Home Inspection Questions (Houston, Howe: sale, house, buying)

[Winebrat]

So we are awaiting the home inspection on our house we are selling so we can get to Houston. I have never gone through this before, so am hopeing for some feedback about the process and my rights as the seller.

Our house is "move in ready", so to speak. We had it inspected a few years back and by a structural engineer before finishing our basement to make sure there were no red flags to invest in before we spent money. Everything came up good and what was questionable we fixed for ourselves. The sale price on our home is rock bottom, below anything we ever thought we would ever sell this house for, so we are not willing to give any concessions if an inspector comes in saying something needs to be done. The house is only 10 years old and built better than most in the area.

I guess my question is, do I HAVE to fix or adjust the price of anything they might find? Can I just say "no, take it or leave it"? I know these people who are buying the house are in a HUGE rush to move in AND they have been house hunting for a long time and it took 3 weeks to negotiate the price as it is, so I don't think they would walk away.

Thoughts?

[travelguy_73]

AFAIK, rules will vary by state. In Texas, you don't have to do anything in response to the inspection report, per se, but you do risk the buyers walking away if there are enough problems, or the problems are material (whether safety or cost). Many buyers understand big problems from little ones, but there are always some who freak at any problems. You will find out soon enough when their counteroffer comes through.

In Texas, if there has been an inspection within xx months of listing (not sure of the exact time period), the seller is required to disclose the inspection report. So if there are problems, not fixing them will deter future buyers from even considering your property.

You are better off asking this in the PA forum, since it is more germain to your current location.

[Winebrat]

Good point about the PA forum...I shoulda thought of that!

[khan1]

I have a question related to house inspection. What if the Exhaust hood is not working and there is no way for smoke to scape from the kitchen. Is this a code violation/health violation? (if it's a code violation, does anyone know the code?).
My neighboor said non working Exhaust hood is a fire hazard because it will cause the fire alarm go off and I need to have it fix?

[CuriousMTA]

eh? I don't know about this because can't you just open up the window?

[jasonamd]

Originally Posted by khan1

I have a question related to house inspection. What if the Exhaust hood is not working and there is no way for smoke to scape from the kitchen. Is this a code violation/health violation? (if it's a code violation, does anyone know the code?).
My neighboor said non working Exhaust hood is a fire hazard because it will cause the fire alarm go off and I need to have it fix?

An exhaust hood is not a requirement.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by khan1

I have a question related to house inspection. What if the Exhaust hood is not working and there is no way for smoke to scape from the kitchen. Is this a code violation/health violation? (if it's a code violation, does anyone know the code?).
My neighboor said non working Exhaust hood is a fire hazard because it will cause the fire alarm go off and I need to have it fix?

The basic building codes do not have a requirement that a range exhaust duct is to be present. However if one is present there are requirements for its type, discharge, etc. Your local Building Inspections Department is allowed to make one required if they deem it appropriate. The local Code Enforcement Division might also have a requirement for one. The Code Enforcement Division is typically concerned with health and safety in general where the Building Inspections are concerned with safety requirements of the structure's build. The best person to answer your question first is the local Building Inspections Department. They might also be able to tell you if Code Enforcement has any requirements as well.