Do you know who should attend the home inspections?
Home Inspections. Who should attend?
This is a subject that comes up quite frequently. Therefore, let me take this opportunity to clear this up. Who Attends Home Inspections?
Buyer’s Side
Here are the people who should attend from the buyer’s side:
The buyer(s)
The buyer’s Realtor
The inspector.
That’s all, nobody else. This is not the time for the buyers to show their new home to their relatives and friends. Neither is it time to have a contractor come in to give estimates. In fact, the only people who should be there are the ones that are listed above.
Seller’s Side
Here is the list of people who should attend from the seller’s side:
That is correct!
It’s not a typo, there’s nobody listed. This means that nobody – I mean nobody, from the seller’s side should attend. After all, the buyer has the right to be able to look at anything in the house except into personal belongings. In addition, the buyer also has the right to be able to speak freely with the Realtor and the inspector. And if the seller’s Realtor, or the seller, or a friend or relative is there, it will probably make the buyer uncomfortable. And rightfully so. After all, the buyer shouldn’t have to go outside in order to speak confidentially with the inspector.
Recently, we had an occasion where the listing Realtor sent her mother (who lived across the street) to “babysit” the buyer and the inspector. This made the buyer extremely nervous and uncomfortable. As a result, she cancelled the contract.
Liability
There’s also the matter of legal liability. The inspector is in charge while the inspection is in progress. And, should any damage occur, the inspector is liable. If you, as the seller, asked someone to be there, this could cause an issue with the inspector’s Errors & Omissions Insurance. In addition, there are other legal reasons that should bar anyone from the seller’s side of the transaction from attending.
The Bottom Line
The only people who should attend the home inspection are the buyer’s Realtor and the inspector. The buyer is paying for the inspection, and has no obligation to share any of the information in the inspection report with the seller. However, if any issues turn up in the inspection, the buyer’s attorney will notify the seller’s attorney. The seller will then have the opportunity to address these issues.
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