Most homebuyers are told they need a home inspection as part of the home buying process. Okay, makes sense. A home inspection is integral for you to see the function and working of the home you are potentially buying. Seems pretty straightforward and easy to know what an inspection is. It's in the name of the service, “home inspection”. But, what should you expect from a home inspection? Well, that's not so straightforward.
Each inspector can offer different experiences. Home inspectors can offer just the home inspection or multiple additional services, like Radon, water quality, mold testing, sewer scopes, etc…. In addition to the Home inspection. Not every home needs each one of those services. Talking with your inspector to see what, if any of those services may be needed is key. Use their knowledge of the area and style of home to make sure you are covering yourself from potential issues down the road. Each inspector may use different reporting software. They can use different language in how they report their findings of the home inspection. Some may take more time to perform the home inspection than others. There are alot of factors that come into play.
What I can attest to is what you can expect from an HHI Home Inspection.
A home inspection usually can take 2-3 hours but the size of the home is really the deciding factor in that. A 5000 sq ft home will take more time to inspect than a 1200 sq ft bungalow. Also if you add on ancillary services like water quality, Radon, mold testing, etc.. those can all add on time.
We prefer that you be present during the home inspection. We can point out any defects, there seriousness and who to contact for repair. A home inspection does not cover cosmetic issues like scrapes or marks on the wall. The home inspection visual inspection of the home's roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and a lot more. Here is an infographic that shows in depth what's included in a home inspection:
This information is delivered to you after the inspection in a digital report. Some inspectors still use the old school paper or PDF report. These old style forms are hard to convey any issues we find. Images and video make things so much easier to understand. It may have made sense during the inspection, but when you go back to the report several weeks or maybe months later, that image of video will be self explanatory. No guessing or trying to remember what we talked about. With the technology available today, we think that using up to date, easy to read and understand software is a no brainer. You can check out an example report here. We deliver this report within 24 hours of completing the inspection. This short window helps to keep things moving in your home buying journey.
When you hire an inspector you want to know that they have your back. They are here to work for you. Not your realtor or any other party. We will provide you with the facts of the home and anything that needs to be addressed. This allows you to make an informed decision on how you want to move forward. A good home inspector should be knowledgeable about the inspection princess but also a good communicator. What good does it do you if he tells you there is an electrical issue but can convey why it's an issue or how serious it is? You need to be able to understand the findings. You are the one who will be living there. That is why we focus so much on great communication leading up to the inspection, during and afterward.
Once you get the report, our “job” is done but we love staying in contact with our clients even after they have purchased the home. We can be a resource for you and we are happy to help. If you have any questions about the home inspection process we are here to help. Please reach out anytime.
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