Should the agent be present at the home inspection? |
| It is the now the norm that a homebuyer will have their prospective home inspected. That is a good thing! What has not yet become the norm is for the agent to be present at the inspection in its entirety. Now, I know some will say that it is the job of the inspector to care to and comfort the homebuyer during the inspection, and I certainly agree. But the additional care and comfort that your homebuyer feels with you as their real estate agent also present is the stuff that life-long referrals are made of! The agent has several extremely important duties to perform at this critical time. If these essential duties are recognized, embraced, and performed well, the agent will be rewarded with more deals closed, reduced liability, and a near all-referral business. The first great responsibility of the agent at the home inspection is to do a proper and professional introduction of the homebuyer to the home inspector. You must realize that most homebuyers have either not purchased a home before, have not purchased a home recently, or have not purchased a similar home in the area. They are, despite any attempt at a poker face, scared! This fear of the process is made worse when the buyer needs to go to a strange place, their wannabe home, and meet a strange person, their inspector, then go about making one of life's hardest and most expensive decisions. This fear can be greatly reduced when the agent introduces the home inspector as an experienced and familiar professional who can be trusted to guide them though the scary parts to a clear and simple understanding of the home under consideration. The next great contribution of the agent to the home inspection process is to open the door! Few home inspectors can legally obtain access to the home to be inspected, and often I question the motives of those who do have independent access. On the flip side, the inspection never goes well if the entire inspection is conducted from the outside looking in. During the body of the inspection, there is no special item of significance for the agent. Some seem to enjoy measuring and decorating, others use the time for administrative or phone contact time. What is important is that you are available for the buyer when emotional need or question arises. On more than one occasion, I have watched a buyer's concern turn to comfort when an unknown was make simple for the buyer by the agent. On one beautiful day not long ago, I came down my ladder to deliver the news to the anxious buyer that their roof was in need of immediate replacement. The buyer was nearly in tears, but she got real happy real fast when the agent explained that the purchase and sales contract stipulated that the seller would replace the roof. Had the agent not been there, the buyer would have been a wreck during the rest of the inspection and quite possibly would have walked away from a home and deal that was ultimately good for them. The last and final role of the agent at the home inspection is to sit in on and participate in the inspection wrap up and report review. During this period, the inspector will go over every detail of the inspection report with the buyer line by line. If the buyer has any questions about a particular system or defect, the inspector can go with the buyer and agent directly to that item in the home. The inspector can then point out, describe, or demonstrate. This is exactly what needs to be done for a full and complete understanding of the thought and it's impact on the real estate contract. This is where the agent comes in! With the agent observing and participating in this process, many good things happen. The agent has total clarity on every element of the report and any issues that may require attention. The agent can explain if any repair money is available in the real estate contract. There is never any confusion on which item, which section, or how many of a particular problem exists. Inspector, buyer, and agent see and hear exactly the same thing. Each can tell if the other has any point in contention or confusion. If you looking for a great way to spend quality time with your buyers, be in the best position to manage the information from the inspection, and greatly reduce the likeliness for the homebuyer blaming you for the risks of home ownership, plan on us spending time together at your next home inspection. And, it's even OK to do your nails! Copyright © Florida HomePro, Inc. and Wallace J. Conway. All rights in all media reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About the Author: Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inspections, and has recently written a book entitled "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com or Amazon.com. Wally's expertise and experience has been sought after by HGTV's "House Detective", the Florida Times Union, the National Association of REALTORS®, and many real estate associations. As a speaker, writer, instructor, and host of "The Home and Garden" radio show every Saturday at 8 AM on WOKV 690, Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit WallyConway.com for more information! Do You Need an Engineer or ASHI Certified Home Inspector? Home inspectors are not performing an engineering analysis during a home inspection, that's for sure. But, it is equally certain that few if any structural engineers can properly perform a home inspection. All too often homebuyers believe they should call on an engineer when they perceive some issue of structural significance. Rarely is this a good decision and often it is a bad one. If we can use simple medical analogies, a home inspection is simply a physical exam performed by a general practitioner. Everything is examined, and the effect of each system on the other is considered. It is the big picture. The structural engineer is more like the orthopedic specialist, concerned only with the bones, typically only the bones that are broken. But they give no consideration to the other systems - it's simply not their area of concern. But SOMEONE must still explain the big picture, and that person is the ASHI Certified home inspector. When a structural engineer is asked to evaluate a home, most often it is not even the entire structure, but only the area of visible concern to the potential buyer. The most common examples of when buyers desire the opinion of a structural engineer are floor sags, slab cracks, and imperfect walls. This isolated look often does two things that are seldom good for the homebuyer. First, the engineer discovers that the issue in question does not pose a significant risk to the integrity of the home, and Two, the engineer has consumed that buyer's budget for an inspection. The problem with this isolated look at the home is that the buyer will now elect NOT to have a complete ASHI home inspection! The isolated inspection of the structure by the engineer leaves out any issues with the plumbing, electrical, air conditioning, roofing, kitchen, and hundreds of other items large and small. That leaves the risk of expense or danger from these areas to fall on the homebuyer. And when homebuyers have problems, whom do they blame? You got it; they blame their agent! It is routine for ASHI certified home inspectors to discover, disclose, and document problems in a home that affect the structure. And with the use of an infrared camera, your home inspector can see inside the walls of a home to get the clearest picture of the structure, beyond what any engineer could see with the naked eye. Most often the inspector then recommends repair of the damaged area by properly licensed contractors. It is rare that these repairs require an engineering analysis. When they do, most often it is the contractor who coordinates them. Just like starting with the family doctor, your first best place for all building diagnostics is with your ASHI certified home inspector. Copyright © Florida HomePro, Inc. and Wallace J. Conway. All rights in all media reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About the Author: Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inspections, and has recently written a book entitled "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com or Amazon.com. Wally's expertise and experience has been sought after by HGTV's "House Detective", the Florida Times Union, the National Association of REALTORS®, and many real estate associations. As a speaker, writer, instructor, and host of "The Home and Garden" radio show every Saturday at 8 AM on WOKV 690, Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit WallyConway.com for more information! |
| Are you thinking of selling? Visit Sally'sHouse.net |
What is a home warranty?
