Selling your Home in Chandler? Who Pays for Home Inspections?

You found a great Listing agent to sell your home, then a  Buyer submitted an offer that you accepted now that buyer has scheduled a home inspection.  Is that a cost to the seller you ask?  The answer is “no” the cost of a home inspection and pest inspection falls on the buyer in most transactions.

The Seller’s Disclosure Statements you provided to the buyer is an indication, but not a guarantee, of the condition of the property.  Although a residential home inspection is not legally required in Arizona here at Thomas Davis Group Realty we strongly recommend that all purchasers engage a competent residential home inspector and pest inspector to inspect the property and advise the purchaser as to its condition and as to the presence of any wood boring insects.

A good home inspector should inspect the following areas of a home if accessable:

• • Roof, vents, flashings, and trim,
• • Gutters and downspouts,
• • Skylight, chimney and other roof penetrations,
• • Decks, stoops, porches, walkways, and railings,
• • Eaves, soffit and fascia,
• • Grading and drainage,
• • Basement, foundation and crawlspace,
• • Water penetration and foundation movement,
• • Heating systems,
• • Cooling systems,
• • Main water shut off valves,
• • Water heating system,

• • Interior plumbing fixtures and faucets,
• • Drainage sump pumps with accessible floats,
• • Electrical service line and meter box,
• • Main disconnect and service amperage,
• • Electrical panels, breakers and fuses,
• • Grounding and bonding,
• • GFCIs and AFCIs,
• • Fireplace damper door and hearth,
• • Insulation and ventilation,
• • Garage doors, safety sensors, and openers,

The AAR purchase contract contains an inspection contingency provision which allows the purchaser a reasonable length of time to secure these inspections. Purchasers should act diligently, however, because sellers typically agree to such contingency periods of not more than 10 days to after the purchase agreement has been negotiated to allow for these inspections.

Should any of these inspections reveal conditions which were unforeseen or undisclosed during the negotiation of the purchase, purchasers have the right to ask the seller to remedy the problem, give the purchaser a credit for cost of resolving the problem or, in extreme cases, cancel the purchase contract.

Pictures Credit to Matt Jenks Owner of First Step Home Inspectors

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