How to Avoid Common Home Inspection Mistakes When Buying & Selling

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I wanted to touch on five common mistakes that I often see buyers and sellers make with home inspections in the Long Island area.

1. Not researching the home inspector. Some people hire purely on price, and we all know what happens. Many certified home inspectors belong to the Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Ask the inspector to provide their credentials before you hire them.
2. Not attending the inspection or getting too involved in the inspection. Yes, you should be there for the inspection if you’re the buyer; they will explain little things that will help you when you own the home, and it’s not as scary as reading a long report. From a seller’s point of view, the inspection is very invasive, and most of the time it’s best to meet the inspector, give them your cell number, and leave.
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   With a pre-inspection,
   you can get ahead of issues.

   
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3. Reviewing the inspection from an emotional standpoint. From a buyer’s standpoint, read the items that need to be fixed and what needs to be done to get them up to standard. As a seller, don’t take offense because you’ve been told things are wrong with your house. Look at them as things that need to be corrected.
4. Not obtaining a pre-listing inspection. This is for sellers only. With a pre-inspection, you can get ahead of issues that can be easily fixed before putting the home on the market.
5. Not preparing for the inspection. As a seller, you need to make sure all areas of the home are accessible. Can the inspector get into the garage and the attic? Are all the utilities turned on? Buyers should check with their agent to make sure the power, water, and all utilities are on, so when the inspector does their job, they can get access to everything they need.

I hope you find these tips helpful. If you’d like to have a detailed report on mistakes that buyers and sellers make with inspections, click here or call me at 1-800-822-1222 and we’ll happily send you one!