GMAC Real Estate – Home Inspections Guide: The Home Inspection Report
GMAC Real Estate

Articles & Resources

Specialty Real Estate

Real Estate Calculators

Room Planner

The Home Inspection Report

Takeaways

  • Inspection reports comment on the condition of the property.
  • Reports can be handwritten or computer generated.
  • Minor repairs or cosmetic flaws may not be cause for the seller to reduce price.

Did you know?

  • Discovery of a major defect in a home for sale can provide a negotiating point, or allow you to bow out of a real estate purchase.
Be sure to ask questions about your inspection report. Home inspection reports are designed to comment on the condition of the property you have under consideration. Some reports are completed onsite using a checklist with handwritten notes. Others are computer generated. The most up-to-date inspectors will have a laptop, digital camera and portable printer onsite, and can produce full-color printed reports almost immediately after inspection.

Regardless of format, the home inspection reports should include detailed descriptions and photographs of defects and recommendations for repairs. Be sure and ask your home inspector about anything you do not fully understand.

While the results of a home inspection can be a valuable tool for buyer-seller negotiations, keep in mind that minor repairs or cosmetic flaws may not be cause for the seller to reduce the price. On the other hand, if an inspection is part of your sales contract and serious defects are discovered, the report provides a tool for negotiating concessions or an escape clause from a real estate deal.

Discuss the results with your real estate agent to determine whether or not the inspection’s findings should affect your property purchase.

Learn More about Home Inspections

To learn more, explore the advice on Home Inspections in this section of our site, and in the advice on Buying a Home. You can also talk with a local GMAC Real Estate Office to get professional and experienced advice about working with and finding good Home Inspectors.