THE MYTH OF THE PERFECT HOME

When home buyers are looking at potential homes to buy they need to be reminded that no home is perfect. Every home has at least some small issues and things that need to be maintained to help prevent small things from becoming larger issues. Home inspectors are often blamed for the news of less than perfect conditions. When buyers are looking at homes the sellers just cleaned and decluttered the place. This is often the best the house has ever looked, except for the time they bought the home from the seller before. No home is perfect. The purpose of the home inspection is not to only point out things that are wrong or in need of repair. The home inspection is the fastest way for a future owner to learn about the home. Learn the locations of shut off valves, areas that need frequent cleaning or maintenance done, learn things about the equipment or systems that are aging and me be a larger expense in the next few years, etc. When a person suggests to the buyer that they skip the home inspection or tell the inspector that they will not find anything they are in error. The value of the inspection goes beyond the finding to deteriorated wood and broken window sills. It includes the education that this valuable for the upkeep and future condition of the place. Buyers should be forewarned that all home inspectors will find some concerns with every house or condo. When the buyer expects perfection because they were told that the home is perfect, they are more likely to be disappointed when the home inspection report comes back with issue. Most likely the issues found are normal and minor, however they were expecting perfection. The lesson is to not expect perfection. To tell the buyer that the home is perfect and that nothing is wrong there is to set the buyer up for disappointment. Sometimes after concerns are identified the easiest thing to do is to blame the home inspector. The seller and the agent do not want to admit they were wrong about the condition of the home. So the inspector gets blamed. This is silly. It is not rational to think that after being at the home for two to three hours the inspector caused 5 years of rot or installed the deck wrong. Some home inspectors will make mountains out of mole hills and they should not. Keeping things in proper perspective is important and it begins with setting the expectations with the home buyer.