Home inspections are a vital part of the home buying process that no buyer should ever neglect to perform.  This inspection lets the potential owners gain a better understanding of the condition of the home.  Through a home inspection with a qualified home inspector, a buyer can discover any safety concerns with the home like a missing GFCI outlet or water damage from a leaking pipe as well as learn about items that may need a deeper investigation into like questions about the foundation.   While not every single home has major problems, it is important to be aware of any concerns before a home is purchased. Sometimes, as a buyer, you might come across a home being sold as is. While this means that you have to take on all the responsibility of any repair work that the house needs, you can still do a home inspection. As a Locust Grove REALTOR ® I’ve worked with a few clients that have gone this route. This type of home inspection is often referred to as for informational purposes only.

How do home inspections work?

Typically, after a contract between a seller and buyer has been agreed upon, a home inspection is performed by the buyers within the timeframe put forth in the contract.  Once the home inspection is complete, the buyers and sellers can negotiate any repairs before continuing with the purchase of the home.

What if my Locust Grove Realtor ® says the home is listed as a home inspection for informational purposes only?

This means that the home is being sold as-is.  This means that the seller is not going to do any repairs on the property and the buyer will purchase it in the current condition.  However, this does not mean that the buyers can not do a home inspection.  The buyers can pay for the home inspection to get a better understanding of the condition of the home to determine if they are comfortable taking on the repairs that the home requires.

What if the home inspection finds major issues with the property?  Do I still have to buy it?

No!  If the buyers feel that the work involved in repairing the home is too much for them, they can still exit the contract.  The informational purposes only home inspection just implies that the buyers know going into the process that the sellers are not going to do any repairs.

On rare occasions a home inspection may reveal a bigger issue in a home (like a foundation concern) that even the sellers may not be aware existed.  If the issue could affect the future salability of the home, the buyers could ask their Locust Grove REALTOR ® to see if the sellers are willing to negotiate for the repairs specific to the item.  While the sellers can still say no, it never hurts to ask.

Why would someone list as home as-is?

Homes can be listed as as-is for many reasons.  Due to many different situations like when the seller inherited the property, the seller may not have the funds to complete any repairs.  Short sales are often listed as-is too.  In these cases, the sellers will not repair any items, but may also price the home according to its condition. Listing a home as-is does not imply that the home is in dire condition; rather, the sellers are not going to contribute to any repairs.

Your Locust Grove REALTOR ® will be able to tell you ahead of time if the home is an as-is property. While this shouldn’t deter you from touring the property just keep this condition in the back of your mind as you tour the property. Sometimes, homes being sold as-is just need some cosmetic work, but other times they need more extensive work. If you decide to move forward with an offer, a home inspection is a necessity.