One of the most important things that you are going to need to learn in a real estate school of SC is how you are going to do home inspections. Home inspections are the process in which home inspectors look over a home during the transaction process. If you represent the buyer, a home inspection is an essential process. As the seller, a home inspection can sink your proposed sale. Here’s what you’re going to need to know about
As The Buyer
When you’re the buyer, you should be first picking out a home inspector. The best choice is someone from an agency that is both bonded and insured. Ask the inspector a few questions though to assure yourself that there is no conflict on interest and how they will do the job. The most important trait they need to have is certification ASHI and InterNACHI, both national organizations that ensure the inspector is qualified.
Once you’ve got an inspector, it’s time to have them do the inspection. When they come back to you, they will most likely have a report to present to you. Don’t just pick up the report and walk away though. You’ll want to talk with the home inspector about the specifics about the report.
For one, you will want to zero in on the various issues they discovered. Talk to them about what issues they think are the most pressing, how serious what they are, and what can be done about them. Advice on what to do about the issues is pretty important since it can change your decision on whether to buy or not.
As The Seller
When you’re the seller, a home inspector can be a frightening prospect. However, it is actually possible to get out of it unscathed. The best way to do so is to start some home repairs. There are two classifications of the repairs that you should do: should-fix and must-fix.
Must-fix repairs are the ones that essential. This includes lights, water, and the ones that a home buyer would be looking at. The must-fix are usually cosmetic. This is usually leaky faucets and stains. Finally, you will want to do some cleaning. Just make sure that your house looks great so that the inspector will be impressed with what they see.
Come Out On Top
When the inspection is done, home inspections can decide whether the buyer proceeds with their purchase. If they do go ahead, a home inspection will be very useful when it comes down to the negotiations. For example, you may want to specifically ask for some repairs and changes before you make a purchase. Try to request something reasonable like painting over stains, fixing cracks, and changing faulty locks.
The key thing here is that you want to request enough so that the purchase is a good move for you. You don’t want to buy a complete fixer-upper. Major repairs or changes though will most likely torpedo the negotiations and should be done by you.
Overall, home inspections are an essential part of the house-buying process. Learn about it so that you can get the most out of it.