What to Expect from Your Home Inspection
A home inspection can be a confusing part of the home buying process for a lot of home buyers! A home inspection is an important last step when purchasing a new home, and not one that many buyers choose to skip.
It is important for many buyers to know what to expect, because a home inspection will help them determine if a home is right for them!
Here is what you should expect after you schedule your home inspection!
General Information
A home inspection will typically last around 2 to 3 hours, so expect to be there for about 3 hours! The home inspector will walk through the house from the outside to the inside.
You should go with the inspector as they are working, so that they can explain things that they find to you!
This is also a good time to ask any questions that you have regarding the components of the home! The inspector may also point out things that are optional to fix or that might be better – 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 material 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, siding, roof covering, electrical, plumbing, HVAC system, etc.
The inspector’s job is to conduct a thorough visual inspection of the property and provide an inspection report. This report provides information to the buyer that helps them make an informed buying decision.
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 in 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 together.
The report is a complete list of everything that the inspector noted, with photographs, summaries, and explanations of the defects. This report can then be used by your agent to look at the defects and find the cost of each repair.
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 help the buyer make an informed decision on whether or not to move forward with the purchase of 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!
