Realtors have a tough job. They need to educate first-time homebuyers. They have lots of paperwork to shuffle. They have to learn how to navigate a very up and down real estate market. And they often deal with challenging clients. We hear time and again that many clients don’t understand the value of a home inspection; and when budget and time-conscious homebuyers ask if it can be skipped, real estate agents need to explain why there is value in spending on average $300-$400 for an inspection.

The biggest excuses homebuyers have for skipping an inspection:

• It’s too expensive. Sure, there are a few things that will increase the cost of buying a home, which can make the process seem overwhelming. However, the average inspection really isn’t that expensive and when an issue is found, it could cost exponentially much more to repair it once you’ve moved in
• It’s a new construction home. Homeowners often think that just because it’s being built trand new there isn’t anything to inspection. We often find a variety of issues, including missing siding, too little insulation in the attic, raised roof shingles, loose outlets, missing caulking, and much more
• The owner said that.……..1) there aren’t any issues with the foundation; 2) the roof is fine; 3) we’ve never had any issues with the electrical system; 4) we just tested for mold and it came back fine. There’s only one way to verify something a current homeowner has said – and that’s a home inspection. Regardless of how trustworthy a homeowner seems, they may be trying to hide something.

We’ll talk more about excuses people give for not wanting a home inspection in a later blog post. For now, know that Wiemann Home Inspection has been providing quality home inspections since 2013 and we can help any buyer be at ease about the home they’re purchasing.