A home warranty is a service contract, usually covering one year, which helps protect
homeowners against the cost of unexpected covered repairs or replacement on their major
systems and appliances that break down due to normal wear and tear.
What is Basic Home Warranty Coverage?
Generally, basic coverage for a home under 5,000 square feet, regardless of age includes the
home's heating, plumbing, electrical system, water heater and major appliances, such as
range/oven/cooktop, dishwasher, garbage disposal, etc. Home warranties are available for
homes that are over 5,000 square feet for an additional fee.
Is there a fee for each visit?
Yes, a fee called a trade service call fee is paid directly to the contractor for each covered
breakdown, no matter what the actual cost of the repair or replacement for your covered item.
What is a trade service call fee?
A trade service call fee is the amount due when a contractor visits your home. Each type of
breakdown falls into a "trade" category, for example: a leaky pipe qualifies as a plumbing
breakdown, while a broken dishwasher is an appliance breakdown.
Since it may require more than one contractor or several unrelated trips to the house by the
same contractor (once to fix the pipe, another to fix the dishwasher), there is a fee due for
each "trade" a service call covers. It's perfectly alright to report more than one breakdown at a
time. Additional fees may apply if the repairs fall into different categories.
Are the plans renewable?
Yes, warranty-holders may renew the company will notify the homeowner in advance of the
expiration date, and will offer a variety of convenient payment plans.
I'm in the market for a home. What's the benefit of buying a home covered by a home
warranty?
A home warranty helps provide protection during and after a home purchase. When a covered
system or appliance breaks down due to normal wear and tear, you're protected for repair or
replacement. There's no need to get back in touch with the real estate agent or track down the
previous owner.
A home warranty is a service contract, usually covering one year, which helps protect
homeowners against the cost of unexpected covered repairs or replacement on their major
systems and appliances that break down due to normal wear and tear.
What is Basic Home Warranty Coverage?
Generally, basic coverage for a home under 5,000 square feet, regardless of age includes the
home's heating, plumbing, electrical system, water heater and major appliances, such as
range/oven/cooktop, dishwasher, garbage disposal, etc. Home warranties are available for
homes that are over 5,000 square feet for an additional fee.
Is there a fee for each visit?
Yes, a fee called a trade service call fee is paid directly to the contractor for each covered
breakdown, no matter what the actual cost of the repair or replacement for your covered item.
What is a trade service call fee?
A trade service call fee is the amount due when a contractor visits your home. Each type of
breakdown falls into a "trade" category, for example: a leaky pipe qualifies as a plumbing
breakdown, while a broken dishwasher is an appliance breakdown.
Since it may require more than one contractor or several unrelated trips to the house by the
same contractor (once to fix the pipe, another to fix the dishwasher), there is a fee due for
each "trade" a service call covers. It's perfectly alright to report more than one breakdown at a
time. Additional fees may apply if the repairs fall into different categories.
Are the plans renewable?
Yes, warranty-holders may renew the company will notify the homeowner in advance of the
expiration date, and will offer a variety of convenient payment plans.
I'm in the market for a home. What's the benefit of buying a home covered by a home
warranty?
A home warranty helps provide protection during and after a home purchase. When a covered
system or appliance breaks down due to normal wear and tear, you're protected for repair or
replacement. There's no need to get back in touch with the real estate agent or track down the
previous owner.
Home Inspections 101
| Local Home Inspectors Advantage Inspection of Greenwood Tom Miller 864-943-1040 Clary's Home Inspection Jim Clary 864-941-2764 CornerStone Inspection Services Rick Hughes 864-941-7851 Home Safe Inspection 866-723-3380 864-229-0422 www.homesafeSE.com |
