The Real Estate Browser Volume 9, Issue 12 | Page 15

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Volume 9 Number 12 – Say you saw it in The Real Estate Browser of Lynchburg — 15
Instead, they’ll check the attic sheathing for signs of
leaks. Myth No. 8: Home inspectors can predict the
future
Myth No. 5: Buyers don’t belong at the home
inspection Lesh once had a client whose father wanted to
know exactly how long the furnace would last.
It doesn’t matter whether you know anything
about home construction and maintenance. “Buyers
absolutely should be there, without question,”
Lesh insists. “I can go into more detail [than in the
report], and you’ll have a three-dimensional view.” “I opened my case and said, ‘Oh, gosh, I forgot
my crystal ball,’” Lesh recalls.
Lesh also encourages all buyers—especially first-
timers—to ask questions. While home inspectors
can’t tell you whether to buy the house, they can
share maintenance tips and advice.
Myth No. 6: Brand-new homes don’t need to be
inspected
Faulty construction can lead to all kinds of repair
nightmares in the future, so sparkly new houses
need to be checked—maybe even more carefully
than older ones, Lesh says.
“With a house that’s already been lived in ... I can
see whether there are signs of leakage, mold, or any-
thing that occurs over a period of time,” he explains.
“If it’s a brand-new house, nobody has showered in
that shower or used the appliances, so it absolutely
should be inspected, even though it’s under war-
ranty.”
In related news...
Myth No. 7: A flipped home doesn’t need to be
inspected, either
If everything was redone top to bottom, there’s no
point checking it out, right? C’mon—you know bet-
ter.
“Unfortunately, some flippers are more interested
in money than safety,” Buell says. “If a house has
been flipped, you’ll want to make sure that they had
the right building permits, and that code inspectors
verified the remodeling work.”
“A home inspection is a snapshot in time,” Buell
says. “We can tell you how old certain appliances
are, and what the useful life of something is. ... But
we don’t know when a plumbing leak is going to
happen or when a fuse will break on an electric
panel.”
Lesh does, however, tell clients that everything
in the house will need to be replaced at some point.
Best practice? Budget 1% of the value of the house
per year for maintenance.
Myth No. 9: A good house will ‘pass’ the
inspection
Home inspection reports will never indicate
whether a property passes or fails, Lesh says. That’s
because everything depends on a buyer’s tolerance
level: What’s acceptable for one buyer could cause
another to walk away.
“I’m the judge of the house in terms of whether
it’s safe,” Lesh explains. “But I always ask people:
Can you live with this?”
If you can, then the house passes your test. And
that’s all that matters.
Wendy Helfenbaum is a journalist and TV pro-
ducer who covers real estate, architecture and
design, DIY, gardening, and travel. Her work has
appeared in Woman’s Day, Metropolis, Costco
Connection, Garden Collage, Parenting, Canadian
Living, Canadian Gardening, and more
If you have any questions please give me a call.
Drew Howard, 434-660-3449
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