Fear Not!

Inspections are a crucial part of the homebuying process. Should the inspection results be less than perfect, don't panic. Here's why an imperfect inspection shouldn't send you running scared.

First, understand that no home is perfect. Even newly constructed homes often have flaws (which is why they, too, should be professionally inspected). A home can be perfect for you, in that it meets all your requirements, but no home will be in perfect physical condition, so be prepared for your inspector to find some fault. The nature of that fault is another matter, which leads us to another important point…

Inspectors don't just check out the big stuff, like a property's foundation, roof, and electrical and plumbing systems (problems in these areas may be justifiable cause to withdraw from a sale); they look for problems big and small. Minor issues like appliances that don't work or faucets where hot and cold are reversed, for example, will be noted by the inspector, but are easily remedied and shouldn't frighten you away from a home that otherwise matches your criteria.

Lastly, the wording on inspection reports can be rather technical and, to limit liability, exceedingly cautious; plus, some reports are little more than checklists wherein items are simply marked as being in good, fair, or poor condition. As a result, inspection reports can seem considerably scarier than they really are. This is why it's recommended buyers attend the inspection and shadow the inspector instead of just reading the report once the examination is finished – if you're present, the inspector can explain to you, in layman's terms, the exact nature of the problem and how severe it is – or isn't.

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