If you are buying a home, new build or resell, you should have it inspected by a professional Inspector. In Texas, Inspectors are licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission, so the reports are fairly uniform, but there are definitely differences in quality of inspectors. An Inspectors job is to tell you every little thing that is physically "wrong" with a home. Every little detail, no matter how important or how trivial. An Inspector's job is not to tell you whether or not you should buy a house, what a house is worth, what you should ask the seller to do about the inspection or the future resell-ability of a home. Their job description is very clear cut: Detail every issue of the home, document these issues and/or concerns (which may be different) and explain to the buyer the condition of the home. First, we need to understand the Inspector's point of view. What are the reference points that Inspectors use to compare the house that they are inspecting? Do they compare it to other houses that they have inspected? Other houses in the community? Other houses of the same age? No, they are comparing the home to current building codes and building standards. While this is the right standard by which a home should be inspected, it does create a problem because most houses were built prior to the current building standards. And some homes were built before there were formal building standards at all. So, comparing a house built year ago to a building standard that changed dozens of times since the house was built is a little unfair. But for consistency sake, this is the best way to structure the reports.
For example: Building codes and standards of the 1980's were vastly different than building standards today. Electrical standards alone have changed many times over the past 10 years. So, now you might be asking "Does the seller have to bring the house up to current standards and code in order to sell?" The answer is a resounding "No." The seller does not have to meet any building codes or standards to sell a house and frankly, even when remodeling a home, seldom do re-modelers come close to meeting a large percentage of the building standards that are in effect today. Why? Primarily, because you would not pay for it. Yes, you would love the fact that the remodel was constructed to a much higher standard, but when you compared the prices of that house to homes that were remodeled at a less than current standards, you would see a big difference in price and would probably want to pay for the difference--that you could not see. Consequently, re-modelers are typically more focused on cosmetic features of the house, not structural and mechanical features.
Now if the inspection is going to reveal issues and concerns that are comparing homes to a standard that was not in place at the time your home was built--how do you evaluate the report results? Good question.
I recommend that you evaluate the inspection report based on a few criteria:
1. Health and Safety. The top two issues for a buyer with a "new" home have to be health and safety concerns. Even for a home built 50 years ago, when there were almost no building codes or written standards--a certain standard of health and safety should be considered and met. Especially in electrical and structural features. Some examples might include: proper grounding of outlets. GFCI circuits in wet areas. Known products for main breaker panels and breakers. Copper wiring in the house--not aluminum. Fire detectors in proper locations in the house. These is not an all inclusive list, but is a starting place.
2. Basic functionality. Related to Health and Safety are some of the basic functionality of the structure and systems of the house. Like having a roof that does not leak. This may not be a health issue on day one, but it certainly can become a health issue if leaks are not discovered and corrected. Water in the walls, floors and attic can not only cause cosmetic and structural issues, but can also cause mold in the house. Functionality of the Heating and Air Conditioning system is critical. When it is 110 degrees outside and the AC compressor dies, I think any home owner would recognized the health concern at that point in time. So, the fundamentals of the home should be operational and performing at a standard at or above homes of the same age, size and price point (a very important point--you pay for what you get in Austin Real Estate and you normally get what you pay for). Plumbing. Electrical. Foundation. HVAC. Walls. Roof. Be willing to pay for good bones in a home.
3. Repair and replacement costs. What will it cost to repair something? Many of the things that show up on a typical Inspection Report will be a laundry list of small things that the new home owner should be prepared to correct. Caulking in the window seals. Minor cosmetic cracking in the sheet rock at points of structure loads. New Paint. Replacing a water heater at some point. So, if the buyer is paying a very aggressive price (well below the median price of the market value in the area), he may have to do more to bring the home up to speed. If paying well above the market value for a home, the buyer may be expecting that a house that looks good on the surface should also be well cared for under the covers and behind the walls. So, the more you know going in, the better off you should be after the inspection.
So, what should you ask your inspector after the inspection? Start by asking these questions:
Q1: How does this house compare to other homes in this area and built in the same decade?Q2: You said something concerns you. What made you say that? Sometimes an inspector will raise a question out of curiosity, not out of concern. Make sure your inspector knows why they are raising an issue. Q3: How often do you see that issue? Is this something that you expected to see when you found out when the house was built or is this something that you seldom see in a house of this age?Q4: When was that building standard written for that feature? This is really important in understanding if something was in place when the house was built. If the house was built in 1999 and it does not have AFCI circuits--should you be surprised? Probably not. Q5: How much longer should this "thing" last if it is not replaced today? 1 year? 2 years? A few hours?Q6: What if this were your home? If the inspector is painting a picture that a 10 year old house should be "perfect" and should adhere to today's building standards, I try to push a reset button on the conversation. One question that seems to work well for Inspectors to give them the perspective that you, the buyer, are trying to achieve is this one: "If you did an inspection of your house, would you find any issues? I bet your house is completely up to code--right?" You should begin to get a better perspective when the inspector answers this question. What you will discover is that Inspectors are required to site every small flaw or short coming in a house that they are inspecting--even the flaws that they may be living with in their own home, because many specific issues don't cause them concern for their own home. "This sounds like a huge problem. Is it?"
The inspection report is not a comparison of your home to their home or even a list of things that the inspector would correct if it were his own home. It is a list of all the "building short comings" of the house compared to a long list of building codes and standards--many of which may not have been in place at the time the house was built. So, it is a list that requires intelligence and examination to determine next steps between you and your Realtor for this property and any property that you want to purchase.
So, the real key to getting good inspection, is in having a knowledgeable and experienced Inspector who is capable of explaining what the report really means to you. And your job is to ask questions--lots of questions, to make sure you understand everything that you can about your new home before you move forward with your home purchase.
Give me a call. Let's talk.
Tim Thornton
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