After Sale Inspections

An after sale inspection is typically done by the buyer or the potential buyer who has put in an offer on the home. Buyers are entitled to request an after sale inspection on the home by an inspector of their choice just so they have some better information on the condition of the home and can further understand what repairs or maintenance the house needs. An after sale inspection also protects the buyer from fully paying for a home that has multiple hidden issues that were not disclosed during the initial sale.
 
Process and When to Request Inspection
The process of buying and requesting a home inspection doesn’t need to be challenging if you have professional inspectors to help ease the confusion. Once you’ve found a home that you’d like to put an offer on, you can do so and then request an inspection on the home. Even if the seller has already had an inspection on the home prior to putting it on the market, you’re still entitled to your own inspection so you can get a more detailed review of the house’s build and condition. You should request an inspection after putting in an offer but not after you’ve actually closed on the home.
 
Finding Damages and Issues
An after sale inspection is designed to help find any damages or issues that are present in the home. The after sale inspection can’t predict future damages but it can help you assess current ones. For example, an after sale inspection might find that there is a pest problem in the basement that was not addressed previously and has eaten away at some of the home’s foundation. While this is a costly and time-consuming repair, it’s one where the responsibility falls on the home seller to take on, as the problem was present when they were living in the home. Finding important damages and issues such as this could prevent you from spending your money on a home that’s not in the best condition you thought it was.
 
Repairs
If an after sale inspection finds multiple problems with the home, you can easily go in and supply your inspection to the existing homeowner or seller and ask them to repair the damages your inspector found or reduce the initial asking price to compensate for the repairs you’ll have to make out of pocket. The home buying process isn’t always so straightforward and you shouldn’t be forced to buy a house with problems, nor should you be backing out of a home with potential because of a problem. Speak with your seller and come to a solution with how to address the repairs that are needed based on the after sale inspection.
 
Negotiations
After an after sale inspection has been performed, you have a couple of options. You have the option to negotiate with the seller about steps moving forward and depending on what the inspector found during the inspection. If there are significant and expensive repairs that need to be done on the home, you can negotiate the asking price or you can back out of the offer altogether. The home seller will likely be willing to negotiate with you in some regard, especially if the damages are extensive and you’re happy to take on the challenge of updating or remodeling the home yourself.