Home Inspections

Home inspection really should be welcomed and not feared. Just because the law requires inspection does not mean it should be dreaded. You can have an inspection for several reasons. There are various kinds of home inspections: Buyers home inspection, where inspection is performed before the ratification of contract; Sellers home inspection that protects the seller's liability as well as probable problems that might clog up the contract process; and the New home inspection that speaks for itself. During this time many other kinds of inspection can take place in a new home - from the dry wall inspection to the footing inspection.

Inspection occurs from the roof of the house to the basement. Most inspections are done visually on accessible areas - inspectors report only what they see. Inspection includes six major systems - the roof, the plumbing, interior, exterior, electrical, heating, air conditioning and appliances - and nearly 400 components. The inspection takes between two and three hours to complete.

Inspectors will make a report on their present condition, any nonfunctional item or health and safety concern and typically photographed that is digitally attached to the report together with a brief summary explaining the condition of that component.

How much are you expected to pay for a home inspection? It depends on the size of the home and the scope of the job being carried out. Expect to pay about the half of a mortgage payment for an inspection. So if your mortgage payment costs $1,000, expect to pay half of that amount. The bigger the house, the larger the mortgage. Therefore, expect a higher inspection fee.

Visual inspection is not technically an exhaustive examination. When inspectors find something of concern such as health issues during inspection, the owner will be informed of this and be walked through it.

Inspectors are expected to answer any questions from the homeowner as well as questions. They should be able to finish the report by the end of business the same day the inspection was held. Before the inspector begins his inspection, ask how he will conduct the inspection. If he cannot articulate what the job will be, there is a chance that he may not be able to accomplish it. Also, ask how many inspections or his experience is. The longer his experience the better. And lastly, ask him of any complaints he has gotten during his career and how well did he handle that. If he can demonstrate all these inquiries that show how well he can do the inspection for you.

However, home inspectors are not expected to check particular inspection like what termite inspectors would do. They will inform you of things buyers or sellers or homeowners need to be aware of and not more. If they find anything of concern, they will recommend or refer that to a specific inspector.

Remember, a seller can have the house inspected, but the buyer can bring his own inspector, too. So it is recommended to have the seller conduct the first inspection before the buyer does it for him.