The Inspection
When buying a home, it is wise for the Buyer to have the home under consideration inspected. The purpose of the inspection to is find defective structural and mechanical items that should be corrected by the Seller. Its purpose is not to point out obvious cosmetic items or to find things that would upgrade the house. As an example, the inspector might point out that an unfinished basement is not insulated and the house would be more energy efficient if the basement were insulated. It would be inappropriate to ask the Seller to provide this insulation, as this would upgrade or improve the house to be better than when the Seller lived there. If the basement were already insulated and a few pieces of insulation were missing, it would be appropriate to ask the Seller to replace the missing pieces as this only serves to correct a deficiency.The inspection takes about two or more hours and the typical cost is $275 to $375. This cost is the Buyer's expense.
If a Residential Sales Contract is made subject to a Home Inspection the Seller must be provided a copy of the inspection report within 7 days of the effective date of the contract. The Seller then has three days to respond.
Home Inspectors are not required to be licensed or certified, at this time, in the State of Florida, although many are certified. Home inspectors may be found in the Yellow Pages or I can provide you with the names of several inspectors I have found to be professional and diligent in their inspections. I strongly recommend that everyone have a home inspected by a professional home inspector prior to purchase, whether it is new construction or a resale.
Once the inspection is complete, the inspector's report will be analyzed to determine which items the Buyer wants the Seller to correct. The Selling Agent will prepare a form known as "Amendment to Remove Inspection Contingency" and on it enumerate the items found which the Buyer wishes the Seller to correct. This amendment is presented to the Seller and the Buyer and Seller have three more days (or the number of days specified in the Contract) to negotiate through written offers and counteroffers the defects to be repaired and/or replaced by the Seller.
