What to Expect from a Home Inspection
The big day is finally here! You’ve come out of attorney review and found yourself a home inspector! So now what? At Remedy Inspections, we field a few questions from our clients who are unfamiliar with what to expect from a home inspection. What’s the point of a home inspection, anyways? Why am I paying all this money to have someone walk around a house for? What are home inspectors even looking for? Will the home inspector tell me not to buy the house? Should I even go to the inspection?
If you found yourself asking any of the questions above, don’t worry we’re here to help! Our goal is to clarify the whole process so you’ll know what to expect on inspection day!
Your Home Inspector is Your Advocate
That’s right - your home inspector is your advocate and they have a duty to ensure you know everything about the home. Their job is to provide a non-destructive inspection that’s outlined in their scope of work. What’s this even mean? Basically, it means a home inspector will look for and point out reasonable issues throughout the home. The inspector will not break through walls, peel back carpeting, or flood the bathroom (like you might see on social media) to avoid damaging the home.
They’re there to help their clients make an informed decision regarding the home they want to buy. Before you commit yourself to a home inspector make sure to ask what their scope and purpose of work are during an inspection. At Remedy Inspections, we outline all of this information online.
The Cost of a Home Inspection
The cost of a home inspection varies from home-to-home. They can range anywhere from $350 to $600 or higher depending on how large the home is, how many systems the home has, and whether or not there are other freestanding structures on the property. While it may seem pricey, the cost of a home inspection is considerably lower than uncovering costly repairs down the road.
As you can tell there are a lot of variables that come into the pricing of a home inspection. Click here to view the pricing information for Remedy Inspections.
Should I go to a Home Inspection?
The short answer is yes! Attending a home inspection is highly recommended as it’s the only other time, besides the home’s open house, that you can intimately get a good look of the home. Make sure to block out, about 2 to 4 hours, in your calendar as this will allow you to ask questions and debrief with your home inspector. We recommend keeping the number of who attends relatively low, 1 or 2 people max (not including your realtor), as anything more becomes a distraction to the home-buyer and the inspector.
The Home Inspection Process
During a home inspection, your home inspector will start taking notes on what they see in each room of the home. At a minimum, your home inspector should be taking at least 2 hours, sometimes more depending on the complexity and size, to inspect your potential home. Anything less should raise a red flag and cause concern on whether details of the home were inspected, noted, and photographed. Your home inspector should be checking the structure, mechanical systems (heating and A/C), roof, and rooms from top to bottom.
Home inspectors don’t care much for aesthetics but they are looking for signs of possible issues and safety concerns. For example, a bedroom might be painted in the ugliest blue you’ve ever seen, but your home inspector is looking for possible damage, like water or cracks in the wall that might be signs of an underlying issue.
You might notice the home inspector turning on water faucets, the home’s stove, or opening the garage doors. They’re checking to make sure major systems and appliances are functioning. You’ll notice the home inspector plugging an electronic device, known as a voltage meter, in electrical outlets. This is to ensure the home’s electrical is functioning. Your home inspector will also pop into the attic or under the crawlspace looking for anything there too.
After inspecting a home, the job isn’t done until the home inspection report is created and delivered. If the home had additional testing done using a lab - these will also factor into the completion of a home inspection. Even still the job isn’t done until your home inspector helps interpret the report and answer any questions that may arise. Nobody wants to be ghosted before closing on a home and Remedy Inspections will be by your side!
The Home Inspection Report
The home inspection report is a comprehensive document that outlines the home. While it may seem daunting at first because of the amount of pages; a good home inspection report will be well-organized and easy to navigate. Potential home-buyers should review the home inspection report for critical information like recommended repairs, safety concerns, and replacements.
The home inspection report will not recommend whether or not to purchase the home. It is to assist the home-buyer in decision-making and allow them to walk into real estate negotiations with confidence. Remedy Inspections includes a sample home inspection report online to show potential clients how our reports look and how they’re structured. When hiring a home inspector make sure you see a sample report and ask how quickly a report can be generated.
Wrapping it Up
We hope you found this article helpful in demystifying what to expect from a home inspection. You’re now armed with the knowledge on what your home inspection should cost, how long a home inspection should take, what home inspectors are looking at, and have an idea of what a home inspection report should have. If you find yourself in doubt or feel as though a red flag was raised; trust in your gut and find a reputable and certified home inspector.
At Remedy Inspections, we offer comprehensive home inspections with detailed reports that help our clients make a more informed decision about a potential home. Our home inspection reports are delivered within 12 hours of the home inspection as not to delay real estate transactions. Photos are taken with a high resolution camera for all images, including our aerial drone, and a part of your home inspection report. All home inspections are done by a licensed, certified, and insured home inspector.
If you’re looking for a home inspector - Remedy Inspections can be reached by phone at (908) 210-5816 or request form.