Worry Less With a Quality Home Inspection

You found the house. You love the kitchen. You’ve already figured out where the sofa goes. Maybe you’ve even started mentally inviting people over. Before you get too far ahead, though, there’s one more exciting step: getting to know the house a whole lot better.

That’s what a professional home inspection can do. It isn’t a hunt for reasons not to buy the home. It’s an opportunity to look beyond what you noticed during the showing and learn more about the roof over your head, the systems behind the walls, and the components you’ll be counting on after you get the keys.

If your purchase agreement includes an inspection contingency, you’ll typically have a specified period of time to complete the inspection and respond according to the terms of your contract. The timing and your options afterward vary by agreement and location, so knowing those details up front matters.

And don’t confuse the inspection with the appraisal. An appraisal primarily helps the lender evaluate the property’s value for lending purposes. The home inspection is for you. In most transactions, you choose and pay the inspector—and the information you receive can help you decide what happens next.

Inspector qualifications and licensing requirements vary by state, so ask about experience, training, professional credentials, and inspection standards. Organizations such as the American Society of Home Inspectors provide professional standards and education. A standard inspection is generally a visual examination of readily accessible systems and components, including areas such as:

ROOF AND EXTERIOR
Roofing materials, gutters, downspouts, siding, doors, windows, grading, and other accessible exterior components can tell quite a story about how the home has been maintained and what may need attention next.

FOUNDATION AND STRUCTURE
Visible structural components may reveal cracking, movement, deterioration, moisture intrusion, or something else that deserves a closer look.

PLUMBING
Accessible pipes, fixtures, drains, water supply components, and water-heating equipment can be examined for leaks, deterioration, damage, and other concerns.

ELECTRICAL
The inspector may examine accessible service equipment, panels, representative outlets and switches, and visible wiring for conditions that appear unsafe, damaged, or worth further evaluation.

HEATING AND COOLING
Accessible heating and cooling systems are typically examined and, when conditions permit, operated using normal controls. If something isn’t working as expected, an HVAC professional may be the next call.

INTERIOR
Walls, ceilings, floors, stairs, railings, doors, windows, and other accessible components can offer clues about the home’s condition. Some will be simple fixes. Others may lead to more questions—and that’s exactly what you want to discover now rather than later.

ATTIC AND CRAWL SPACE
They’re probably not the spaces that made you fall in love with the house, but they can reveal valuable information about insulation, ventilation, moisture, visible structural components, and other conditions. Specialized testing for things such as radon or mold may be available separately or recommended when appropriate.

Here’s the important part: the inspector isn’t there to give your dream home a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. The report gives you information. Some items may need maintenance. Some may deserve repair. Some may need a specialist. And some may turn out to be much less dramatic than they first sound.

So when the report arrives, don’t panic because it has a lot of pages. Take a look at what actually matters. Depending on your contract and circumstances, you may be able to:

  1. Keep going. You understand the findings, you’re comfortable with them, and you’re ready for the next step.
  2. Ask for repairs. There may be particular items you’d like the seller to address before closing.
  3. Request a credit or other concession. You may prefer to handle certain work yourself after closing, subject to your agreement and any lender requirements or limits.
  4. Talk about the price again. In some situations, new information can lead the parties to renegotiate the purchase price.
  5. Call in an expert. A roofer, plumber, electrician, structural engineer, HVAC professional, or another specialist may be able to tell you more about something the inspector discovered.
  6. Decide this isn’t the one. If your purchase agreement and inspection contingency give you the right to terminate, you may decide that walking away is the right move.

Finding things during an inspection isn’t necessarily bad news. Finding out about them after you’ve moved in? That’s considerably less fun.

I can help you identify qualified inspectors to consider, keep track of the inspection timeline, and work through your options after the report arrives.

You’ve already discovered what you love about the house. The inspection helps you discover the rest—so if you decide to move forward, you can do it with your eyes open and your excitement intact.