What to Expect in a Home Inspection
When buying or selling a home, getting the house inspected by a professional is an essential step to ensure the condition of the property.
A home inspection is a comprehensive assessment conducted by a licensed professional to evaluate the overall condition of a property, identifying potential issues that could affect its safety, functionality, and value.
Most often, the inspection is paid for by the potential buyer once you are under contract. Occasionally a seller may be interested in their own report to inform decisions on how or what to improve.
Costs for a home inspection are based on square footage, typically running between $300-$1000.
Once under contract, the buyer will schedule a home inspection.
This is one step in the process of buying a home and allows you to make an informed decision on the home prior to closing.
As a buyer’s agent, I will be at the house with the inspector (and the buyer is encouraged to attend as well) to ensure we are evaluating everything and having all questions answered prior to moving forward with the sale.
Inspections typically last between 2-4 hours depending on the size of the home. I will work with you to find a reputable, insured and licensed home inspector to ensure you have the best possible report.
The inspector is looking for major safety issues like structural problems, fire risk, water damage or roof concerns. The inspector will also test lights, faucets, electrical components, etc. However, this is not a time to be concerned about paint colors or furniture…
What is included in a home inspection?
Foundation of the House: interior and exterior, looking for cracks, damage or water concerns.
Roof: Damage, cracks, water concerns.
Attic Space: Looking for roof issues, water damage and insulation
Basement: Same as foundation, concerns with structural and water
Exterior of the Home: Driveway, landscaping, water drainage, house siding
Windows: Condition, damages, water concerns
Electrical: Outlets, electrical panel, wiring
Plumbing: Showers, sinks, toilets
Heating and cooling systems: HVAC, heaters, air conditioning
Major appliances: Dishwashers, washing machines, etc.
What is NOT included?
While a home inspector will evaluate most everything in your home, there are some things that they do not cover and some that are optional, and often done by a different professional.
Optional (for an additional cost):
Septic evaluation/cleaning
Water well and pump evaluation
Sewer Scope/cleanout
Radon Test: A naturally occurring, radioactive gas that has no color, odor, or taste that comes through basement foundation cracks and soil
Test for termites, carpenter ants and rodents
Mold evaluation
Asbestos evaluation
Lead paint evaluation
I will help you determine what you may or may not need in addition to the general inspection.
What happens once the inspection is done?
Once the inspector is done and they return the report, we then walk through the inspection together. We look for areas of the house that we know of, and some that may be a surprise. We determine, together, what we want to address with the seller and what we can leave alone for the time being.
What we consider an issue to address we can take back to the seller and ask them to:
Fix the issue in their own time and with their own money
Apply a credit to the sale transaction that allows funding to fix the problem after closing
Decrease the price of the home sale to cover the cost of needed repairs
Walk away from the deal because the findings of the home inspection were too risky for you to move forward with the sale
The best benefit of the inspection report is knowledge of the home. We may or may not address everything with the seller.
All Set!
Once the buyer and seller agree on the condition of the home and what we will address through the sales process, we can move forward with the next steps in the buying process and complete the sale to own your dream mountain home!
Let me help you through this process - you don’t have to do it alone!