When buying a home, most Buyers choose to have a home inspection performed.  The inspection focuses on major systems of the building, is NOT a warranty or appraisal, and does not guarantee the longevity of any system.  Licensed home inspectors may be general contractors, or represent a particular trade, but are not necessarily skilled at all the trades needed to build a home.

Some licensed Inspectors are also licensed to perform Wood-Destroying Insect inspections and reports, but often the Buyer will contract with a Pest and Termite company for this report.  The Home Inspector is not a surveyor, but focuses on the home itself.

North Carolina real estate law prohibits either a Buyer's Agent or a Seller's Agent from discouraging a Buyer in any way from having a home inspection performed during the course of the transaction.  A Buyer who is discouraged by any party to the transaction from hiring an inspector, for any reason, should view this as a red flag.

When using the Standard Form, "Offer to Purchase and Contract," a Buyer has two contingencies for repair considerations.  If the Seller declines to make requested repairs noted in the inspection report, the Buyer may be able to terminate and receive the Earnest Money Deposit back.  Or, if the inspection reveals significant defects and a reasonable cost estimate by a creditable professional tradesman or general contractor exceeds a dollar figure which was negotiated and agreed to in the Contract, the Buyer may be able to terminate without requesting the repairs.

Often, a smart Seller will have an inspection performed prior to listing the home, and will perform repairs to make the home more presentable, and to remove defects and repairs from the negotiating table.  The Buyer would still be wise to hire his/her own inspector to assure that repairs were effective, and because another set of eyes may well discover additional defects.

More information regarding the purpose and limitations of Home Inspections can be found in the following brochure, a joint publication of the North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board and the North Carolina Real Estate Commission:

Questions and Answers on Home Inspections