Everything has a life expectancy. Our bodies, our homes, our cars… parts and pieces will only last so long. Some thing’s last far longer than expected while others last less. Personally, I go through washing machines and dryers like a mad woman, one would think I have a household with a dozen children. When a home buyer finds their perfect home, it’s very exciting. Soon the buyer meets a home inspector and the inspector points out the defects in their dream home. It’s almost as if someone has stuck a pin in a balloon. Negotiating the physical inspection is always challenging.
Now comes the difficult part, often the buyer expects a perfect home. But let’s be realistic when you are buying a home in many of our Los Angeles neighborhoods most of our homes are well over 50 years old. My home was built in 1940 – it’s more than 70 years old! Building codes have changed quite a bit over the years and they are constantly evolving, what’s to code today, may be out of compliance tomorrow.
A typical home inspection shares the good with the bad. Perhaps the home seller has upgraded to copper plumbing; although the roof isn’t leaking its twenty years old. Should the home seller be expected to replace systems that are working? There are no cut and dry rules. When negotiating the physical inspection, It usually comes down to motivation. Is it a buyer’s market or a seller’s market?
