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Home Inspections: What you should know

With an offer to purchase a home, it is typical to have a home inspection 5-7 days after an offer is accepted by the seller.
As home buyers of this new home, a professional third party home inspection will give you added confidence making you aware of any issues before closing on your new home.

What Is a Home Inspection?
A home inspection is an objective visual examination of the physical structure and mechanical systems including the roof, exterior, foundation, ceilings, floors, walls, windows and doors. The inspector will verify the mechanics of the appliances, heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing, electrical, look for any visual signs of water issues in the basement and inspect the attic.
The three main points of the inspection are to evaluate the physical condition of the home, identify items in need of repair or replacement, and estimate the remaining useful life of the major systems, equipment, structure and finishes.
The goal of a home inspection is to uncover issues with the home that you may not have seen with touring the home in your visual showing. Inspectors will let you know of the items you may not have seen or known about at your walk through. This will give the buyer confidence of their home purchase.

Hiring an Inspector
To hire an inspector, get recommendations from your Realtor, or from friends and family.
It’s important to be present during the inspection for a few reasons: you can ask the inspector questions during the inspection, the inspector will have the opportunity to point out areas of potential trouble, and many inspectors also will offer maintenance tips as the inspection progresses.
The inspector will produce a detailed report at the end of the inspection categorizing the report by safety/hazardous issues and typical maintenance of items throughout the home.
Making Suggested Repairs
The seller is not required to make any repairs or replacements. However, the buyer can ask for certain repairs to be done in order to move forward with the sale of the home. You enter the negotiating phase again between the buyer and seller on behalf of their Realtor.

Costs and Time Involved
The inspector’s most important priority is accuracy, and accuracy takes time. Your inspection may take between two and five hours. Older homes take longer than newer ones. There are also a variety of areas that may be inspected depending on the home. The typical inspection is the building inspection, radon and termites. If the home warrants it, you would inspect the septic, water (if there is a well), mold, asbestos, and pool.

For further information, go to my Buyer’s Guide which will provide more information.

What Is Your Home Worth?