Need help digest property inspection report

[Beau Wollens]

I recently bought a property and I am trying to digest the inspection report in regard to separating out improvements/upgrades into which need to be addressed immediately vs which can wait over some time. Is there anyone who could help me digest this report?

[Mike Hasson]

This is an excellent question, but please don't hold it against your inspector for not helping you to prioritize the repairs. At least here in Ohio, as a licensed trade, we are actually not allowed to do so! 

I know that can seem frustrating, but from an inspector's perspective - basically out entire job is liability management - so I can't point something out on a report, but then tell you it's not that important; that would be contradictory! So we have to navigate this carefully. As an inspector, I would simply arm you with as much information as possible and would have to be up to you to determine if that is something that you are willing to take on. On the other hand, I do like to remind folks that almost everything can be fixed! So at the right price, anything can be a good deal.

With that said, I have a few recommendations to help you navigate this very real challenge:

A) Discuss the findings with your realtor. They are the ones who can help you determine if the overall price is a good buy for what the inspection finds, and can help you in negotiating until you achieve something agreeable. I personally prefer to receive credits instead of having the sellers complete repairs, that way I can control the quality of the work, but your realtor knows you and your situation best, and should be able to guide you through the negotiations.

B) Upload your inspection report to RepairPricer.com. It's a third party service that uses AI to analyze your report, and returns itemized price estimates for each item on the report with a surprising level of accuracy. I'm not affiliated with them, but I do recommend the service, and my clients have found immense value in it. Perhaps seeing a dollar amount by each item may help you to prioritize. Though keep in mind it is generally unreasonable to expect a home to have no problems, or for everything to be repaired.

Good luck!