Quick Preliminary Home Inspections
Preliminary Inspection Special: $50 off through March 2023!
$549 → $499
Typically a home inspection occurs after a good faith payment (or due diligence payment) is made from the potential home buyer to the home seller. This payment is often over $1000. Far too often, though, the home inspection reveals some type of significant issue where the buyer is no longer interested — resulting in wasted time for everyone involved.
In that scenario, it’s understandable that the buyer in particular would rather have known of the issues prior to making the hefty due diligence payment.
This is where a preliminary inspection comes in.
What are the advantages of a preliminary inspection?
A preliminary inspection is done during the showing and before the due diligence payment. The home inspector walks through the home and talks to the prospective buyer about any visible issues or concernsthey see.
This is why it’s also often called a walk and talk inspection.
Rather than the 3+ hours that a regular home inspection can take, preliminary inspections wrap up with the showing, so they are generally around 30 minutes long.
And as mentioned above, preliminary inspections happen before the due diligence payment, so you are less likely to run into major issues before committing to anything. If it’s clear there are repairs that will need to be made, that can be taken into account before making the due diligence payment.
Does a preliminary inspection take the place of a regular home inspection?
No. The preliminary inspection is performed in preparation for a complete home inspection. Due to the time limitation of a showing, a complete home inspection cannot be performed.
The home inspection should be completed during the due diligence period when time permits.
How much does a preliminary inspection cost and who pays for it?
This type of inspection costs only $200, and unlike a regular home inspection the square footage of the home does not affect the price.
Usually the potential buyer will purchase this inspection to have a better understanding of the home before making the due diligence payment. Sometimes a buyer’s agent will pay this fee as a courtesy to their clients.
Understanding Some Of The Industry Concerns About “Walk and Talk Inspections”
First off, the method we use to accomplish preliminary inspections is perfectly legal and valid. But there has been some back and forth in the industry about the concept of “walk and talk inspections” that have made some realtors reluctant, which we will unpack here.
The main reason there were regulatory issues with “walk and talk” inspections is that people were trying to use them in place of regular, more thorough home inspections and corners were being cut.
There are also regulations about which things must be inspected and that a written report must be filed within 3 days of the exam.
Our inspection practices have been reviewed by our attorneys as we ensure all our inspections performed meet NCHILB standards.
In short, there was only ever a question about “walk and talk inspections” when done a certain way, and it is not the way we do them at Stratton Inspections.
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Stratton Inspection Services, LLC
877-249-6828
(877-B4YOUBUY)
Home Inspection Services in
Clemmons, NC | Winston Salem, NC
Greensboro, NC | Charlotte, NC