Home inspections are crucial in real estate transactions. They determine whether a home is worth to be listed or not. If you’re selling your property, you might want to take home inspections seriously so you don’t kill a potential sale.
What is a home inspection?
A home inspection is a service that house buyers employ to ensure that the property they are considering buying is worth every penny they are paying. Inspectors come to the property and do observations to look for health, safety, and mechanical issues that fall below the state’s standards.
When should it be done?
Home inspections come in two types: the buyer’s home inspection and the seller’s (also known as pre-listing inspection).
A buyer’s inspection takes place after the buyer has made an offer and before closing. This allows a buyer to renegotiate if some defects and inefficiencies are found.
A pre-listing inspection is one that sellers take to help them identify which areas of the house need to be addressed immediately before they put it up for listing.
What happens when a home inspection takes place?
Typically, home inspections last only a few hours The inspector goes around the entire property, from top to bottom, from the inside-out, and looks for potential hazards and defects that could affect the health and safety of the occupants
Inspectors look for critical structural and mechanical issues, not aesthetic and cosmetic concerns.
They then submit their report which takes 3 to 4 days to process.
What do home inspectors look for?
Typically, home inspectors keep an eye out for the following:
- Water damage
- Structural integrity
- Roof issues
- Electrical System
- Plumbing concerns
- Pest infestations
- HVAC system
Based on these seven categories, a home inspector goes through a thorough list of things to check. They look for the things that could affect the health and safety of the property’s occupants.
They look for essential defects and disregard any cosmetic or aesthetic flaw. For instance, they won’t pay attention to peeling wallpaper or paint but if the wall has a deep crack, then you can be sure that it will be reported.
How do you prepare for a home inspection?
If your home is scheduled for a home inspection, make sure to prepare for it well in advance to avoid any blemishes on the report.
- Keep all the receipts of any maintenance or service work done on the property.
- Declutter your basement and crawl spaces to give inspectors easy access.
- Make sure the water heater, furnace, and electric panels are also easily accessible.
- Ensure all lighting fixtures are working properly, otherwise, it could be indicative of electrical problems.
- Check your sinks and drainage for clogs or any plumbing issues that might warrant a trenchless sewer repair or an extra plumbing service.
- Replace your HVAC filters.
- Fix cracks in windows or torn screens.
- Get rid of bugs and other pests by using bug spray or calling in professional exterminators.
- Cap chimneys and unused gas lines to prevent toxic fumes from coming into the house and avoid debris and clogs.
Home inspections are a necessity whenever a transaction is about to take place. It is not an inconvenience to deal with but rather a necessity to give everyone involved in the deal peace of mind.
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