You might think that the toughest challenge for a realtor would be to find the perfect house for a buyer or to find the right buyer for a seller. You’re right in thinking that this can be a lengthy and sometimes stressful process, but finding the house or the buyer, negotiating the price, dates, inclusions, and conditions is just the first step.
Getting through the building inspection: now THAT’S often the biggest challenge!
Some real estate agents use the building inspection process as a way to re-negotiate the selling price of a house, by identifying “real” problems that will require “real” remediation, and requesting price adjustments from the sellers.
The fact is, no house will ever be perfect. There will always be issues - some can be ignored, some are easy to fix and some are not. A building inspector’s job is to verify the major elements and systems in a house (foundation, roof, attic, insulation, ventilation, plumbing, electrical etc). Their role is to give an overview of areas of concern and to determine if there are major or structural issues to be addressed.
Unfortunately, some building inspectors spend as much time protecting themselves as they do protecting their clients, by mentioning the "possibility" of water infiltration, mould, mildew, lead, asbestos, ground contamination, pyrite, carpenter ants, contaminated vermiculite, etc. Their rationalization is that if they mention these possibilities (however improbable they may be) in their reports, they can’t be held responsible later on for “missing” important issues. Their self-preservation instincts make for very scary inspection reports, and buyers will sometimes walk away from perfectly good houses because of the false red flags identified by these inspectors.
The reality is that good, accurate and balanced information IS available, and Deakin Realty will only recommend inspectors who will guide you through the process, take care of your best interests, and ensure that you do not overlook your perfect house for the wrong reasons. In our twenty-five years of real estate experience, we’ve amassed a lengthy list of construction professionals who we can call on to support our clients. When a building inspection turns up real issues that need professional intervention, the Deakin team will usually be able to set up our buyers and sellers with qualified and experienced professionals.