Do You Need A Home Inspection?
More than four out of five home buyers in the United States today are choosing to have home inspections completed. The reason being is very simple: It provides great peace of mind. Most buyers couldn't imagine moving into a property without knowing how it has been maintained or what problems may need to be looked into. If you fit into this category, you may have some questions about the process of working with a home inspector.
A home inspector will walk through the property in full, checking the inside, outside, crawlspace, roof, basement, and every inch in between. It is the job of the home inspector to help home buyers make an informed decision about the property they are interested in. As a buyer, you should make your offer contingent on home inspection to ensure that you have the chance to send your inspector in before committing to purchasing the home. This contingency is more and more common today, and something that most agents have grown used to seeing.
You are welcomed to walk through the property with your inspector, keeping in mind that they can take anywhere from a few hours to an entire day to complete. Your home inspector should be thoroughly checking all appliances, heating system, cooling system, electrical aspects, the plumbing system, and more to make sure that things are running smoothly. They should also look into the insulation quality, go into the garage, inspect the water heater, and pay attention to all of the other accessible details inside the home.
The number one thing to keep in mind is that a home inspector is just a general inspector. This means they will be walking through the home to take a snapshot of its general overall condition. This means they won't be able to spot all the specialty problems that could be within the home. For instance, they won't be able to access inside the well or septic tank, meaning they can't check for problems inside of these areas.
If your inspector raises concern about something that is outside of their area of expertise, it's worth reaching out to a specialist to have that problem inspected more in-depth. It's your home inspector's job to make sure that the home you are purchasing is safe and ready to move in. Take any advice they give you about potential problems or areas that need further review prior to purchasing.
Remember, while it can be disappointing for your home inspector to bring up problems, they can save you a great deal of money and time in the long-run. Their advice will help ensure that you make a good purchasing decision, and if they happen to find something wrong, you can use that information to renegotiate the price with the seller before putting any money down. If the inspection raises big flags, you can back out of the deal all together knowing that you made an informed decision.
The Author Adam Clark is the owner and operator of Shield Guard Home Inspections. Adam Clark is a local Home Inspector located in Albany NY that has performed over 6000 Inspections
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