Worry Less With a Quality Home Inspection
There’s a wonderful moment when you realize you’ve found a home you could really see yourself living in. And then, almost immediately, another thought tends to follow: I hope there isn’t something I’m missing.
That’s one of the reasons a professional home inspection matters so much. You’ve already seen the rooms, the finishes, the backyard, and all the things that made you want the home. Now you have an opportunity to learn more about the parts that aren’t as easy to see—and to understand the home a little better before you make it yours.
If your purchase agreement includes an inspection contingency, it will generally give you a specified period of time to complete the inspection and respond to what you learn according to the terms of your contract. Those timelines and options vary, so I’ll help you understand what applies to your particular purchase.
And although buyers sometimes confuse the two, a home inspection isn’t the same as an appraisal. An appraisal primarily helps the lender evaluate the property’s value for lending purposes. The inspection is for you. In most transactions, you select and pay the inspector because you’re the one who needs to understand the home you’re buying.
Home-inspector licensing and qualification requirements vary by state, so it’s worth asking about experience, training, credentials, and the standards an inspector follows. 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
The roof, gutters, siding, windows, doors, grading, and other accessible exterior components can provide useful clues about the home’s condition and the maintenance or repairs that may be ahead.
FOUNDATION AND STRUCTURE
Visible structural components may show cracking, movement, deterioration, moisture intrusion, or other conditions worth understanding before you move forward.
PLUMBING
Accessible pipes, fixtures, drains, water supply components, and water-heating equipment may be checked for leaks, damage, deterioration, or other concerns.
ELECTRICAL
The inspector may examine accessible electrical service equipment, panels, representative outlets and switches, and visible wiring and note anything that appears unsafe or deserves additional evaluation.
HEATING AND COOLING
Accessible heating and cooling equipment can be examined and, when conditions permit, operated using normal controls. If there’s a concern, the inspector may suggest having an HVAC professional take a closer look.
INTERIOR
Walls, ceilings, floors, stairs, railings, doors, windows, and other accessible areas may reveal anything from ordinary wear and maintenance needs to something that deserves more investigation.
ATTIC AND CRAWL SPACE
You may never show these spaces off to your friends, but they can tell you quite a bit about a home. When accessible, an inspector may observe insulation, ventilation, moisture, visible structural components, and other conditions. Specialized testing for concerns such as radon or mold may be separate or recommended when appropriate.
When the inspection report arrives, remember something important: your inspector isn’t deciding whether you should love the house. The inspector is giving you information about it. Some findings may be small maintenance items. Others may need attention sooner. And occasionally, something may deserve a specialist’s opinion before you decide what you’re comfortable doing.
You don’t have to look at a long report and immediately wonder whether you’ve chosen the wrong home. Instead, take the findings one at a time. Depending on your contract and circumstances, you may decide to:
- Accept what you’ve learned and move forward. You may feel completely comfortable taking care of certain items once the home is yours.
- Ask the seller to make certain repairs. There may be particular concerns you’d like addressed before closing.
- Request a credit or other concession. Sometimes you’d rather have control over how a repair is handled after closing, subject to your agreement and any lender requirements or limits.
- Renegotiate the purchase price. Depending on what was discovered, the parties may agree that an adjustment makes sense.
- Ask someone who specializes in the issue. A roofer, electrician, plumber, structural engineer, HVAC professional, or another specialist may give you the additional information you need to feel comfortable with your decision.
- Decide you’re no longer comfortable moving forward. If your purchase agreement and inspection contingency provide a right to terminate, there may be times when stepping away is the decision that feels right.
I’ll help you identify qualified inspectors to consider, keep track of the inspection timeline, and talk through what the findings may mean for your purchase. If something needs another professional’s expertise, I’ll help you understand that too.
Most of all, I don’t want an inspection report to turn a home you love into a list of things to fear. I want it to help you understand the home well enough to decide what you’re comfortable accepting—and what you’re not.
You already know what made you fall in love with the house. The inspection helps you get to know it a little better. And if you still love it once you know more about it, that’s a much better place from which to call it home.
