The Home Inspection

Because a home purchase most likely is the largest investment you’ll ever make, it’s essential that you have a thorough understanding of the property’s condition. A comprehensive professional home inspection will provide you with a detailed and much better understanding of the property you intend to buy.

The standard home inspection is an objective visual examination of a home’s physical structure and systems from top to bottom including: the heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing and electrical systems, roof, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, foundation, basement and attic, and other visible structures.

A house can’t fail a home inspection, the inspector simply evaluates the home’s physical condition and reports on what may need to be repaired or replaced. No home is perfect. Try to refrain from being persnickety and forget the small stuff. If any major issues arise, it’s common to negotiate a remedy. It’s also likely that the home inspection will give you a piece of mind by pointing out a property’s positive attributes.

It’s a good idea to accompany the inspector. Tagging along will give you an opportunity to engage the inspector in a conversation about his findings, to ask questions about the home’s systems and maintenance, and to learn other useful details about the house like the location of gas and water shut-off valves and other utility connections. Having first- hand knowledge of the inspection will also help you better understand the written inspection report.

In addition to the basic home inspection, you may want to consider a pest inspection to check for termite or dry-rot damage, or an environmental inspection to check for radon, lead or asbestos. Your home inspector or Realtor can help you determine which, if any, additional inspections may be recommended.