What To Expect From A Home Inspection

You’ve found the house! Finally… after dreaming, budgeting, and looking online and in person, you are ready to put a bid on a house. Then you realize, finding the house is only the beginning. The bid is accepted and the process begins… now your realtor mentions a home inspection.

So what is a home inspection and why are they important?

A home inspection covers what can be readily seen and tested in a home.

This means is that a home inspector reviews a home and it’s mechanical and structural components. They tests systems, inspect all areas they can physically reach in order to find areas that need updating, maintenance, or repair. For example, you may need a roof repair. Or you may need to budget for roof replacement in a few years. There may be electrical outlets that aren’t properly installed or windows that do not open. Sometimes issues are found that may be too costly to repair when considering the price of the home. Sometimes everything just works, although every house needs just a little bit more caulking. It’s true. Ok, so 1% of houses have been caulked so well that they don’t need more, but otherwise your house needs caulk.

Home inspectors are not specialists like an electrician or plumber. They are looking over the entire function of a home and are trained to see warning signs of damage that need repair or maintenance. In most cases, inspectors are able to tell new home owners how to address these issues. Often times this entails scheduling a licensed professional who can better evaluate and estimate repair costs. These professionals will dig deeper into an issue which sometimes uncovers larger issues or discover previous work or repairs.

For example, a plumber may remove drywall to gain access to a pipe and then discover old plumbing, damage, or even a repaired line. This type of discovery is outside of the scope of a home inspector’s inspection. While inspectors study principles of electricity, carpentry, plumbing, etc. for inspections, our reports show deficiencies or problems found.

We can however test the plumbing fixtures, review the plumbing type, look for leaks throughout the house, and advise on the materials used or issues found in normal usage of the plumbing system. Does the toilet keep running? The hot and cold water are reversed? Drip under the kitchen sink? Water damage under the bathtub in the crawlspace? Does the dishwasher work? Is the plumbing under the sink installed properly? Testing a spot on the wall for moisture content? We got you covered.

The goal of a home inspection is to give you an overall picture of the health of a house. This creates an understanding of what maintenance has been done over time, what maintenance will need to be done in the future, and what should be addressed before moving forward in a transaction. Any home purchase is the start of a relationship with a structure that needs attention, maintenance, and investment. Knowing where to start is a great way to hit the ground running so that you can enjoy your new home!