We at Magnolia Home Inspections believe a home inspection should provide home buyers with peace of mind by delivering on 5 key purposes:
1. Prepare home buyers for successful negotiations
2. Clearly identify the most critical construction defects
3. Satisfy a review of all components as required by your local governing authority
4. Prepare home buyers for home ownership with a list of DIY issues and less concerning repairs that will affect the value of the home if differed
5. Protect home buyers with attention-to-detail necessary of a legal document that represents your long-term best interests
A simple definition of a home inspection: a survey of the condition of a property, searching and documenting critical failures of the major components in a home. Any home inspector you hire should follow all rules as determined by the local governing body, in our case, the Tennessee Commerce and Insurance Department, Division of Regulatory Board. No matter who you use for a home inspection, the process, the service, and the report should leave you prepared as both a home buyer and a home owner!
A Negotiation Tool
Your home inspector should primarily be focused on creating a document that addresses the most relevant defects on a home that pertains to the real estate transaction. A skilled home inspector protects his clients by writing a report with professional language that puts pressure on the Seller’s to pay for significant repairs needed.
Not all real estate agents are equal in their negotiation skills so it is imperative that your home inspector is skilled to help arm you with necessary facts about the home and detailed facts about specific construction defects for successful negotiations. Home inspectors with construction experience can have a huge advantage in this arena by painting a clear picture about not only what is wrong but why a defect needs to be fixed sooner than later. Professionally elevating a defect can quickly prevent Seller’s or Seller’s Agent arguments.
Need help choosing a realtor with great negotiation skills? We work with the best of the best in Nashville, TN – just call and ask us about our experience! We are happy to provide a preferred realtor list.
Your home inspector should be capable of quickly distinguishing simple DIY repairs from significant construction defects that require professional trade contractors. Wasted time and wasted energy will be lost if this part of the process is not handled efficiently. Most offers being accepted in Nashville are extremely competitive leaving our clients with a very short inspection window to not only complete a home inspection but also have the follow-up inspections often needed by HVAC technicians, pool inspectors, qualified contractors and engineers. Although a home inspector may be thorough, it is important that they are very timely in providing you clear directives so that follow-up inspections (with quotes) can be scheduled and completed before your deadline.
Basics of a Home Inspection Report
Before hiring a home inspector, ask them for an example report. This report should be thorough with a technical review of all house components. A summary of these components would include:
Roof
Electrical
HVAC
Plumbing
Exterior
Interior
Structural
Attic and Crawlspace
A more comprehensive breakdown visit: All House Components
What you may not know about a home inspection
A Home Inspection Report is a Legal Document
Most home buyers do not know this but a home inspection report is a legal document. In a worst-case scenario if a lawsuit were to be filed regarding the real estate transaction your home inspection report will be used in a court of law as a legal document representing the condition of the property on the day that it was inspected. That inspection report that so often goes unread (Yes! You would be surprised) becomes scrutinized, word-by-word, line-by-line by multiple parties including:
- Sellers
- Buyers’ Agents
- Sellers’ Agents
- Structural Engineers
- Trade Contractors
- Municipal Judge
- Governing Arbitrators
- Attorneys
- Insurance Representatives
Accurate, precise descriptions of the property are extremely important in such an event as a lawsuit.
In the case of a Builder Warranty Inspection (in which our clients have us return to review the property and create a punch-list of issues for the Builder to repair before the end of your new construction warranty), that Warranty Inspection report is a legal document that could extend the statute of limitations on new construction defects. Your Builder Warranty Inspection report is legal proof that you did your due diligence in making the home builder aware of a defect that should have been repaired within that first year of home ownership!
In Summary
A well-qualified home inspector is a consummate professional capable of both preparing you and protecting you during a real estate purchase. Keeping the top five purposes of a home inspection in mind, you now have a gauge to help you qualify the home inspector that will best suit your long-term best interests. Download our FREE Checklist: How to Interview a Home Inspector
Magnolia Guarantee
Magnolia team members are driven to maximize every dollar you spend on a home inspection. Pre-purchasing costs can add up and we understand that most buyers are feeling a cash crunch leading up to final closing. That is why We Promise you Peace of Mind or your money back. From the ease of scheduling to the on-location walkthrough and next-day written report we guarantee you peace of mind through every step of the process.
We would love to talk with you about any questions you may have. Even if you have not used us for a home inspection in the past, please view us as a resource for your home improvement problems!
FREE Additional Resources
Download: Checklist for Hiring a Home Inspector
Article: How much does a Home Inspection Cost?
Article: Who Should I Hire for a Home Inspection
Have you lived beside a perfect neighbor who owned all the tools necessary to complete house projects; someone who has researched all aspects of a project before starting? These are the neighbors that we recruit and train as home inspectors! (If this reminds you of someone you know please have them visit our career page for an awesome opportunity!)