Sam Schneiderman, Broker-owner of Greater Boston Home Team continues his Monday series.

The time after the home inspection is a critical time during a transaction. Buyers are often overwhelmed by the inspection and sellers are nervously waiting to hear if their property “passed” inspection.

Since there are many systems and components, a home rarely “passes” an inspection. In older homes, defective windows, improperly installed insulation, roof venting, plumbing or electrical issues are common. New construction issues often include defective door and window installations, defective plumbing and electrical components or installation, and poor finish work.

Presumably, an inspection is for the buyer to assure himself that he is getting what he was expecting when he made the offer. The challenge is that since most people don’t buy property often, they don’t always have realistic expectations about what they should get for their money or the age of the property. First time buyers that are buying older property have the biggest challenge because they don’t understand what constitutes normal wear and tear vs. what constitutes deferred maintenance or neglect. I’ve worked with many repeat clients that expressed concerns about certain “defective” items on their first purchase and didn’t even raise an eyebrow about the same item when they moved up to their next property years later (i.e. leaky faucets and routine maintenance items like exterior paint).