Why Home Inspections Are Important

It's almost standard practice for an offer to be submitted with a home-inspection contingency. Why a buyer would want to make their offer dependent the home passing a home-inspection seems patently obvious to most. As a commodity, a home is very large and very complex. You cannot hold it in your hands, you almost never have complete knowledge of what has happened in the home during its construction and history and there are systems inside it that are usually beyond the detailed comprehension of the average buyer. On top of all of this, it costs a lot of money. Homes aren't quite as ubiquitous or easily replaceable as are cars, so there is really no way to create a workable "lemon" law like you have with the second most costly and complex item that most people buy. So the home inspection is the first and most fundamental way that consumers have to protect themselves from being saddled with a defective product.

The home inspector will spend one to two hours with you going through the house looking for defects and making sure all the systems are in "normal working order." If there are any hidden defects that are exposed in this process, the buyer can either walk away from the contract or begin negotiations to make sure the problems are fixed. Paragraph 7 in the Regional Sales Contract here in Arlington specifies the systems that are to be in "normal working order." They are:

"...existing appliances, heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical systems and equipment, an

smoke and heat detectors (as required)..."

The seller is free to indicate that certain items are to be conveyed "as-is," which allows them to avoid fixing damaged systems. This would obviously reduce the value of the home. (Paragraph 7 is also the paragraph that contains the term "broom clean." To wit: "Seller will deliver the property in substantially the same condition as on the Contract Date and broom clean with all trash and debris removed." This is generally interpreted to mean that the seller does not have to deliver the property in spotless condition.)

So as a way to protect the buyer, the home inspection's value is obvious. But there is another major value to the buyer that is provided by this service, especially for first-time home buyers. As you go around with the inspector, you are essentially getting a guided tour to the care and maintenance of your new home. The home inspector will point out the location of important things like the whole house water valve, the gas main valve, the electrical box, the sump pump, etc.

These are items you hopefully will never have to touch, but in case of emergency it is very important that you know where they are. The inspector will show you how all the systems work, to the extent that he can. You will learn how to change the filter on your furnace. He can guesstimate for you, in a neutral way, how much life you have left on the roof, the furnace, the air conditioning, etc. This information is really very useful and will potentially save you a lot of headache in the long run.In certain circumstances, when a home is likely to receive multiple offers for example, buyers have felt compelled to not ask for a home inspection. It can be the right decision in these very limited situations. But usually, it is the right thing to do not only to protect yourself but also to educate yourself about this very exciting and very intimidating new purchase you are about to make. So my advice is to always ask for one and be sure to give yourself plenty of time on that day to attend the inspection and absorb the information.

Joshua Stearns is a real estate agent in Arlington, VA and specializes in first time home buyers, South Arlington properties, and environmentally friendly homes. Visit http://www.stearnssellshomes.com to learn more.