going to let winter air in, or is it just unattractive? If you were the seller, would you have paid to fix this?” he urges buyers to ask themselves.
“The home inspection is designed to give the buyer a good understanding of the overall condition of the property, the types of expenses they are likely to incur moving forward, and how to maintain their new home,” say Lexy Krause and Michelle Hopkin of ProTec Inspection Services.
The pros say it’s helpful for a buyer to be present for the inspection. “I prefer to have the buyer present so I can talk about aspects of the inspection that might not make it into the report, such as maintenance issues and possible improvements,” says Jim. “This is a visual inspection and we can’t see hidden defects, but we do know when something doesn’t look right.”
It’s important that buyers are realistic with expectations, says Alan Beal, President of Mid-Atlantic Inspections. “It’s like buying a classic car,” he says. “A baby-blue 1955 T-bird won’t have seatbelts or air conditioner. So don’t expect a house built in 1955 to have all the amenities of a modern one.” Jim agrees: “Older houses tend to have more minor issues than new houses. Older houses won’t be up to today’s codes, and our standard is, ‘Does it work as intended?’” 14 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Spring 2020
“There’s a lot of information conveyed verbally during the inspection that doesn’t make it into the report,” confirms Alan. This is also a great opportunity to ask an inspector in-depth questions about the home without the seller being present. “By not attending the inspection, the buyer will miss out on a wealth of knowledge the inspector can offer regarding maintenance tips, prioritizing projects, and
