The home buying process isn’t complete without a home inspection. Your real estate agent will mention it. The lender will ask about it. Even your closer will make sure the home you’re purchasing had an inspection.
Home inspections are important. No matter how much you trust the seller, there are some things you need to know about your home before you purchase it. While you’re not required to attend the inspection, it’s an excellent idea to do so.
So you’ll know what to expect, here are the basics that a typical home inspection covers:
- Appliances. You will know if the appliances are in working order.
- Electrical. The inspector makes sure the main panel, circuit breakers, lights, and outlets are working.
- Exterior. An inspector looks for defects on the outside of the home, like problems with the wall covering, landscaping, trim, and exterior electrical outlets.
- Garage. You don’t have to worry about what the garage is hiding. You will know if the slab, walls, vents, and entries have any problems that need to be addressed.
- Home structure. The inspector checks the foundation, ceilings, floors, roof, and wall construction for any defects.
- Plumbing inspection. Although inspectors do not check sewer systems, they can tell you if you need to do any work to toilets, showers, sinks, and faucets.
- Roof and attic. The roof inspection is not a guarantee of its condition, but you will know what type of roof you have and what condition the roof covering, flashing, vents, and gutters are in.
- Systems. They will also check the effectiveness of your air conditioner, duct work, fireplace, and heating system.
A quality home inspector will look at every nook and cranny to gauge structure stability, present and potential dangers. But remember, a home inspection is not a guarantee or a warranty – it may not find everything.
No house is perfect, so you should expect your inspector to find some issues with the home. If significant problems are discovered, you can ask the seller to repair them, reduce the sale price or you can even back out of the deal without consequences, as long as your contract includes this contingency.
Let us help you find the right home for you. Call us today at 888.964.4070 for more information about home buying