Home Warranties and Inspections

It doesn't matter if you are buying or selling -- Home Inspections and Home Warranties make a lot of sense.

If you are putting your home on the market to sell, wouldn't it make sense to know which repairs are going to need to be done before you accept an offer on your home?  If you have a large redwood deck and the pest inspector finds that it is eaten away by termites and dry rot so that you will need to repair it before the escrow can be closed, wouldn't you like to know that before you accept the purchase offer?  If you know that you may need to pay $5,000 for the new deck, you will be more insistent about 'holding tough' on your selling price.  You might have the option of removing the deck  before you put your home on the market which could cost a great deal less .  If the buyer wrote a purchase contract after seeing the house with the deck, the contract includes the deck and now you're stuck with the $5,000 repair.  Surprises after you accept the offer can be very troublesome.

Ask your Real Estate Agent if it makes sense for your home to have the Pest Inspection before you put your home on the market. 

Anther type of Inspection is the Full House Inspection.  Usually the buyer has a contingency on the home purchase offer that states that the buyer has "10 days to have a full house inspection and review the results". 

This type of inspection includes a check of the appliances, electrical, plumbing, level of maintenance of the home, landscaping, fencing, pool, exterior structure, patios and porches, it may include roofing or that may be a separate report, chimney, garage, laundry room, kitchen, flooring, windows, carpets, wall and ceiling insulation, attic, foundation, heating and cooling systems, etc.  Some inspections contain all of these, some not all and some more depending on the inspector.  Full House Inspections are done on brand new homes also.

A Full House Inspection before you put your home on the market may save you a lot of money and heartache.  Your Real Estate Agent will be able to recommend a Full House Inspector who won't be a 'deal breaker'.  The buyer may accept your Full House Inspector or have their own inspector go over the home.  In this case, you have an inspection in place that may become a negotiating tool should the buyer's inspector play "hardball".

Sometimes a separate roof inspection and certification is completed.  In rural areas a septic tank inspection and certification in addition to a well inspection and certification is a very good idea.  

The buyer or lender may require an inspection for radon, mold, or any other item that may be thought to be in the area.

Home Warranties are an "insurance plan" for the following systems:

Central Air System(s), Exhaust Fans, Ceiling Fans
Heating System(s) and Heat Pumps, Ductwork
Electrical System, Plumbing System, Plumbing Stoppage
Toilet Tanks and Bowls
Clothes Washer, Clothes Dryer, Water Heater, Kitchen Refrigerator, Range/Oven, Built-in Microwave, Cooktop, Dishwasher, Garbage Disposal 
Whirlpool Bathtub
Garage Door Opener
Pool/Spa Equipment
Well Pump

As a seller, you can avoid a nightmare  when the heating system goes out just after escrow closes and you are already in your new home.  Instead of the buyer of your old home calling you to fix or replace the broken heating system, they are placing a call to the  Home Warranty Company making arrangements to repair or replace the heating system.  

The buyer benefits by having the annual protection from the Home Warranty Company by not having to worry about the expense of fixing or replacing the water heater when it goes out 10 months after escrow closes.

Be sure and ask your Real Estate Agent to explain the advantages of homes inspections and home warranties.