Home Inspection
What Is a Home Inspector?
A home inspector is a trained professional who comes to your home for the purposes of performing an inspection on all the major systems and components of your home. An inspector's trained eye allows them to file an honest, objective opinion as to the overall condition of the house. Everything from the foundation to the heating, plumbing, and interior structure is inspected. Some possible reasons a home inspection would be ordered include:
- The home is under consideration for purchase and a professional’s opinion as to its condition is desired before a commitment is made.
- The homeowner is interested in purchasing a home warranty and an inspection is required by the insurer.
- The homeowner is simply interested in knowing the condition of the house.
The process of home inspection is roughly analogous to that of an auto mechanic inspecting a used car. No one would buy a used car without paying a mechanic to peek under the hood and determine the car’s mechanical condition. Likewise, it would be foolish to buy a used home without first knowing what kind of a nightmare...or, aaah dream home...one is buying.
A home is the largest single purchase most people make in their lifetimes. It only makes sense to be as knowledgeable as possible about the purchase before the papers are signed.
The Most Commonly Asked Home Buyers' Questions and Answers
The real estate sales market has toned down dramatically
since the 80’s, yet now in the mid 90s there are
clear sign of renewed home buyer activity and care in
the purchase of homes.
Home inspectors have reported a significant pick-up in pre-purchase inspection, according to the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), the most respected national organization of independent home inspectors….
What are the most common house problems buyers can expect to find?
In homes 20 years and older, ASHI experts say that roof shingles, electrical wiring, and surface water drainage systems are the items most commonly cited on inspection reports as needing repair or modification.
In new construction, inspectors frequently find water seepage into basement/cellar or crawl space, inadequate attic ventilation, poor roof construction, and substandard masonry and finish work.
Are there any environmental hazards present in the home?
In response to a growing awareness of the dangers posed by certain substances, such as radon gas, asbestos fiber, and urea formaldehyde foam insulation, many consumers are paying extra to have special tests performed to make sure their new home doesn’t pose a health hazard to them and their family. Although a standard ASHI home inspection does not include environmental items, many home inspectors offer environmental assessment as an optional service, or recommend further evaluation.
What is the difference between a home inspection and an engineering inspection?
Which is appropriate for the home buyer?
Considerable confusion surrounds this question, particularly since in some areas, home inspections have been inadvertently referred to as engineering inspections or evaluations, and engineers sometimes perform home inspections. But the two, according to home inspection and engineering authorities, are actually quite different.
Engineering evaluations are usually specialized by discipline (such as chemical, structural, electrical) and involve exhaustive scientific measurements and calculations for confirm the design of the systems. Home inspections, on the other hand, tell buyers what they really need to know: “What is the condition of the home today?." The home inspection, performed by a professional engineer (P.E.) or a non-engineer professional inspector does not involve engineering analysis of the original design, but deals instead with the in-service operation or failure of a home’s systems and components, as well as the type of maintenance that has been and should be performed. It is based on established criteria of performance and training specific to the home inspection profession.
How does one know who is qualified to conduct home inspections?
State agencies, which are typically responsible for regulating professional activity, have not undertaken to license home inspectors, except in Texas. Home buyers must therefore carefully review an inspector’s background and credentials to determine if he has the appropriate training and professional ethics to perform home inspections.
Home Inspection: Before or After Your Offer?
Which is better: to have the home inspected before you make an offer, or after? Most commonly, you will order an inspection after you know that your offer is acceptable to the seller. If the price you are prepared to pay seems to have no chance of buying the home, paying for an inspection ($250 - 350) is a waste of money. That’s the conventional thinking and it usually is sound.
However, homebuying is a flexible undertaking and much
is dictated by the particular circumstance in which you
find yourself. It isn’t always best to leave your
professional home inspection until your offer has been
accepted. You could have it carried out between
offers, while the negotiation is still in progress. Perhaps
before you make your second, third, or final offer when
it can be the catalyst in making the deal. Naturally,
any offer you make before the inspection will carry a
contingency clause stating that you will go through with
the deal only if the results are satisfactory to you.
A later inspection can sometimes give you even greater advantage than an early one. Let’s say you have reached agreement with the seller. You have negotiated well and have won a good reduction in the selling price. The seller’s anticipation is heightened. He sees the deal as a done thing. He is glad the whole process is over. Then, if the inspection reveals problems, it is much harder for him to back out. He is far more likely to agree to a lower sale price or, at least, pay for the repairs or replacements that are needed.
If you are a first time buyer or new to negotiating, it is probably better to negotiate a price first. Then, have an inspection carried out and try to get the seller to pay for any work you consider necessary or to agree to a lower price.
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