Home Inspections

A home inspection is a good idea and often a requirement when buying or selling a home. For a home buyer, an inspection can possibly save money on repairs while for a home seller, it can help ensure a sale.

A good home inspector will examine a home thoroughly, from top to bottom and inside out. They are generalists who need to know the many components and systems in a home and how they work.

Depending on the size of the home inspected, a home inspection usually takes two to four hours. Below are things you should expect during a home inspection.

1. A home inspector takes note of the age of the home structure, damage and possible damage and also suggests effective solutions to help the house ready for the market.
2. Inspect the home exterior and the building foundation, exterior home walls, roof support structure, roof flashings, coverings and gutters and the garage.
3. The inspector will also inspect the home interior such as the attic, electrical, insulation quality, central heating air and heating system, door, windows, plumbing system, water heaters and appliances.
4. Any crawlspace and the basement will also be inspected.

Since a home inspector will not remove any items although they are obstructing the inspection, thus a seller should remove all items on the windowsill or directly in front of the fireplace and ensures that nothing blocks the electrical panel.

Furthermore, ample space needs to be provided to be able to check out the water heater and the furnace. For a crawl space, make sure to clear the access.

The home inspector will not reset a tripped circuit breaker or a water heater that is turned off. If these have been intentionally done, make sure to leave a note for the inspector.

Home inspectors do not perform any destructive testing and neither do they have X-ray visions, thus you should not expect the reports to include the condition of every single nail in the house, pipe or wire in the home.

His or her primary concern is pointing out safety-related problems or adverse conditions instead of cosmetic or small items, which are considered readily obvious to home buyers.

An inspection is not a code of compliance and the inspector does not inspect unreachable areas in the home. Furthermore, a home buyer should not expect a home inspector's report to serve as a guarantee that the components of the home will never need repair or will never fail at some point later on.

You will receive a report from the home inspector a few days after the home inspection is done. Most often, there will be a summary of the important items discovered. A long list of items discovered is normal, thus, you should not worry about it. This can help you identify in advance what to expect.

Keep in mind that no house is perfect, no matter how grand it is. There is always a solution to every problem. Houses all need regular repair and maintenance every now and then.