The Role of a HOME INSPECTOR in Las Vegas
Are you in the market for a new home in Las Vegas? Knowing what a home inspector checks for could be the difference between your happiness and heartache. Let’s dive into the details.
Buying a home is one of the most significant investments you’ll ever make and ensuring that your future home is in good condition is critical. One of the key steps in this process is a thorough home inspection.
What Does a Home Inspection Cover?
The home inspector will check the electrical, heating, cooling, plumbing and Roof. They will get into the attic space and look for structural damage or foundational concerns that could compromise the house’s integrity. They will check the appliances and run the dishwasher. I prepare both my Buyers and Sellers that all appliances will be checked. You would be surprised what some sellers store in strange places. I had one Seller who kept her bills to pay in the dishwasher. Apparently, she always hand washed her dishes so it the dishwasher was like her filing cabinet. Of course, you can guess what happened. The home inspector didn’t look good before running the dishwasher and all her bills got ruined!
A home inspection costs $300 to $600, which varies depending upon the size of the home. You may also want to hire a specialized inspector for pools, mold and septic. Although we rarely see termites in Las Vegas, if you are obtaining a VA loan the lender will require the seller to pay for a termite inspection.
What about new homes?
Sometimes buyers don’t think they need a home inspection on a new construction home. Many of the systems in the house are new such as the HVAC and appliances but there still can be issues. For example, I had one client who had a home inspection on their new home and the inspector found that the builder had forgotten to insulate the attic space. This can be a big deal with electricity bills here! We were able to make sure things were handled before close of escrow and the buyer moved in. What we found out was that the builder had skipped it on all the houses in the community and had to go back and add it after the homeowners had moved in. My client was very happy that they had the inspection completed and got the work done prior to moving in!
Not all inspectors are created equal! As your realtor, I always recommend hiring an experienced, reputable home inspector. I have several inspectors that I refer to my clients. You can compare inspectors by reading client testimonials and reviews. Read about their qualifications and experience.
The right inspector can help you avoid costly surprises but also not scare you about items that can be repaired easily. An experienced inspector will review the report and give you an idea of what is a big problem vs an easy fix.
When you’re going through a home inspection report, it’s important to understand how to interpret the findings so you can make informed decisions. Some inspectors have a summary page at the beginning of the report with items of concern.
Although a home inspector can’t provide a specific estimate for repairs, they can give you a sense of whether a repair is likely to be a big job or something more manageable. Things that can be BIG concern are significant roof or HVAC. These could be large expenses in the future. Other items that seem like a big deal but are normally easy to fix are items such as plumbing and electrical.
We might see a report with numerous plumbing items that can scare a buyer but for the most part a plumber can repair these items easily without a large expense. Same for electrical. You may want to get bids from companies prior to negotiations with the Seller so you know what truly is involved and how much it will cost.
Once you have the report you can request repairs or negotiate a credit from the Seller. Everything is negotiable.
Our purchase agreement has a Due Diligence time frame to negotiate repairs. It is commonly around 7 – 14 days and I often see it at 10 days. This is the time frame that the inspection must be completed, and the repairs agreed upon. If you are still negotiating repairs at the end of the time, you must either extend or cancel. Otherwise, the contract will no longer be contingent upon the due diligence time frame. Time is of the essence, so make sure you complete the inspection completed quickly and request submitted as soon as possible to give plenty of time for negotiations!
Nevada law requires that any repairs involving significant systems of the home, such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing, must be performed by licensed contractors. This regulation ensures that the repairs meet safety and quality standards, which helps protect both the buyer and the seller from potential liability issues.
For smaller repairs a licensed contractor might not be required, but there is a limit to those repairs of $1,000. I help my sellers by providing licensed vendors to complete the repairs or provide bids so we can negotiate credit. Ultimately, hiring a licensed contractor not only complies with Nevada law but also reassures the buyer that the repairs are done professionally and it also protecting the Seller against liability for those repairs in the future.
Here is a perfect example. I have a client who is selling their home with me and in escrow right now. We have got a list of repairs from the buyer. This client is handy and wants to complete the repairs himself. We went over the list of repairs and discussed that he must have the appropriate plumber come out and handle the plumbing items. He agreed but by the time my plumber got out to the home most of those items were already done. This is a big deal because now we must disclose to the buyer that he completed the repairs himself. He is not in compliance with Nevada and can be fined. He also could be liable in the future if the repairs we not completed properly. By having the repairs completed by the licensed plumber, that liability falls on the plumber and we can provide receipts that the work was done properly.
As a buyer you can protect yourself once the repairs are completed by reviewing the receipts provided and even contacting the repair company. Many home inspectors will perform a re-inspection so you can have them come back to check that the repairs were completed properly.
The key is to use the report not just as a checklist, but as a tool to protect your investment and ensure you’re buying a home that’s truly worth its price and that you are not surprised with future repairs.
