Shamrock Home Inspections, Inc. - What Really Matters

What Really Matters

Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?

Relax. Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into three categories:

Major Concern: a system or component which is considered significantly deficient or is unsafe. Significant deficiencies need to be corrected and, except for some safety items, are likely to involve significant expense.
Safety Issue: denotes a condition that is unsafe and in need of prompt attention.
Repair: denotes a system or component which is missing or which needs corrective action to assure proper and reliable function.

Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property.

Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. Keep things in perspective. Do not kill your deal over things that do not matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance conditions already listed on the seller's disclosure or minor cosmetic items.