What Buyers and Sellers Should Expect
An Arizona home inspection is not a pass-or-fail test, and it is not a list of everything the seller must repair. The best way to think about the inspection report is as a chore list for the house. Some items may need attention now, while others are routine repairs, maintenance or things to watch in the future. Every home has a chore list; what matters is knowing which items are important.
Arizona Home Inspectors Are State Certified
Arizona home inspectors are certified by the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration. Before becoming certified, an applicant must complete at least 84 hours of approved training and pass the National Home Inspector Examination. The applicant must complete 30 supervised parallel inspections.
Those parallel inspections provide hands-on experience under an Arizona-certified inspector. The supervising inspector must have been continuously certified in Arizona for at least three years and have completed at least 250 paid home inspections in Arizona. The applicant also prepares an inspection report that the supervising inspector reviews, corrects and returns with instruction.
That combination of education, testing, practical experience & mentoring is important when you are relying on an inspector to help you understand the condition of a home.
What Does an Inspector Examine?
A general inspection covers the home’s visible and reasonably accessible systems. This includes the structure, foundation, roof, exterior and interior, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, and site conditions affecting the home. Arizona also has separate inspection standards for pools and spas when that service is included.
There are important limits. Arizona’s standards describe the inspection as visual and not technically exhaustive. Essentially an inspector cannot identify concealed conditions or every latent defect. Inspectors are also not required to predict how long a system will last, determine the cause or cost of every repair, determine code compliance, identify pests, inspect underground items, operate equipment that is shut down or move furniture and personal belongings to gain access. They are not expected to do anything unsafe or likely to damage the property.
In plain English, an inspection can tell you a great deal about what is visible and accessible that day, but it cannot tell you everything that may be hidden or what might fail next year. It is an inspection, not a warranty.
Sometimes You Need a Specialist
A general home inspector looks at the house as a whole, but some conditions need more specialized knowledge. Depending on the property and what is found, additional inspections or evaluations might include:
- Roof
- HVAC
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Sewer scope
- Septic system
- Termites or other wood-destroying insects
- Pool and spa
- Structural concerns
- Environmental concerns
A recommendation for another evaluation does not automatically mean there is a major problem. It means the inspector found something that deserves a closer look by someone who specializes in that area. Arizona’s own guidance notes that home inspectors are generally not licensed contractors and may recommend further evaluation by another professional. The home inspector identifies the concern. The specialist can help determine exactly what it is and what, if anything, needs to be done.
What Buyers Should Expect
Under the current Arizona REALTORS® Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract, the standard Inspection Period is 10 days after contract acceptance unless another period is written into the contract. That period includes much more than the general home inspection and gives the buyer time to complete the physical, environmental and other investigations that are important to the purchase.
The inspection report itself may be long and include photographs, maintenance items, minor repairs and more significant concerns. A loose electrical cover and evidence of a roof leak may both appear in the same report, however they clearly do not deserve the same attention.
Treat the Report as Your Chore List
Ask yourself:
- Does this need attention now?
- Is it a safety concern?
- Does it need further evaluation?
- Is it routine maintenance?
- Is it something I should plan or budget for later?
Not everything on the list needs to become a request to the seller. Some items are simply part of owning and maintaining a home.
The goal is not to find a perfect house. It is to understand the house you are buying and decide which issues really matter.
After the Inspection -The BINSR
In Arizona, the buyer’s inspection decision is commonly communicated using the Residential Buyer’s Inspection Notice and Seller’s Response, or BINSR. The buyer has one opportunity to give the seller notice of the Inspection Period items being disapproved. Likewise, the seller has one response. It is not intended to be a back-and-forth negotiation document.
The inspection report is the home’s chore list. The BINSR identifies which items, if any, the buyer considers important enough to address before moving forward.
Buyer Pros and Cons
For a buyer, the biggest advantage is information. An inspection can identify visible problems before closing, point out areas that deserve a specialist and provide a useful maintenance and budgeting list for the years ahead. The downside is that inspections cost money and additional evaluations may add expense. No inspection can uncover every concealed problem or predict every future failure.
The benefit is less uncertainty, not a promise of a problem-free home.
What Sellers Should Expect
Sellers should expect the inspector to spend time examining the home and operating accessible systems through their normal controls. Electrical panels, HVAC equipment, water heaters, attic access, plumbing and pool equipment should be accessible, utilities should remain on, and pets should be secured.
Sellers should also expect the inspector to find something. Almost every home has aging components, maintenance items and minor repairs, so a lengthy report does not necessarily mean there is something seriously wrong with the property.
Most importantly, the inspection report is not automatically the buyer’s repair request. The buyer decides which findings are important enough to raise with the seller, so the seller should focus on what the buyer actually requests rather than react to the length of the report.
What Can a Seller Do?
When the buyer gives the seller an opportunity to address inspection items, the seller can agree, refuse or propose another solution. Depending on the circumstances, the parties might agree on a repair, replacement, credit, price adjustment or another written solution.
If the seller agrees in writing to make corrections, the standard contract requires agreed repairs to be completed in a workmanlike manner, with paid receipts delivered to the buyer 3 days before closing unless another period is written into the contract.
The buyer can ask. The seller can respond. What ultimately happens depends on what the parties agree to in writing and the rights provided by the contract.
Should a Seller Get a Pre-Listing Inspection?
Some sellers choose to have the home inspected before putting it on the market. The advantage is knowing about potential problems before a buyer finds them, which can provide time to make a repair, obtain estimates or simply be prepared to deal with the issue during negotiations.
There is also a downside. A pre-listing inspection may uncover a significant condition the seller did not previously know about. If the inspection reveals a material fact, discovering it may create a disclosure obligation that did not exist when the seller was unaware of the condition. Arizona sellers have a duty to disclose known material facts affecting the property in circumstances where the fact is not readily observable or already known to the buyer.
A pre-listing inspection can reduce surprises, but sellers should understand that they cannot simply forget an important problem once they learn about it.
Seller Pros and Cons
For sellers, an inspection can focus the transaction on specific property conditions instead of assumptions and give both sides an opportunity to resolve important issues before closing. On the other hand, it may lead to repair requests, additional specialist evaluations or negotiations, and it can uncover previously unknown conditions that remain important even if the current buyer does not complete the purchase.
The seller does not need a perfect inspection report. The goal is to understand the important issues and make informed decisions about how to respond.
The Bottom Line
Think of a home inspection report as a chore list for the house. Some chores may need attention now, some may need a specialist, and many will simply become normal maintenance for the new owner.
For buyers, the inspection provides a better understanding of what they are buying and an opportunity to investigate important concerns before closing. For sellers, it identifies which issues matter to the buyer without automatically turning the entire report into a required repair list.
A good inspection gives buyers and sellers better information, helps separate important problems from ordinary home maintenance and reduces surprises before closing.
