What Are Home Defects and is the Buyer or Seller Responsible?
An inspector’s job is to help a buyer decide if they want to buy a home by providing them with information they were previously unaware of in the form of a home inspection report. Home defects can pose problems for a buyer, so it’s vital you understand how minor or how serious a problem is.
As a Dallas home inspector, it’s our job to find and identify defects that fall into three main categories:
- Defects in the Structure: If a structural defect should be found, that’s something you need to be aware of. The heart of a home is the foundation, and if it is found to be defective, the home may be dangerous to live in. It could also mean you’re not able to build onto the house as well.
- Safety Issues and Hazards: There are various types of safety issues an inspector may find with a home you may not have caught, such as radon, termite damage, a bad or faulty roof, poor plumbing or bad electrical work. Depending on how severe an issue is, the hazard found could be life threatening if it’s not fixed immediately.
- Defects due to a variety of faulty conditions often from neglecting proper maintenance, poor workmanship, or a combination of the two. Cosmetic issues that are found are often not a serious problem, but issues can arise when things like improper outlet placement near water and severe mold accumulation are found.
How “bad” a non life-threatening defect is in the home will ultimately be defined by the customer after a professional inspection report is handed over to the client.
It is important that buyers know about defects prior to closing on a home if they do not want serious issues to become their problem after they become the owner. A detailed home inspection report puts you in a position to negotiate who fixes what. It also puts you in a better position to negotiate the price of the property down so you can take on the repairs yourself.
Don’t skip out on getting an inspection … a detailed inspection report puts you in control… Call us today!
