The Home Inspection Process

The home inspections are typically paid for by the home buyer - although you can have a pre-inspection done to make sure to catch any issues you are not aware of.

Prior to inspections, make sure all your systems are on as to not delay the process. This includes gas and water. Also, make sure that the electrical box and pipes under the sink can be accessed by the home inspector.

Miscellaneous inspections will likely take place after the General Home Inspection, and these would also be scheduled with you.

A typical inspection can last anywhere from 1.5 to 4 hours, depending on the scope of the inspection and the size of your house. More often than not, the buyers will attend the home inspection. You'll want to keep your pets secured during the inspections and the final walk-through.

The buyer will gather their reports together, and then they should send you a written request of repairs/ questions that they have. Many times they will include the inspection report along side the request.

Once that's in hand, see if there are things you would consider addressing, whether you'd rather give them money in lieu of repairs, and address items you won’t take care of.

Dealing With Repair Requests

Even though the contract might say "as-is", most home buyers will still hire a licensed home inspector to conduct structural, mechanical, termite, radon, and other types of inspections prior to closing on their new home. This should be completed during the "due diligence" period of the contract.

The buyers may ask you to take care of a few outstanding items, many of which you may have no idea existed. Most homeowners are not conducting an inspection in their crawl space or on their roofs or in their attics, and things generally will show up that aren't quite right.

You may feel inclined to address some (or none) of the issues, and others you may want to get a few written estimates on to see what the cost would be should you decide to offset the items in question, and let the buyer fix them once they own the home.

If you agree to do anything, make sure it is in writing and that all parties sign and date the agreement.