One of the most common misconceptions during a real estate transaction is: should a Home Inspector read the seller’s disclosures before the inspection? While seller disclosures are an important part of the home-buying process, they serve a very different purpose than a professional home inspection.
Seller’s Disclosures Are for the Buyer
The seller’s disclosures are intended to provide the buyer with information about the property’s history. Many items in the disclosures are known defects, repairs, and other material facts. They are an important part of the buyer’s due diligence and should be carefully reviewed by the buyer and their real estate agent.
However, they are not instructions for the home inspector, nor do they determine how the inspection is performed. Further, many items included in the seller’s disclosures relate to matters beyond the physical condition of the home, such as neighborhood conditions, property history, insurance claims, permits, or other transaction-related information.
A Home Inspection Is an Independent Evaluation
A professional home inspection is a visual evaluation of the property’s readily observable condition, performed in accordance with the applicable Standards of Practice. Every home is inspected using the same systematic process, regardless of what the seller has—or has not—disclosed.
Our job is not to compare the home against the disclosures or verify every statement made by the seller. Instead, we independently evaluate the home’s major systems and components and document the conditions we observe on the day of the inspection.
This independent approach helps ensure that the inspection remains objective and consistent.
Why We Discourage Last-Minute Disclosure Packets
Occasionally, disclosure packages are sent to the inspector just minutes before the inspection begins with the expectation that they will be reviewed beforehand.
In reality, that isn’t the best use of an inspector’s time.
The inspector’s priority is evaluating the property—not reading transaction documents immediately before the inspection. Reviewing lengthy disclosure packages on-site can delay the inspection and divert attention away from the inspection process itself.
The inspection report is intended to stand on its own as an independent source of information, complementing the seller’s disclosures rather than relying on them.
What Is Helpful?
If there is a specific concern or known condition you would like the inspector to be aware of, a brief note is always appreciated.
For example:
- A previous roof leak.
- A foundation repair.
- A recurring plumbing issue.
- A recently replaced HVAC system.
- An area of the home that has experienced prior damage.
A simple summary of significant items is far more helpful than expecting an inspector to review dozens of pages immediately before the inspection.
Two Parts of the Same Due Diligence Process
Seller disclosures and home inspections are not competing documents. Just like a real estate agent’s AVID, they all work together.
The seller’s disclosures communicate what the seller knows about the property. The home inspection provides an independent, objective evaluation of the property’s current, readily observable condition.
Together, they give buyers multiple sources of information so they can make a well-informed decision about one of the largest purchases of their lives.
At IM Home Inspections, our goal is to provide a thorough, unbiased inspection that adds another layer of confidence to your due diligence. Our inspections are not to replace the seller’s disclosures, but to be in addition to them. So should a home inspector read the seller’s disclosures? The answer is no; it’s not necessary.
Book your home inspection by calling 818-298-3405 or book online here.