What to Expect from a Home Inspection

If you have ever purchased a home before, more likely than not, you had a home inspection done. A home inspection is a major requirement that needs to be done before your home actually makes it to the closing table. The main purpose of a home inspection is to ensure the potential buyer that the home is in a livable condition, with no major structural defects. In some situations, the seller as a measure of good faith, may initiate the home inspection. This often allows the buyer to feel more confident about the overall condition of the home.

A home inspection is very vital, because it alerts the potential homebuyer to any potential problems that may exist in the home. If a problem is found, they will have more than sufficient time to remedy the situation. This is very beneficial, because many buyers are emotional when they are in the process of purchasing a new home, and they want to make sure that they're moving into a property that he is free from worries.

Many expectant home sellers are also having home inspections done before they even go to a Realtor to have their home listed. This gives them an opportunity to honestly evaluate the condition of their home, although any problem with that all known about by the seller should be noted in the property disclosure. This also enables them to know firsthand about any possible defects in the home that may need to be addressed. If they are alerted to any problems, they can opt to fix the problems themselves, or have an expert come in to take care of the issue.

What are the fees for a home inspection?

In most States, home inspections are done by a Professional Real Estate Appraiser, and depending upon the size of the home, it could take several hours, or no more than a day to complete the inspection. In addition to the on-site work that has to be completed, the appraiser will also have to spend additional time completing write-in the finished report, which may add another couple of hours to the job. Therefore, the average fee for this service we usually range between $200-$500.

A home inspection will generally cover all of the existing systems in the home such as plumbing, drainage, air conditioning, heating, electrical and the roofing. Many times the inspector will also check the condition of any appliances in the home to ascertain their condition as well. The inspector will also make a determination as to whether there is a potential threat from the presence of termites, or other pests in the home as well.

Most home inspectors will also choose to look at the exterior paint, interior paint, gutters, as well as the flooring while he is checking out everything else in the house. In addition to these items, the inspector will also check the property layout, walls and ceilings, ventilation in the floors, windows, doors, closets and fireplaces as well.

Once the appraiser has finished the inspection report, you should then be given a chance to estimate the necessary costs required to bring the home up to date. After you have all of the necessary information, you should then be able to make a decision as to whether or not the property is a sound investment. You may choose to review the findings with the inspector himself, as this will allow you to understand the positives as well as the negatives from his results.