Sellers Have Different View on Home Inspections

Facts about Home Inspections in Georgia!

As a “buyer beware” state, sellers in Georgia aren’t required to provide a home inspection. In fact, a home can sell “as is,” though that doesn’t mean the seller is free of all liability from material defects. In Georgia, home buyers have the responsibility and will pay to have the home inspected.

Under most standard contracts, a seller must provide time for due diligence. This will be the time during which a buyer schedules a home inspection. An inspector will come out to the home at a specified time for an inspection that can last for hours, during which time the seller typically isn’t there. The home must be accessible, with utilities turned on and all systems accessible.

To schedule an inspection with Champia Real Estate Inspections, call us at 770-753-0767. Or visit us online, where you can schedule the home inspection yourself.

Soon after the inspection, the buyer will receive a lengthy report that details what systems were inspected, including electrical, plumbing, structural, etc. This report is boiled down to a list of defects, or things that need to be fixed.

The buyer may ask for everything on that list to be fixed, or just some of them. A copy of that inspection report must be provided if the buyer is making demands for repairs. An “Amendment to Address Concerns” that details those repairs must accompany it.

Even at this point the seller, however, doesn’t have to agree to those fixes. A counteroffer to the buyer’s demands can be made, with negotiations on what fixes need to be made. Another option is to make a concession on the home price instead of the repairs. As a seller you might prefer this, rather than having the buyer come back with complaints about the quality of the fixes. No one wants to have another outlay of money after the house has actually been sold.

A seller doesn’t have to discuss tragedies such as murder or suicide that occurred in the home. However, if the buyer directly asks about a tragedy, the seller is obligated under Georgia law to disclose that information.

But if the buyer asks about a previous owner’s sexual orientation, race, religion, handicap or other violation of the Federal Fair Housing Act, you as a seller are not required to disclose this information.