Issue Date: September 28, 2005

What Lurks Behind the Walls: Insight on Home Inspection

By Jody Zink
Licensed Realtor in Ohio & Michigan

“What about that tiny water spot on the ceiling?” “Are those little tunnels on the wood from TERMITES?” I was surprised to see what their damage looks like. Those are just a few of the questions I’ve asked while shadowing home inspectors.

Before sealing the deal on a purchase, most REALTORS recommend buyers get a home inspection. And there’s good reason. In residential transactions, one of the most frequent reasons buyers and sellers find themselves in court is due to the seller’s failure to disclose property defects. In fact, nowadays most contracts are written subject to satisfactory property inspections.

The likelihood of post-closing disputes is lessened when buyers have more knowledge of the property’s condition in advance. What’s not so obvious, though, is how buyers should react to the pages of information the inspector hands over. When should buyers demand repairs? When should sellers refuse? Market conditions can be a factor, but here’s one reasonable notion: Buyers should ask sellers to pay for necessary repairs, but plan to foot the bill for upgrades.

The job of the inspector is to inform the buyer of the home’s condition affecting habitability. Examples would include items such as a leaky roof or plumbing, a faulty furnace or wiring, improper water heater venting, extremely low water pressure and evidence of excessive water in a foundation area.

Here are some examples of cosmetic items that do not affect habitability: Sagging eaves troughs, minor cracks (less than 1/8 inch) in a basement wall or garage floor, chipped or missing grout and peeling paint or wallpaper. Inspectors should identify these as maintenance items but prospective buyers should plan to take care them on their own. And just because electrical service is older, doesn’t mean it’s defective. It may simply mean it’s not up to today’s new home standards and code.

Shadowing during the inspection is a good idea. Depending on the size of the house, a good one usually takes between 2 and 4 hours. You can learn a lot about maintenance by sticking close by and asking questions. It’s also important to know that a general inspector cannot detect every problem. Know when to bring in specialists and find out whether they include pest and/or radon inspections.

When choosing a home inspector, consider experience, qualifications and professional affiliations such as the National Association of Home Inspectors (www.nahi.org) or the American Society of Home Inspectors where you can type in your ZIP code for a list of certified inspectors in your area at ashi.org/find Another good resource is the ASHI referral line at 1-800-743-2744.

The inspector should provide a written report within 24 hours that reviews every major system and component within the home.

Be prepared for the good, bad and quirky. Your home may be your biggest investment. Isn’t it worth trying to find out as much as you can before heading to the closing table? A good inspection is worth every penny. Nobody likes surprises.

And I hope you won’t have to learn what termite damage looks like.

Jody Zink is a licensed REALTOR in Ohio and Michigan with the Loss Realty Group. Her column appears every other week in the Toledo Free Press. She can be reached at jody@jodyzinkrealtor.com or 419-725-1881.