How to Get Through a Tough Home Inspection
Home Inspections Can be a Big Ol’ Pain in the Butt
I want to help you get through your next tough home inspection. As a Realtor you may spend weeks, or months working with a client to find them the perfect house. In this market, with low inventory, it’s tougher than ever to get them under contract.
And then, along comes the home inspector with his too big ego and too short ladder. JK but FR.
So, how do you get through a tough home inspection?
Sales!
That may not be the answer you were expecting, but sales is really the answer to just about everything. Everyone sales everyday even if they don’t know it and Realtors are, or should be, experts at sales.
Obviously you want to mitigate problems by choosing a home inspector who is detailed, but communicates their findings in a manner that is comforting and empowering, not terrifying. But sometimes home inspections just reveal serious defects.
So how does mastering sales get you through more home inspections, and other complicated situations, and to the closing table? Check it out!
Other Tips For Getting Through Tough Home Inspections
Set the Expectations for the Inspection
Imagine being told your partner is taking you out on a date. You get excited. You imagine your partner is going to take you somewhere nice. Accordingly, you put on your best attire, get your hair perfect, and add a spritz of cologne or perfume.
It’s time to go. You get in the car and your partner starts driving downtown. You imagine some of the nice restaurants that are downtown. Your partner parks and there are no restaurants around. You figure that you’re walking to the restaurant.
Your partner stops at a hog dog cart, turns to you and says, these are the best dogs in Richmond. You’re completely disappointed.
Now imagine if your partner had told you he was going to take you get the best hot dogs in town, and you could make a cute date out of it. There is a good chance that you would not have been disappointed when you arrived at the hog dog cart.
That is the power of expectations.
Home buyers need to know ahead of time that things are going to up during the home inspection. They need to know that no home is perfect. The older the home, the more likely it is that significant defects will be found.
A lot of home inspectors are horrible at communication, so I would even let your buyer know that the home inspector might make issues sound worse than they are.
(If you live in Richmond you can also just call us. We are great at communication)
Don’t forget to let them know you’re ready and able to fight for them once you get the report.
Setting the expectations can prevent you from dealing with the fallout that could potentially result from the home inspection in the first place.
Use a Home Inspector that Knows What a Defect Is
The home inspection industry is plagued with myths. And home inspectors who think they need to justify their fee by finding scary defects perpetuate these myths.
Additionally, many inspectors reports are based on their feelings or opinions of something. For example, a home inspector might feel fuses are unsafe and recommend replacing them.
Read up on some of the common myths perpetuated by home inspectors. It’s time to get a new home inspector if you see those myths regularly.
