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Every inspection report on every house lists dozens of items, because that is the job. Your first read will feel like the house is falling down. It almost certainly is not. The skill is separating the three findings that cost real money from the thirty that are normal wear on a lived-in home.
Structure and foundation. Roof age and condition. Water intrusion, drainage, and grading. Electrical safety, especially older panels with known issues. Plumbing leaks and supply line material. Heating system age. Anything involving water getting somewhere it should not be belongs at the top of your list.
Missing outlet covers, a sticking door, a loose railing, a GFCI that needs replacing. These are punch list items, not negotiating positions, and treating them like emergencies is how buyers annoy sellers into digging in on the things that do matter.
On older homes, a sewer scope, because a collapsed line under the yard is a nasty surprise. On rural property, well flow and water quality plus a septic inspection. Radon testing is worth considering. If the main inspector flags something structural or electrical, a specialist opinion is money well spent.
Ask for what matters. Lead with safety and systems, and be willing to let go of cosmetic items. You can request repairs, a credit, or a price adjustment, and the credit is often cleaner because you control who does the work and how well.
Sometimes the right answer is to leave. Major structural problems, a failed septic system with no good replacement site, water damage with a history of concealment. Losing your inspection fee is far better than inheriting a problem you cannot afford. That is exactly what the inspection period is for.
It varies by home size and location, and specialty inspections like sewer scopes and septic add to it. Against the cost of a house, it is one of the best value purchases in the entire transaction.
Yes, and you should for at least the last portion. Walking through the findings with the inspector in person teaches you more about the house than the written report ever will.
You can accept, negotiate a credit or price adjustment, or cancel within your inspection contingency. Which one is right depends on the findings and how much you want the house.
Yes. New construction has defects too, and an independent inspector works for you rather than the builder.
I will answer them for your specific property and your specific situation. That conversation is free and it is the useful one.
Buying your first place, selling acreage out east, or landing here from out of state — start with a conversation. No pressure, no script, no disappearing act.
541-968-9422I read these myself. Expect a reply from me, usually the same day.
