“Would You Buy This House?"

I get this question along with “Do you think I’m getting a good deal? “What would you pay for this house?”, etc.

In reality, this is the first time I have seen the house! I don’t know what brought them to this property, I don’t know what the price is, and I don’t know what their plans are for the property. These questions become difficult because that client is relying on you to help put the pieces in place for their purchase.

The client’s motivation may be to be close to their parents – I don’t know their parents! It may be to be near a school for their children – my kids are grown! They may want to be where there are lots of neighbors – I like the country!

My job is to make sure that they understand what they are buying from a physical aspect – Do things work? Are they safe?, What kinds of materials?, How do you maintain the equipment? How long (within reason) can they expect things to last?

A Home Inspector is usually the last person (sometimes appraisal) involved in the transaction. By the time they get to us, I hope that their motivation questions have been defined and answered. If they are working with a good realtor, this should already have been part of the process.

So, please don’t feel that I am avoiding answering the question. My view is different from where I stand. I only hope that the job I do will make their decision easier!