The Ultimate Guide To A Home Inspection | Most people think of a home inspection is a necessity when purchasing a property. But they may not know exactly what is involved and what issues a good home inspection can discover.
It is important to note that a home inspection isn’t just for the benefit of the finance company. It can and should alert you to any issues and the rough cost of fixing the problems. This can help you to renegotiate the price if appropriate, prepare yourself for the work to be done, or even walk away if the property is simply too much work.
What Is Included In A Home Inspection
A good home inspector will use a variety of tools to ensure they identify any issues. This includes visually inspecting appliances and techniques such as magnetic particle testing which identifies cracks and other issues.
The inspection starts with a visual inspection of the exterior and interior of the house. Any potential defects are logged and, if necessary, are investigated further. This includes looking for cracks in walls, foundations, and roof structure.
Alongside this, the inspection will look at appliances inside the property. They will assess the age of the appliance and whether they are working properly. Of particular importance is the state of the plumbing and electrics. These can be very expensive to replace, damaged plumbing increases the risk of flood damage while damaged electrics increase the risk of an electrical fire.
The inspection should cover all elements of the house inside and out. This includes looking in the basement or the subfloor. It will look for any signs of pest damage, whether old or current. Water damage is also identified and investigated further. You will want to know whether it is a result of a plumbing leak or weather.
Specific appliances, such as air conditioning units, are also inspected, as is the heating system. This confirms it works and whether anything is likely to need to be done to it.
You should note that a home inspection tells you everything they know about the condition of a home. They don’t generally provide repair estimates or tell you if the house is worth what you are offering.
What To Do After A Home Inspection
Once you have the report back from the home inspector you will need to study it properly. Any issues disclosed should be looked into further. You want to know if they will cost a lot to repair or not. It is worth getting estimates from workmen regarding any bigger jobs that need to be done.
You can then use this information to assess what you are paying for the property, whether you can afford the work that needs to be done, and whether to renegotiate the price.
In extreme cases, you may even find it necessary to walk away. Don’t be afraid to do this, there is no point in having a building inspection and then not acting on the advice it offers.
