Home Inspection Contingency

Having a home inspection might be the single most important aspect of purchasing a home. You want the peace of mind of knowing exactly what you are buying.


We always recommend our clients make a home inspection contingency part of a purchase contract.

Sellers have legal responsibilties to either disclose all known defects to potential buyers or provide a disclaimer that they are selling "as is". The latter is a notice of buyer beware and is the usual notice that sellers make. Even in the "as is" notice, sellers and their agents have a legal obligation to disclose any known major defects. The inspection contingency gives you many alternatives based on the inspection report:

• void the contract,
• request the seller make necessary repairs,
• re-negotiate the price, or
• accept the property as-is.

The contract will stipulate time limits for having the inspection done and a specific amount of time after the inspection for you to give notice of action. If there are issues, we usually recommend that you re-negotiate the price, receiving credit for the cost of any repairs or equipment replacements if they can be reasonably fixed. This way, you can make the corrections yourself (using contractors of your choice) and to your specifications. Take the Virtual Home Inspection Tour now to learn about some common problems found during a home inspection. Contact us for more information on home inspections.