The Must-Read Guide to Prepare for Your Home Inspection As a Buyer
Chances are you just signed a contract, which means the lender, realtor and lawyers are probably already approaching you with their list of requests. You need to get your current home on the market, you probably have a busy job and a few kiddos at home, and life has officially taken a turn to Crazytown!
But just because things are busy doesn’t mean you should neglect your obligatory home inspection. Not only can not giving attention to your home inspection impact the sale, but the results could cost you well into your future if you’re not prepared. This must-read guide gives you all of the facts you need to have for scheduling your home inspection, with helpful tips on how you can make the most of this tedious step … even amidst the chaos of buying and selling!
What will a home inspection cost me?
A quality home inspection will cost you, the homebuyer, about $250-$400 depending on the size of the home. As much as these unexpected expenses seem endless during the moving process, this is one expense you do not want to skip. Hiring a quality inspector can make such a significant difference to highlight the good, bad and potentially dangerous components of your new home. You want to make sure you hire an inspector who is licensed and knowledgeable … even if that costs a few extra bucks. This tiny investment can save you thousands of dollars (and a lot of heartache) in the long run.
How do I find a quality inspector?
So you know you want to invest in a quality inspector, but you’re not really sure where to find one. You’re not alone! The best place to look is your realtor. If you really trust your realtor, she probably has some recommendations. Usually, realtors come to their buyers’ inspections, so chances are they have met a lot of inspectors and have seen which ones are thorough and which ones aren’t.
How long will the inspection take?
The time for an inspection varies based on the size of the home you are purchasing and how thorough your inspector is. On average, we suggest allowing for at least two hours, but on the long end, it’s usually not any longer than three hours.
Easy Ways to Beat the Inspection
Whether you’re buying or selling a house, the buyer’s home inspection tends to be the white knuckle part of the transaction. Before the home inspection buyers don’t have much control over the process, except for hiring a good Realtor and inspector. However, sellers often have a slew of options to make the home inspection go smoother.
GFCI ELECTRICAL OUTLETS
Be sure that all electrical outlets that require GFCI protection actually have protection. This is a safety concern that is always pointed out in inspection reports. Locations that should have functional GFCI outlets include: all outlets serving kitchen counter tops, bathrooms and wet bars. In addition outlets that are outside and in the garage should be GFCI protected.
SMOKE DETECTORS
Another safety issue that is relatively inexpensive to fix is properly located and functional smoke detectors. According to International Residential Code smoke detectors are required in each sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms (usually an adjoining hallway), and on each additional story of the dwelling.
SEAL ROOF FASTENERS
Unsealed roof fasteners (nails or staples) on asphalt roofing can sound like a problem to a buyer. Sealing these fasteners is something that roofers have historically neglected to do when installing a roof. Solving this is amazingly easy and simple. All it requires is applying a dab of approved roofing sealant over the fasteners with a caulking gun
SEAL EXTERIOR
Spending about 1-2 hours walking around the exterior of your house with a tube of caulking can go a long way. Common areas that home inspectors point out as needing caulking include around windows, light fixtures, plumbing pipes and electrical panels.
things to look for in a home inspection
continue to receive complaints from readers about problems that they discover after closing their home purchase. Most complain about sellers who fail to disclose defects or home inspectors who fail to find them. The system is far from perfect. However, there are steps that buyers can take before and during a home inspection to protect their interests.
Check all electrical outlets to make sure that they work. Open windows, even in the winter, to make sure they are not stuck or painted shut.
Look under any area rug or bed and behind any picture to check for cracked tiles, stained carpets or walls. Lift anything on the kitchen counters to look for defects. Do any of the appliances show any rust? How old are they? If they are discontinued models, you will likely have to replace them if they break down because of the difficulty of finding replacement parts.
Start the dishwasher at the beginning of any home inspection. By the end, it should have gone through its entire cycle, without leaking. Put a thermometer inside the oven and turn it on to 350 degrees. After 10 minutes, check the temperature. Test stove burners.
Flush every toilet and see whether it stops running after it is filled. Check sinks, tubs and showers in the house. Is there proper water flow from each faucet and does everything drain properly?
Home Inspection Checklist For Buyers
The biggest question for home buyers is, or at least should be, what am I really buying? You can create your own home inspection checklist to help you with your shortlist of houses, though should be familiar with the basics of professional home inspections as well.
You should have a general idea of the condition of the property you are interested in buying before going on your home search. Are you looking for a fixer upper or a brand new model home complete with furnishings? Or are you willing to go with something in the middle, as long as the home only needs basic cosmetic upgrades?
When you first walk through a home you’ll be able to get a reasonably good idea of the overall condition. It is new, slightly outdated or begging for a historic renovation or teardown and rebuild?
The Need for a Home Inspection When Buying a Home
If you’ll be financing this home purchase with a mortgage loan, your lender will want to be protected with an appraisal, title search, insurances, and a mandatory professional home inspection. They want to know what they are really lending on and are getting as collateral, and what it is really worth
Even if you aren’t that picky or are fine taking a year to repair and renovate your new home, it is really important to know what you are getting into.
Why?
Discover flaws and urgent repairs
Identify items that may require building permits
Get peace of mind of what’s okay
Get an estimate to make needed repairs
Understand the true value of the property
Be alert to potential maintenance issues in the near future
Ways to Prepare Your House for Inspection Success
Congrats! You’ve received an offer on your home and agreed upon a sale price. The papers are signed, and the next step in the process is your home inspection. Chances are that a satisfactory report is the last major hurdle toward sale — so it’s important you put your best foot forward
I recently accompanied a home inspector on a 3-½ hour tour of a home we were considering purchasing, and these were some major points I picked up along the way. In general, it’s good to have intimate knowledge of your house’s nooks, crannies, and weak spots. The following items are things you should consider before the inspector visits your home, possibly bringing up major and minor issues that could cost you money off your sales price or worse — the deal itself.
Clear Access
Ensure access to critical areas of your house are clear. Think about your electrical box, furnace, hot water heater, and air conditioning units, attic door, and any other possible locked spaces. Also make it easier to access under sink plumbing work and back access, as well as any areas blocked off by storage, etc. If the inspector cannot gain access, he or she will be unable to include them in the report, raising questions for your buyers.
Banish Clogs
Go through your entire house to all the sinks drains — one by one — and run the water. If you notice a slow drain, you can try using store-bought clog removers (consult with staff to find the right one). For very slow or even totally clogged drains, call in a plumber. Same goes with any slow flow or blockage at the water source.
Replace Bulbs
Examine your attached light fixtures. Make sure all the light bulbs are working. Inspectors only get an overhead view and cannot determine if the bulb itself is out or if there’s possibly an underlying electrical problem.