A home inspection is one of the most important steps when buying a home. Let’s get that fact out of the way.
A home inspection’s main purpose is to educate you and help you make an informed decision about your potential future home.
You might think a home inspection:
The reality is:
You should view the home inspection as a visual analysis of a home and its current condition. A home inspector’s main job is to evaluate the home’s physical structure and mechanical systems & components.
The goal is to educate you on the condition of major systems of the home and minor issues to plan for once you move in.
Home inspections are the best money spent within a real estate transaction. They are a flat out bargain for the knowledge you get.
The national average is around $370 for just a standard home inspection. Large cities this will be higher and smaller towns this could be lower.
Make sure not to skimp on additional services if you’re in certain regions or have special concerns. Add-on inspection types include:
This is a large investment. This is not the area to find the low cost provider – this is very much a “you get what you pay for” type of service.
Shop around and save money on title insurance, your mortgage and other closing costs.
Your real estate agent will most likely have a recommendation or two. These are typically home inspectors they’ve worked with in the past.
Some states they are required to give you 3 companies.
We always recommend you do your due diligence on Realtor recommendations. Google each company name and look for:
This will tell you if they are active in the business and be a valuable resource. (Many home inspectors do a few here and there – you want someone who is full-time. Their online presence typically reflects that)
Your home inspector will likely meet you out front prior to the inspection or ask you to join for the last part of it.
Let your home inspector know ahead of time if you have particular concerns.
Refrain from following your home inspector around asking questions at every turn.
This not only slows them down, but could distract them from doing the best job they can finding issues!
What’s covered in a typical home inspection varies by state.
In general your home inspector will assess the following major areas:
At the end of the inspection, your inspector will give you a general overview of their findings as a verbal summary, or show you visually on their phone/tablet.
They’ll summarize major issues and other areas of concern.
This is your time to ask questions so don’t hold back!
After the verbal summary, a complete home inspection report will be finalized by the home inspector, and sent to you.
This report will have an extensive overview of each section of the home, and will include high-quality photos, videos, notes, & other general information.
In this day and age your home inspector should be delivering you a web-based home inspection report.
This report should include high-def images and maybe even videos.
You can find most home inspector’s sample reports on their website.
With a solid understanding of what to expect, you can focus on the next step of the transaction – negotiating with the seller on what fixes they’ll perform. Or getting “concessions” to lower your purchase price!
Review your home inspection report with your agent to determine what issues you want to ask them to repair or how much is reasonable to ask for.
Spectora inspectors have reports with a built-in Agent Repair Request Builder, which makes it easy for your agent to create a document to send to the seller’s agent.
A home inspection is not to be feared.
It’s a valuable time to learn about the home you’re about to invest in.
The inspection gives you insight that helps you and your agent make informed decisions.
The report also sets your expectations for what homeownership is all about – gradually improving your house to make it a home!