Should You Get a Home Inspection When Buying a House in Michigan?

You found the house. Your offer was accepted. Now comes one of the most important opportunities you'll have to learn more about the property you're preparing to purchase: The home inspection.

I've seen buyers approach inspections in very different ways. Some are terrified the inspector is going to uncover a disaster. Others assume that because a home looks beautifully maintained or recently updated, there probably isn't much to worry about.

Neither approach is particularly helpful.

I encourage my buyers to think about an inspection differently: A home inspection isn't about finding a perfect house. It's about understanding the house you're agreeing to buy.

What Is a Home Inspection?

A home inspection is an evaluation of a property's visible and accessible components and systems by a qualified home inspector. Depending on the property and inspection being performed, this may include areas such as the:

• Roof and exterior
• Foundation and structure
• Electrical system
• Plumbing
• Heating and cooling systems
• Attic and insulation
• Basement or crawl space
• Windows and doors
• Interior components
• Installed appliances and fixtures

The inspector then provides the buyer with a report documenting their observations and areas that may warrant attention or additional evaluation.

It's important to understand that an inspection isn't a guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong with the house. Inspectors cannot see through walls, predict the future or necessarily identify every concealed problem.

What they can provide is significantly more information about the property than you had when you initially walked through it.

Even a Beautiful House Can Have Problems

This is one of the reasons I rarely recommend judging the need for an inspection based on how a home looks. Fresh paint and a renovated kitchen don't tell us the age or condition of the electrical panel. Beautiful landscaping doesn't tell us what's happening inside a crawl space. A newer bathroom doesn't necessarily tell us whether the plumbing behind it was installed correctly. And a roof that looks fine from the driveway may deserve a much closer look.

Cosmetic condition and structural or mechanical condition are two very different things.

That doesn't mean you should assume something is wrong. It means you should gather information before making one of the largest purchases of your life.

Your Inspection Report May Look Scary

Don't panic. Home inspectors document a lot. That means even a reasonably well-maintained home can produce a surprisingly long inspection report.

You may see everything from a loose doorknob or missing outlet cover to an aging furnace or evidence of water intrusion listed within the same document. They don't all carry the same weight. This is where buyers need perspective.

Instead of asking:

"How many things are wrong with this house?"

I prefer to start with:

"What did we learn about this house that matters?"

From there, we can separate routine maintenance and minor observations from issues that may deserve additional investigation or more serious consideration.

What Happens if the Inspection Finds a Problem?

This is where your purchase agreement matters. Your options following an inspection depend on the terms negotiated in your particular contract, including the inspection contingency and applicable deadlines. Depending on those terms and the inspection findings, a buyer may decide to proceed with the purchase as-is.

In other circumstances, the buyer may want additional information from a specialist or may have contractual options involving negotiations, repairs, credits, price adjustments or terminating the transaction.

There isn't one appropriate response to every inspection finding.

A small plumbing leak and a major foundation concern shouldn't automatically receive the same reaction.

The goal isn't to turn an inspection report into a seller's home-improvement checklist. It's to determine whether the information we've learned changes how you feel about the property or the agreement you've made to purchase it.

Sometimes You Need More Than a General Home Inspection

A general home inspector may identify something that warrants further evaluation by a specialist.

Depending on the home, its location, age and what is discovered, buyers may consider additional evaluations involving areas such as:

• Roofing
• Foundation or structural concerns
• Electrical systems
• Plumbing or sewer lines
• HVAC systems
• Chimneys and fireplaces
• Pests
• Mold or moisture concerns
• Wells or septic systems where applicable
• Other property-specific conditions

This doesn't mean every buyer needs every specialized inspection. It means the inspection process should be tailored to the property you're actually buying.

Should You Waive a Home Inspection to Make Your Offer Stronger?

This question becomes especially important in a competitive real estate market. Yes, buyers sometimes consider changing or waiving inspection protections to make an offer more attractive to a seller.

But there's a major difference between understanding a risk and simply ignoring it.

Before giving up an inspection opportunity or limiting your contractual protections, you should understand exactly what you're agreeing to and what could happen if a significant problem is discovered later.

A stronger offer isn't necessarily a better offer if you're taking on risks you aren't financially or emotionally prepared to handle.

There are many components of an offer that can affect its competitiveness. Inspection terms are only one of them.

Where Your REALTOR® Fits Into the Inspection Process

Your inspector's job is to evaluate the property. My job as your REALTOR® is different. I help you understand how the inspection fits into the larger real estate transaction.That includes keeping track of contractual deadlines, communicating with the other parties, helping you understand your options under the purchase agreement and negotiating when appropriate.

Just as importantly, I can help provide perspective.

Buying a home is emotional. Reading dozens of pages describing everything an inspector noticed can make even an experienced homeowner nervous. Sometimes the inspection confirms that we're dealing primarily with normal maintenance and ownership responsibilities. Sometimes it uncovers something that deserves serious attention. And sometimes we need another professional to tell us more before making a decision.

The goal isn't for me to make that decision for you. The goal is to make sure you have enough information to make a confident one yourself.

What About New Construction or Recently Renovated Homes?

I would not assume that "new" means "perfect." Construction and renovations involve people, materials, workmanship and many different systems coming together. Mistakes happen.

An independent inspection can still provide valuable information, even when a property is newly built or has recently undergone substantial improvements.

In fact, renovations can sometimes make professional evaluation particularly useful because beautiful finishes don't necessarily tell us what happened behind them.

Is a Home Inspection Required in Michigan?

A private home inspection and a lender-required appraisal are different things. The appraisal primarily serves the lender's need to evaluate the property and collateral for the loan. The inspection serves the buyer's need to better understand the property's condition.

Buyers should not assume that an appraisal takes the place of a private inspection.

Your specific financing program or property may also have additional requirements, so your lender and real estate professionals should help you understand what applies to your transaction.

My Advice to Downriver Homebuyers

When I'm helping someone buy a home in Grosse Ile, Trenton, Wyandotte, Riverview, Woodhaven, Southgate, Allen Park, Taylor or another Downriver Michigan community, I want them to understand what they're purchasing as clearly as reasonably possible. Every house has something.

Older homes have maintenance histories. Newer homes can have construction issues. Renovated homes can contain surprises. Even exceptionally maintained properties will eventually need repairs and updates.

That's homeownership.

A home inspection gives you an opportunity to learn more before the property becomes yours.

The objective isn't perfection. It's information. And when you're making a purchase this significant, good information is incredibly valuable.

Thinking About Buying a Home in Downriver Michigan?

You don't have to wait until you've found a house to start learning how the buying process works.

If you're considering purchasing a home in Grosse Ile or anywhere throughout Downriver, I'm happy to answer questions about inspections, purchase agreements, financing, offers or what to expect from the process.

You can also explore available properties and local buyer resources through Moving Downriver, my locally focused real estate search app created specifically to provide a more personalized way to buy, sell and understand real estate in our Downriver communities.

Heather Polites
Founder of the Moving Downriver App & REALTOR® at MBA Realty
9105 Macomb St, Grosse Ile, MI 48138

(734) 934-3292

This article is intended for general educational purposes. Inspection rights, deadlines and remedies depend on the terms of the individual purchase agreement and circumstances of the transaction. Buyers should consult the appropriate inspectors, contractors, attorneys and other qualified professionals regarding property-specific concerns.