You’ve spent weeks combing through social media posts, having meetings with your real estate agent, and touring listing after listing. Now, you’ve finally found the home of your dreams, and you make an offer. At this point, you hire a home inspector, and perform a thorough home inspection, a key part of the process of finally locking down your dream home.
A home inspection is a non-invasive examination of all the systems and components of a property, ensuring that the home is structurally sound and safe for you and yours. The goal of an inspection is to assess the current condition of a property and describe the physical condition of the home, indicating what may need to be repaired or replaced as of the time of the inspection. A standard home inspection may include examining more than 200 different components of a property, including HVAC systems, plumbing elements, roofing, foundation, and more.
At the end of the inspection, the home inspector creates a thorough report and presents it to you, the buyer. This comprehensive document is intended to be informational. With this report in hand, you’re given more insight into the quality of your future home, putting you in a better position to make an informed decision about moving forward with the transaction.
Now, this leads to the question: What are the next steps to take if your inspection reveals problems?
One important thing to keep in mind? Remember that a home inspector does not issue a “pass/fail” report. Rather than issuing a hard and fast report card, an inspector provides a list of elements that may need to be addressed. Instead of thinking of this process as issuing a judgment about a property, you may instead think of the home inspector as being there to limit your risk in purchasing a particular home. An inspector is examining a property to see if there are any issues, and, if so, how severe those issues are. They are not telling you whether or not to buy a home, nor are they acting as an appraiser, and attempting to issue a monetary value to a property.
If problems are found, an inspector will either offer recommendations of how to repair the system, or recommend you get a further evaluation by someone who specializes in a particular field.
Ultimately, if a home inspection reveals real problems, buyers must take a step back and think about how to proceed. Everyone’s situation is going to be unique, depending on your goals as a buyer, and the type of discussions raised by the home inspection. There are a lot of moving parts to keep in mind, and your future home could be on the line. As a result, you’ll want to assess the situation properly. A good home inspector will help put things in perspective both during the inspection and in their report.
In Chicagoland, here are a few common courses of action that potential home buyers may take, if an inspection reveals significant issues or concerns:
Negotiating Remedy Requests
Based on the terms of the sale and the problems raised by the home inspection, remedies might include the seller taking action to make repairs, or offering the buyer a credit in order to make fixes after taking ownership. In some cases, if the seller insists on leaving the home as is, the buyer may still be able to request bringing in professional contractors in order to assess the issues at hand and prepare for potential costs.
In many cases, buyers — along with their attorneys and real estate brokers — will ultimately find themselves dealing with some combination of all of the above. For instance, the seller may say no to negotiating some remedy requests, may be willing to grant a credit for others, and so on.
In the absolute worst of cases — if an inspection reveals an issue that is a personal “dealbreaker” — a buyer and their real estate team may call their attorney and ask them to terminate the contract. This is strictly a matter for buyers to discuss with their attorneys and real estate agents.
What to Expect With Windy City Home Inspection
Whether you’re buying a property, selling a property, or just want to know how to maintain your property, Windy City Home Inspection has an inspection for you. With Windy City Home Inspection, you can expect a thorough, diligent inspection that never cuts corners and always makes sure your home is sound and up to date. We believe in the power of offering a real education to homebuyers, offering valuable perspective and insights during the inspection and in the final report.
When searching for the right home inspector, it’s important to find someone you can trust — and that’s why we are here for you. The inspectors at Windy City Home Inspection, Inc. are licensed by the State of Illinois, certified, and insured. Each home inspection is backed by our Warranty and Protection Plan. Furthermore, we pride ourselves on our superior customer service. If you ever have questions, even years after your home inspection, we will be here to answer them — even if it means returning to your home.
At Windy City Home Inspection, Inc., we perform inspections to the highest standards – yours. Backed by a consulting team with more than 60 years of experience, Windy City Home Inspection is committed to excellence. Have a question? Let us help.
