Protect Your Investment with a Home Inspection
By Andrea Eldert
A home inspection is just one piece of the home-buying process. But it is an important piece. Home inspections offer a protection for prospective home-buyers. It helps them see what problems a home has. If home-buying or home-selling is in your future, you may be curious about exactly what you can expect from a home inspection.
Home Inspection Basics
As noted above, home inspections exist mostly to protect home-buyers. Nobody wants to buy a house and then find out 6 months later that it has major structural issues. While a home inspection does not guarantee that this won’t happen, it certainly does lessen the likelihood. A home inspection arms the buyer with better knowledge about the true condition of the house. With this knowledge, you can make an informed decision about whether you really want to purchase the home. For this reason, experts recommend that you have the home inspection done prior to purchase. It is also a good idea that you attend the inspection. This way you can see what the inspector is seeing and hear his or her recommendations. The inspector can tell you about any problems and also give you some advice on maintaining the home after purchase.
Not All Home Inspections Are Equal
As you can see, the home inspection is very important. For this reason, you want to be sure that it is conducted by someone who is adequately trained and skilled at the job. A home inspection is more than just walking through the house and making sure it’s not falling down. Performing the inspection well involves looking in hidden places, such as the crawl space and the attic. It also requires that the inspector know what to look for. Can your inspector spot the signs that the wiring might not be right? Or know how to check that appliances have proper ventilation? You will want to hire an inspector who has a reputation for sniffing out the problems that might not be initially obvious.
Problems A Home Inspection Might Find
So what kinds of things are typically revealed in a home inspection? Usually they fall into these categories:
- Structural problems – The inspector should examine the structural integrity of the home from foundation to roof.
- Leaks – The house should be searched for signs that water is getting inside from the outside, like from a leaky roof or windows.
- Safety features – The inspector should make sure that the house has the appropriate fire and carbon monoxide alarms and that there are no hazards such as loose handrails on stairs.
- Indoor systems – The electrical, plumbing, and heating/cooling systems should be evaluated to see that they are working properly.
- Appliances – Similarly, other appliances should be checked to make sure they are in good working order and adequately ventilated.
- Outdoor areas – Outdoor features, such as sidewalks and driveways, should be inspected. Grounds should be examined for signs of other problems, such as issues with the septic system.
Not Included in a Home Inspection
There is a lot that the home inspection examines. However, there are a few things that are not included in a typical home inspection that a homeowner may be concerned about. Some problems that home inspectors do not look for include pests, toxic mold, lead paint, radon gas, and asbestos. Prospective home-owners who are concerned about these potential problems may want to have a special inspection done to further investigate.
Buying a house is a big investment. To protect that investment, you’ll want to be sure to have a thorough home inspection done. As you start to think about a home purchase, you’ll also want to think about financing. Come in and talk with me to see what Federated Bank has to offer in mortgage options.
