What to Expect from Your Home Inspection
A home inspection is a confusing part of the home buying process for a lot of home buyers! Since a home inspection is a crucial last step in purchasing a new home, it is important for buyers to know what to expect going into it!
Here is what you should expect after you schedule your home inspection!
General Information
A home inspection will typically last around 3 to 4 hours depending on the size of the home and the services you choose to add such as termite, pool inspection or sewer scope. The home inspector will walk through the house from the outside to the inside.
The inspector will set up a time towards the end of his inspection for you to meet with him to go over his findings. The inspector will walk you through the home to point out any areas of concern or to answer any questions you might have about the condition or components of the home. The inspector may also point out things that are optional to fix, but are not necessary to fix, which can be helpful if you are thinking of doing renovations.
What the Inspector Does
The inspector is a general expert, meaning that they are looking for specific defects and things that can be potential hazards or things that would be very costly to fix.
They are going to inspect the house in totality – from the inside to the outside, appliances, sheds, etc.
The inspector’s job is to find major defects and things that can make the home potentially unsafe to live in, to give the buyer peace of mind that they are buying a house with confidence that it is in good condition.
What the Inspector Does Not Do
The inspector is a general expert – meaning that they have a vast knowledge of many different things, but they are not an expert in every single trade.
This means that while they DO test the electrical circuits in the home, they are not electricians, so they may not be able to catch every single problem. However they do know how it works more than the average person – and more importantly they know if there is something wrong with it.
Think of a home inspection like a doctor’s visit – a home inspection is more like a yearly physical, and a contractor’s visit would be like getting an x-ray. The inspector can tell you if your home is in good condition – but may not realize that the home will have a broken furnace in 3 years.
Keep this is mind and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you want to know more about something, they might be able to answer it or direct you to someone who can.
The Inspection Report
The inspection report will be given to you after the inspection has been completed and the inspector has compiled all of their findings.
The report is a complete list of everything that the inspector noted, with photographs, summaries, and explanations of the defects. This report is shared with your agent so that your agent can use the information to help you further negotiate the purchase.
The inspection report can be used as leverage with the seller to either lower the price of the home, or to have the seller make the repairs themselves before you move in!
The report is critical for most home buyers, because if the report findings show that the home has significant defects that will cost a lot of money to repair, this could mean that it is smarter to walk away from the sale instead of moving forward.
Remember That the Inspector’s Job is to Help
A home inspector’s entire job is simply to provide the buyer with an informative inspection report so that the buyer and their agent can make an informed decision prior to purchasing a home.
The inspector has all the tools, knowledge and skillset to point you in the right direction, and to give you peace of mind that the home you are buying will be safe and a good investment for you and your family for years to come!
