Should sellers attend home inspection?
Q: When we had our home inspected, the seller was present during the entire process. Because of this, we never felt free to converse candidly with our inspector. Shouldn't the inspector or our agent have asked the seller to excuse himself during the inspection?
A: There are no set rules that determine whether sellers should be absent or present during an inspection, and scenarios can vary widely, depending on the personalities of the participants. In most cases, it is beneficial to buyers to have an unfettered opportunity to consult with their home inspector; to ask questions freely, enabling the inspector to discuss defects without mincing words, without fear of offending the seller.
Many real estate agents, recognizing the potential for misunderstandings during a home inspection, will ask sellers not to be home when buyers and their inspector are on site. Most sellers comply with this request, some without complaint, others with expressed or suppressed misgivings. Some sellers flatly refuse to have an entourage nitpick their private domain unless they are present during the proceedings, while others insist that their own agent be present.
While some sellers can be an impediment to the free flow of an inspection, there are those who remain quietly at home, planted on the living room couch, working in the garden, or preparing the evening meal. They might engage the buyers or agents in friendly conversations, ranging from mundane small talk to details of the purchase contract, from the disclosure of property defects to the purchase of on-site furniture.
There are also sellers who shadow every step of the inspector throughout the entire process, sometimes causing distractions, sometimes providing helpful information, sometimes coloring the atmosphere with quiet but palpable distress, sometimes challenging the inspector with reserved or aggravated debate. These levels of seller participation can inhibit the buyers' ability to communicate with their inspector, limiting his or her freedom to fully explain observed defects to the buyers.
Regardless of these circumstances, it is not the home inspector's responsibility to dismiss the sellers from their property. If buyers are uncomfortable with the sellers' presence, a wise agent can "run interference" as it were - tactfully disengaging sellers from the activities of the inspector. For example, agents can politely explain to sellers that leaving home during the inspection is normal procedure; reminding them that when they buy their next home, they might appreciate the same courtesy.
When sellers prefer to remain, agents can engage them in conversations designed to divert their attention from the inspection at hand. Unfortunately, some agents fail even to attend home inspections. But that is a subject for another article.
When seller participation prevents buyers from consulting with their inspector, the review of the findings should take place away from the property. The buyers, inspector and agent can arrange to meet at the agent's office or for coffee at a local restaurant. This can make up for communication opportunities that were lost during the inspection. The verbal review is a critical element of the home inspection process, enabling the inspector to fully explain the condition of the home and for buyers to ask questions that were withheld in the presence of the sellers.
• To write to Barry Stone, a certified building inspector, email barry@housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.
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