Want to buy a perfect home with zero repairs needed?

Want to buy a perfect home with zero repairs needed?  Especially with first time homebuyers I find that an inspection report can be overwhelming.  They find a great house, possibly the perfect house for them, and then they see a 15 page inspection report with a 3 page summary of the imperfections.  All of the sudden they realize it’s not the “perfect” house.

Sometimes it’s difficult to get across to buyers that every house has it’s imperfections, even new construction.  The inspector, who works for you, is obligated to point out anything that could be improved upon or is simply in need of repair.  Yes, this could be 3 pages worth of information, but it doesn’t mean the house is falling apart.

Maybe the windows and exterior doors need some more sealant around them, maybe a GFCI outlet didn’t operate properly, maybe the water heater doesn’t have the drip pan it requires, maybe there is some wood rot around the chimney on the roof, etc, etc.  You can have 3 pages of items like this and as long as you have an educated real estate professional on your side to council you on what is what, you can still have that near perfect home.  You will negotiate with the seller to have them repair the more important deficiencies.  And if it comes down to it, go to your local Home Depot after you close on your new home and take a 20 minute course on how to use a caulking gun so you can tie up the loose ends that the seller didn’t agree to.

No, you do not want to buy a house that has a leaky roof, the A/C isn’t working properly, or the foundation is cracked right down the middle of the living room.  But don’t sweat a “long” list of small things.  These are things that you want to know about but they don't usually ruin the home you fell in love with.  There is a good chance that the next house may have a longer list of small things.