When the words “home inspection” are said the first thing that comes to minds is the process of pre-purchase inspections. However, there are different kinds of residential home inspections: maintenance Home inspections, rental properties home inspections, pre-listing home inspections, and many more. In this article, all the concepts and definitions will be related to the most common kind of home inspection, buyers home inspections.
Definition
According to interNACHI, A home inspection is ” A visual examination of the home’s major structure, systems and components that are visible and safely accessible”. There are standards of practice (SOP’s) usually established by state authorities or different professional home inspector assoiations. These standards define what is within the scope of inspections and also what is excluded.
So… What to expect?
After the date and place of the inspection are defined, the first thing you should expect from your home inspector is punctuality. Don’t be surprised if the Inspector is the first person to arrive at the site. Usually, Home Inspectors prefer to have their clients present for better results. Explaining defects and components of the house is done better at the moment of the inspection.
Usually, home inspections start with the exterior of the house. Expect the slope of the soil and water drainage systems to be inspected. After this initial part of the inspection, the inspector will enter the property. A Home Inspector will usually use shoe covers to preserve the house clean. At this moment, all the house systems will be inspected.
The heating system, Air conditioning, Electrical components, attic and general insulation, basement, and foundation are all inside the scope of the home inspection. Even though there are a lot of systems and components that will be inspected in the house, the inspector will only inspect those components that are readily accessible. This means that Home Inspectors usually won’t move around objects inside the house. This is established in the SOPs. Liability and other issues are considered.
You should ask questions. At the end of the day, the reason the home inspector is.
We go above and beyond…
At Valuable Home Inspections, we have a goal: we went to bring peace of mind to those buyers who, in most cases, are planning on making an important investment. Our objective is to provide information of great value to our clients so they can make an informed decision. Because of this, we include a free infrared inspection of the property. This tool will provide more information about the house’s condition to the Home Inspector and, ultimately, the clients.
After the inspection is done
Usually within 24 hours after the inspection is performed. A Report is handed to you, this is a very important document because it summarizes the inspection day. In the report, you will find all the important aspects of the home including those systems and components that need attention.
Conclusion
In short. A home inspection is a visual examination of the home’s major structure, systems, and components that are visible and safely accessible. On the day of the inspection, you should expect the home inspector to be there earlier, possibly before everybody else involved in the deal. You should follow the inspector during the process and ask questions, this is a very important part of the inspection. Shortly after the inspection (usually within 24 hours) you should expect a document, the inspection report, which summarizes the condition of the systems and components of the home and highlights those elements that need attention or correction. At Valuable home inspections, we use tools and provide services that most inspectors don’t use, this is because we want to provide the best service with one goal in our minds: Bring you peace of mind in this important decision you will make.