When it comes to home inspections, you absolutely have the right to be nit picky!

Oh the things that constantly amaze me. I do a lot of Internet marketing and as such I am always looking at and reading my competitors websites. I ran across a blog today that said that home buyers should not concern themselves with nit picky items and that it is inappropriate for a buyer to ask a seller to fix something if it is a deferred maintenance issue..... Hello??

I am sorry, I absolutely 100% do not agree with that statement. Home buyers have every right in the world to ask the seller to repair anything they want to. Of course it certainly does not mean the seller will do it, but you as the consumer DO have that right! As a home inspector I see deferred maintenance issues every day, all day long. For those that do not know, deferred maintenance issues are exactly the kind of issues that wind up causing a vast majority of the "major defects" that so many in this profession talk about. Wouldn't it make sense to catch those items early on BEFORE they become a "major defect"?

Homeowners that seriously neglect their home and perform little to no maintenance prior to selling it, should be responsible for their actions and in all honesty should have to repair those items due to their negligence. After all, they are asking top dollar for their home, the home should be in top dollar condition don't you think?

It is not fair for a first time home buyer to put an offer in on a home, get a home inspection, only to find out that the furnace, A/C and water heater are all 18 years old and have never been serviced, cracks in the driveway, loose mortar joints in the brick, creosote buildup in the fireplace flue, Vegetation so overgrown that it is taking over the home, small plumbing leaks that have never been addressed, mold issues that have never been resolved along with countless other deferred maintenance issues. All of those so called "nit picky" items can and do add up to a lot of money that would have to be spent by the buyer after moving in. Who wants to deal with all of that after moving into their new home? When someone is looking to buy a home for their family, the last thing in the world they want to do is move in and start spending a bunch money on items that realistically should have already been taken care of by the previous owner.

For you the home buyer, be as nit picky as you can prior to closing, and do not listen to those who will tell you otherwise.