If you buy a home or condo in the St. Petersburg area you will likely want to hire a professional home-inspector to go over the property and give you an expert opinion of its condition. The inspection is generally the next step in the purchase process once the offer-to-purchase is signed by both parties, and can be one of the most enjoyable parts of your real estate transaction.
If you are a client of ours, a realtor member of our team will always attend the inspection with you. Our job is to open up the house and be on-hand to recommend potential remedies and negotiation points with the seller should the inspector find anything of consequence.
Where to find a home-inspector: We recommend hiring an inspector that is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), a professional organization that provides testing, certification and a code of ethics for its inspectors. On their website you can search lists of inspectors by city and zip and find links to the inspectors’ websites.
Note: If you prefer not to search for an inspector we can provide names and numbers of a few inspectors we have worked with in the past who we were satisfied with, or call and make the appointment for you if you wish.
Home or Condo Inspection day: Inspectors’ personal styles vary widely, so your experience during the actual inspection will depend on who you hire. Some inspectors will invite the client to follow them every step of the way, and will use the time to teach the purchaser about the home and its systems, while some will just go about the business of inspecting the home and offer a summary at the end.
What all inspectors will do is inspect the structure, including the roof, walls, ceiling, floors and foundation; the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning); interior plumbing and electrical systems; windows and doors; and appliances (to insure they are operational).
They will then provide a written, and probably oral, summary of the condition of the property and its systems. Some inspectors will spend a long time writing up the report before leaving the property (leaving everyone to sit around and wait for them to finish). Many will give a verbal summary and follow up later that evening by email with the full report.
After the inspection: It is important to understand that no home is perfect, even if brand new, and all will require some level of repair now and in the future. What the home inspection is not meant to do is provide a list of silly items to use against the seller to get them to lower the price. Remember, at the time of the inspection the price of the property is already agreed upon. Loose door-knobs and minor cosmetic issues can be easily dealt with after closing (everyone has to go to Home Depot after moving into a new home).
What I look for are items that provide and unsafe condition to my client(s), such as electrical problems or other fire hazards; issues that prevent normal functioning of the home after move-in, such as plumbing problems; or problems that could cause a large financial burden now or in the future, such as a sinking foundation.
If problems exist, depending on the terms written into the offer-to-purchase, the buyer generally has the right to either walk-away from the transaction (at a loss of the price of the inspection), or, more commonly, submit an addendum to the contract asking the seller to address specified problems. This is a second negotiation process similar to the original negotiation of the purchase price, and will sometimes go back and forth couple of times.
Once it is agreed what the responsibility of the seller will be, if any, the transaction will move forward, and any items agreed upon are expected to be addressed before closing. The satisfactory completion of those items will be confirmed at the final, pre-closing walk-through of the property.
I personally enjoy attending home inspections. It’s always nice to watch our clients checking out the new place, thinking about where to put their furniture, thinking about upgrades, and just interacting with their new environment. So if you’re purchasing a home now or in the future, I’ll be looking forward to seeing you at yours!
