Do I Need a Home Inspection?

Yup. Home inspections are good, good, good!

I think most Murphy, Plano, Rowlett, Richardson, etc., home buyers naturally gravitate toward having a home inspected by a licensed inspector when they buy. The federal Housing and Urban Development folks even have a handy flyer about buyers home inspections you can read here. http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/forms/files/92564-cn.pdf

But what about the value of home inspections to sellers? Well, did you know that the Texas Real Estate Commission's mandatory contract for resale says that if your buyer finds a needed repair, you have to pay big bucks to a licensed person for that repair?

COMPLETION OF REPAIRS AND TREATMENTS: Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Seller shall complete all agreed repairs and treatments prior to the Closing Date. All required permits must be obtained, and repairs and treatments must be performed by persons who are licensed or otherwise authorized by law to provide such repairs or treatments. At Buyer's election, any transferable warranties received by Seller with respect to the repairs and treatments will be transferred to Buyer at Buyer's expense. If Seller fails to complete any agreed repairs and treatments prior to the Closing Date, Buyer may do so and receive reimbursement from Seller at closing. The Closing Date will be extended up to 15 days, if necessary, to complete repairs and treatments.

So, let's say you have a GFCI plug that's bad (those outlets with the little test button) and you need to replace it to sell your house. Those sell at Lowes for $14.99. To have a licensed electrician come out per the contract you will spend $85 to $125!

So, if your pre-listing home inspection had revealed that issue, a simple and cheap DIY project would have saved $$$!

For more information on home inspections for buyers and getting your home ready for sale, contact us at JTOden Realty.