The relationship between a homebuyer and their realtor is built on trust. According to the Safe House Management team, that trust is based on the buyer’s belief in the realtor’s superior housing market knowledge.
Homebuyers expect the realtor to be their guiding light when making the all-important decision of buying a home. To meet this expectation, buyers want two things from their realtor:
- Up-to-date knowledge: Realtors should have access to information unavailable to the buyer.
- Integrity: The realtor must be straightforward in their dealings with the buyer.
On the other hand, realtors know they must steer their clients to buy a home that offers the highest returns on investment. But the problem is, to do your job as a realtor, you often have to ask buyers to spend money on things they do not see as important.
For instance, as a realtor, you know the value of doing detailed inspections when buying a home, but most buyers don’t. The majority of homebuyers only understand the need to do a home inspection as part of the process of buying their home.
But once the home inspection is completed, they typically don’t see the need to do additional inspections, such as a sewer camera inspection. They assume that the home inspection is enough, and this belief can present a huge challenge for their realtor.
However, you understand the limitations of home inspections. You also know there is a high risk that sewer line problems will occur in the home after the buyer has paid for it. But how do you get clients to see the value of inspecting a sewer line when buying their home?
A lot depends on how much you know about sewer camera inspections. Better insight into the function of this inspection will make it easier to convince clients about its value. This post explains what realtors need to know about sewer camera inspections.
Why should you recommend a sewer camera inspection?
There are two reasons why you should routinely recommend a sewer camera inspection to your clients:
Firstly, when things go wrong, most people look for someone to blame, and your clients are no different. If there are problems with the sewer line in their newly-bought home, clients will blame you, even if you had no way of knowing about the issues yourself.
Secondly, by recommending the sewer camera inspection, you protect your client and secure your reputation. A sewer camera inspection is a small step that goes a long way to cement your reputation as a trusted realtor.
Why is a sewage camera inspection essential?
Despite its name, a home inspection is not an inspection of the entire property. Home inspections have the following critical limitations:
- It is not an exhaustive inspection of every home’s system, structure and feature.
- Home inspectors only concern themselves with the visible condition of the home; basically, it is a visual inspection.
- The home inspector is not obligated to inspect any feature of the home that is not visible and accessible.
- The inspector does not check inside the walls to determine the condition of the wiring or plumbing.
- Although the home inspection covers the sewage system, this is a superficial inspection.
The result is that the home’s sewage system may have significant problems that will not be uncovered by the home inspection as long as there are no visible signs of the issues. That is why a buyer’s new home can require expensive sewer line repair shortly after they purchase it.
Why homebuyers need a sewer camera inspection
While most buyers focus on the aesthetic qualities of the home they are looking to buy, a sewer camera inspection gives them a better idea of the building’s structural integrity. Structural issues are the worst kinds of problems to have in a home.
Sewer line problems are hard to detect
Sewer line problems are fairly common. They are often the underlying causes of other bigger issues like flooding inside the home, foundation damage and mold growth. The worst part is that these sewer line problems are usually hidden from view.
Sewer line problems are a major health risk
Pests use the openings in a damaged sewer line to access the home. Toxic sewer gases can also build up inside a damaged sewer and leak into the house. Homes with sewer line problems will experience serious air quality issues.
Sewer line problems are expensive
It costs around $300 to replace just one foot of damaged sewer line. The cost of replacing an entire sewer line can run into tens of thousands of dollars. To fix a single damaged sewer drain, the homeowner will be looking at a cost of at least $2,500.
But you can avert all these problems if you, as the realtor, make sewer line camera inspections a part of your standard procedure when evaluating the condition of a home you are about to buy. Taking this small step will help you and your clients avoid an immeasurable amount of trouble.