What to expect for your home inspection
Congrats! You’re under contract and just booked your home inspection!
Now what?
Make sure you’re prepared for inspection day by following these tips.
Know What Your Inspector Is Looking At
Your home inspection is a visual and non-invasive inspection of the home. Your inspector will be looking at the parts of the home that are readily visible and available.
Your inspector will be looking at:
The visible structure, including the foundation, walls, and attic structure if accessible. Your inspector won’t tear into walls, but there are often signs of structural issues that are visible from the wall covering.
All mechanical components of your home. Your inspector will inspect and determine the age, lifespan, and capacity of your water heater, furnace, and air conditioner.
The roof. While your inspector may choose to not walk the roof out of concern for safety, he will certainly look at it from the ground or on a ladder at the eves. Both of these locations can give the inspector clues of potential issues with the roof.
Electrical systems. Your inspector will look at the visible parts of your electrical system, including the fuse or breaker box, service entrance, and all branch wiring. He will also test all of the readily accessible outlets to ensure that they are wired correctly and that GFCI outlets are functioning properly.
Exterior. Your inspector will evaluate the exterior of your physical home, as well as landscape concerns that could negatively impact your home. This includes your siding, eves, exterior electric, plumbing, or lighting fixtures, gutters, downspouts, etc. Landscape items include vegetation too close to the home, trees too close or overhanging the home, incorrect grading that could be directing water towards your foundation, etc.
Interior. Your inspector will go over your interior with a fine tooth comb, pointing out issues with walls, ceilings, or floors.
Plumbing. Your inspector will look at all of the readily visible plumbing, including distribution and waste piping, fixtures, functional flow, proper drainage, etc. He will also perform a pressure and hot water temp test if possible. Also, if possible, he will determine if the home is on public or private utility.
This is just the very basics of what your inspector will look at as he walks, crawls, and climbs around your home. His goal is to ensure the home is working properly and safely, as well as making sure you are aware of issues that could arise soon.
Your inspection is not exhaustive. It is impossible for any inspector to certify with 100% certainty that an issue will not arise in your home after you purchase it without completely gutting and reassembling your home. But your inspection is a good first step to preparing for your future as a homeowner!
REFRESH ON THE BASICS
Many things that will come up during your inspection are things that come up during most inspections! Out goal as your home inspector is to find everything that we can that pertains to your home. Some things are in need of immediate repair, and other things are probably not a big deal, but simply something to be aware of. There is not such thing as a perfect home. Therefore, there is certainly no need to panic if the report is large or if the issues seem daunting. We encourage you to look at the report with your realtor and determine the best course of action that meets your goals with this real estate transaction.
Remember that a home inspection is a visual, non-comprehensive evaluation of the home. A home inspector is a generalist, much like your general practitioner who refers your healthcare to specialists when needed. It won’t catch everything and you decide to hire specialists for further evaluation of major systems like HVAC, electrical or plumbing.
Home inspections are also not pass/fail or code inspections.
INSPECTION ETIQUETTE
At Open Door, we truly do have an OPEN DOOR policy with questions and concerns. We encourage you to follow along and ask questions if you see them. Your inspector will also fill you in on the general condition of certain items as he inspects.
You also have the option to show up at anytime within the 2.5 hour block and your inspector will catch you up or go through the property with you at the end. Furthermore, if you can’t make it to your inspection, your inspector would be happy to schedule a call or video meeting to go over your report.
We really encourage you to reconsider bringing a large amount of people with you to your inspection. Your inspector’s focus needs to be entirely on your home as he completes his inspection. And while questions and concerns from one or two people is acceptable, having a lot of people at the property could be fairly distracting. To ensure that you have the best inspection possible, we recommend that only you and one other person come along.
Also remember that you still don’t technically own the home. This means that neither you or the inspector should be moving furniture, touching personal belongings or otherwise doing things you wouldn’t want a stranger doing in your home. So while we’re at the home for your inspection, it is crucial that we remain focused on the inspection itself.
And lastly, while we encourage you to follow your inspector throughout the home, we cannot allow you to follow us up ladders or into crawlspaces, attics, etc. These tools and areas could pose a hazard and out #1 job is to make sure everyone stays safe.
FINAL NOTES
Thank you so much again for choosing Open Door Inspection Company to be your home inspector. We are here for you, and will continue to be here for you for as long as you own the home. Remember that your inspection is a critical stop in the journey of purchasing your home. It is a great way to get informed about the condition of the home. However, always remember that it is NOT TECHNICALLY EXHAUSTIVE. A home inspection will not and can not see everything that could be going on in your home. So it’s always important to stay vigilant even after your inspection, and noting any changes that you may see to the home.
Congratulations on your purchase! We look forward to inspecting your new home!