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Just curious what's customary in other areas. I represent the buyer in a transaction and home is being inspected tomorrow morning. I'll be there but buyer won't be because they're out of state. Sellers agent tried to get me to schedule the inspection so that the seller could be present so he could "explain some things & show inspector where things are". My broker said no, no, no, don't let seller be present, and some of the inspectors we work with refuse to do an inspection with seller present because they tend to get in the way & slow them down. I wasn't able to schedule inspection during a time when seller could be present anyway, so it doesn't matter. But i dont know what to expect tomorrow....like, will he just show up? I'm hoping for no drama & a decent inspection.
What's customary in your area regarding inspections & who tends to be present?
If you are going to be there, then your job is going to be keeping the seller from interrupting the inspector, if the seller is there. Sorry -- that gets tedious.
You can't throw the seller out of their own home, IMO. I wouldn't be surprised if the seller's agent also showed up, just to try to put a muzzle on the seller so that the seller isn't talking about all the things they have "fixed" in the house. In some cases, it's handy to have the seller nearby, to explain a particularly convoluted wiring system that means you have to turn on the kitchen lights from another room, etc.
I'd be more concerned if the buyer and seller were there together -- more sellers have screwed up due diligence with diarrhea of the mouth during an inspection than I can count. So if the buyer isn't there, then the inspector is just going to have to put up with the owner of the house being in their own house. Some sellers are concerned about theft, with people in the house that they don't know -- it feels a little invasive to them.
Around here, we strongly encourage sellers to be out of the house during an inspection -- simply because the buyers are usually there and it's awkward to have the buyer thinking out loud about changes they want to make with the seller sitting there, slowing dying inside when the buyer talks about painting over a mural, or taking down the "awful" drapes, etc. But I don't know of any inspectors who refuse to do an inspection with the seller in the house. If they haven't developed deflection skills at this late date, that's hardly the seller's fault. As an agent, if it's a buyer, I will try to go for the whole thing, or at least the last 1/2 hour or so, so that the inspector can point out egregious areas of concern. As a seller's agent, I'll pop in towards the end, for the same reason, because I don't like surprises. :-)
If you are going to be there, then your job is going to be keeping the seller from interrupting the inspector, if the seller is there. Sorry -- that gets tedious.
Yup. It can be hard when you are new, but you need to be able to say, "Mr. Seller, the buyer's inspection is their time and on their dime. Let's let the inspector do his job, and ask questions later, if we have any."
I had one where the seller dogged the inspector. The inspector bore up well, and goofy as the seller was, the buyer's were buying a "perfect" (for their wants and needs) property, so they took it as entertainment.
It was years ago, and I was fairly new. Today, I would have the confidence to step in more firmly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dblackga
You can't throw the seller out of their own home, IMO. I wouldn't be surprised if the seller's agent also showed up, just to try to put a muzzle on the seller so that the seller isn't talking about all the things they have "fixed" in the house. In some cases, it's handy to have the seller nearby, to explain a particularly convoluted wiring system that means you have to turn on the kitchen lights from another room, etc.
Yup.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dblackga
I'd be more concerned if the buyer and seller were there together -- more sellers have screwed up due diligence with diarrhea of the mouth during an inspection than I can count. So if the buyer isn't there, then the inspector is just going to have to put up with the owner of the house being in their own house. Some sellers are concerned about theft, with people in the house that they don't know -- it feels a little invasive to them.
Around here, we strongly encourage sellers to be out of the house during an inspection -- simply because the buyers are usually there and it's awkward to have the buyer thinking out loud about changes they want to make with the seller sitting there, slowing dying inside when the buyer talks about painting over a mural, or taking down the "awful" drapes, etc. But I don't know of any inspectors who refuse to do an inspection with the seller in the house. If they haven't developed deflection skills at this late date, that's hardly the seller's fault. As an agent, if it's a buyer, I will try to go for the whole thing, or at least the last 1/2 hour or so, so that the inspector can point out egregious areas of concern. As a seller's agent, I'll pop in towards the end, for the same reason, because I don't like surprises. :-)
Sellers just as often tip their hands, and make it easier for the buyers' agent to press for concessions.
I strongly recommend to my sellers that they go out for a movie during inspections.
And, I don't go to inspections on my listings, because buyers make the same mistake, and I want to keep my nose clean from accusations of manipulation from their agent.
Fortunately for me, the buyers are from out of state & wont be there. That's why I'm going.....to be their eyes & ears and represent them in their absence. Hopefully all goes well!!
What they said...I hate when a seller is present but you can't make them not be there. It's only been a few times but it's never made the process smoother, in fact it has quite the opposite effect. I have a few stories but I won't bore you with them.
Well, it all went smoothly. Seller was in fact there, but he mainly talked to me & helped pass the time. Didn't get in inspectors way at all and was a super nice guy. Guess I lucked out!
I learned one the hard way, don't let the appraiser and the home inspector, along with the buyer, visit the home at the same time. Yep, one big mess! And, the appraiser dutifully listed the source as the buyer, confirmed by the home inspector had an issue with the structural integrity of a chimney (home built 1925).
Total freaking mess. This happened a year or so ago, but we ordered a new appraisal, without buyer input. The home inspection contingency was extended until the new report came in. The new report made no mention of the chimney. In the end, the seller and buyer each pitched in for the correction. Second appraisal came in 45K higher.
Glad it went smoothly. Most home inspectors are used to distractions during the inspection and the good ones are careful about interacting with anyone except the buyer and the buyer's agent.
I once put a contract on a home that I wanted to buy. It had the "hovering seller" problem. She was there during the inspection, during the two viewings, and during the two contractors' visits when I got the estimates for repairs. We cancelled the contract for that reason. She buzzed about like a fly, never leaving us alone. I don't think it's appropriate for a seller to be present during the buyer's inspection because the buyer is not free to discuss their concerns about the defects in the home. It's the buyer's inspection report, not the seller's. If the seller is so worried about theft that they can't trust contracted potential buyers during inspections, they need to put their home on the market empty.
I was there (seller) but only by accident. I was there to pay our plumber who had just finished some work. I was not in the house and did not talk to inspector but he did ask me about a fan which he couldn't get to work. Told him where to find the switch. So, I stayed out of the process, but ended up it was a good thing I was there to answer that question.
I stayed out by the plumber's truck while we finished up. Buyer was there also and came out to ask me a couple questions. I didn't seek her out.
I can see how this could interrupt the process.
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