Home Buyer Inspection Form
Members use InterNACHI's Basic Home Inspection Checklist (online software format) for submitting mock inspection reports to fulfill the home inspector certification requirements. Click the link, then click the green button on that page.
home buyer inspection form
In the process of closing a home sale, the buyer typically hires a home inspector to come to the house and perform a visual observation to confirm the state of the home and identify any issues that pose a health or safety issue that the buyer should be aware of before purchasing the home.
ASHI provides a Standard of Practice that guides inspectors during a home inspection as they address everything from the exterior to the plumbing system. Home inspectors focus on health, safety, or major mechanical issues.
A typical home inspection takes a few hours for an average-sized house. Then the report takes about three to four days to complete. The home inspector will go through the interior and exterior of the house to record any broken, defected, or hazardous issues.
Thomas Day, a top real estate agent who sells homes 39% faster than average in Pompano Beach, Florida, is always at the inspection when working with clients regardless of whether they are a buyer or seller.
Pre-listing inspections can take away the stressful element of surprise for the homeowner. It also helps prevent offer renegotiations, extensive buyer repair requests, and the possibility of buyers walking away while already in contract.
On the other hand, pre-listing inspections can open a can of worms, according to Carol Wolfe, a top agent who sells 85% more single family homes than average in Los Angeles. If a seller gets a pre-inspection, they may be legally required to disclose to the buyers any problems the inspection uncovers. It depends on the disclosure laws in your state..
The buyer typically pays for the home inspection. In some cases, it can be part of shared closing costs, and the cost is split between the buyer and seller. If the seller requests a pre-listing inspection, they cover the cost.
Home inspections are meant to keep homeowners safe and are a crucial part of the home buying and selling process. Setting yourself up for success can go a long way toward smoother negotiations and possibly a better final sale price.
Q: I have a listing on which there was a pending purchase agreement. Following an inspection, the buyer submitted an addendum requesting that the seller fix several items. A copy of the inspection report was attached to the addendum. The buyer and seller couldn't reach an agreement and the seller released the buyer from the contract. The seller updated the Residential Property Disclosure form to disclose the problems found by the inspector and the property went back on the market. Another buyer is interested in making an offer and his agent has demanded a copy of the previous inspection report, claiming I am required by law to provide this to subsequent buyers. I thought I couldn't give the report to anyone else because the report belongs to the first buyer. Who's right?
Certainly, it has been the longstanding position of the Ohio Real Estate Commission that when there is a negative inspection report on a property, the listing agent has a duty to disclose this fact to subsequent buyers. This is because the Commission considers this to be a material fact that a reasonable buyer would want to know before making a decision to purchase a property, or the terms on which he will purchase a property. This is true even if the seller questions the inspector's findings or qualifications. (In this situation it is recommended that the seller have his own inspection done, and provide information regarding both inspectors' findings to any subsequent buyers.)
While the Commission wants the fact that a previous inspector found issues with the property to be disclosed to other potential buyers, there is no law or ruling that specifically mandates that a copy of the actual report be provided. Instead, as was done by the seller in this scenario, this can be disclosed by the seller in the Disclosure form or could be communicated by some other means. Of course, it is always recommended that any disclosure be reduced to writing for the parties' protection. Moreover, any answers on the Residential Property Disclosure Form that the seller now knows are inaccurate should be amended to avoid a potential claim of misrepresentation.
But what about the concern that the inspection report belongs to the first buyer and therefore can't be given to any subsequent buyers? Unless the seller or listing agent agreed they would not provide a copy of the report to anyone else (which would be highly unusual), the seller owes no duty of confidentiality to that first buyer and therefore may direct the listing agent to provide a copy of the whole report, or the pertinent pages, to a subsequent purchaser.
A word of caution, however: A subsequent buyer should always be advised by his buyer's agent to still have his own inspection done by an inspector of his choice. Because the first inspection report was not prepared on behalf of the subsequent buyer, that buyer would have no standing to pursue an action against the original inspector for any reason (i.e., failure to find other defects in the property).
To conclude, while it is permissible for a copy of the first inspection report to be provided to the second buyer's agent, there is no required specific law that mandates it be provided. Moreover, it should only be provided by a listing agent with his seller's consent. Of course if the seller refuses, this could result in a buyer deciding not to make an offer to purchase the property. If the earlier inspection is provided to a subsequent buyer, that buyer should always be advised to hire his own inspector.
A licensed TREC inspector is not required to use the promulgated form or the Standards of Practice when inspecting property other than one to four family residential. A TREC licensed inspector may perform inspections on commercial property, as long as no other laws prohibit the inspector from doing so (please check with the Texas Board of Professional Engineering to determine when a Professional Engineer license is required). All inspections would be subject to 1102.301 et seq. of the License Act (Subchapter G, Prohibited Acts), as well as 22 TAC 535.220, Professional Conduct and Ethics.
No. The Texas Department of State Health Services regulates mold inspections. You can contact them at www.dshs.texas.gov/mold for information on the requirements to obtain a license to inspect for mold.
The Standards of Practice require inspectors to perform a visual inspection. If it is not visibly apparent whether proper fire separation is present, the inspector must make clear to the client that he or she was not able to ascertain whether proper fire separation was in place.
An inspector may request inactive status in writing at any time. An inspector who meets all other renewal requirements but does not show proof of insurance will receive an inactive license (which does not permit the inspector to perform inspections). To become active, a professional inspector would need to send in the Return to Active Status form (or, for apprentice or real estate inspectors, the sponsorship form) along with the applicable fee and the required proof of insurance.
Mechanical components like dishwashers can and will break down. A home inspection tells you the condition of the component at the time of the home inspection. The inspector is not required to determine life expectancy of any system or component. [Rule 535.227(b)(3)(C)(i)]
If the inspection you are proposing relates to a purchase or sale transaction, then TREC's Standards of Practice would apply, and a written report would be required. If the inspection you are proposing is not in anticipation of a purchase or sale, then TREC's requirements would not apply, and the parameters of the inspection would be governed by the agreement between the inspector and his or her client. For further information, please see Sections 1102.001 and 1102.002 of the Texas Occupations Code and Rule 535.223.
It depends. Under the Standards of Practice found in Rules 535.227 - 535.233, a home inspector is required to perform a visual check of plumbing fixtures and associated items and report as in need of repair deficiencies in the type and condition of all accessible and visible water supply and waste-water and vent pipes, as well as others listed in Rule 535.231. Please see the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) website to determine whether any of your activities may be in violation of their statutes or rules governing plumbers, such as advertising that you specifically inspect aspects of plumbing systems that may require a license from the TSBPE. Also, please review the advertising rule for inspectors found at Rule 535.221.
There are many different codes that can figure into the construction of a house, depending on when it was built and local amendments. TREC does not require inspectors to inspect to any of the various building codes and cannot assist you in determining what code provisions were applied in a particular situation. Instead, TREC has established Standards of Practice for inspectors to follow. [Rule 535.227-535.233] However, an inspector is free to inspect to a higher standard (such as to various codes or based on recognized safety hazards), as long as they do so competently. If you have questions about your inspection report, you should ask your inspector for the basis of his statement. You may also wish to contact your local code enforcement authority for more information about relevant codes.
No. A buyer representation agreement is a private contract between a real estate broker and a buyer and is not promulgated or regulated by TREC. You should consult with a private attorney. The Texas Association of Realtors (TAR) provides certain forms to its members. If you are a member, TAR may have a form that fits your needs. 041b061a72