Step 15: Tips for Attending the Home Inspection

Buying a house is a big investment, so being at the home inspection is one of the most important things you can do, plus you want to make sure the home you are about to buy is in good shape. Therefore this is why we urge buyers to be at the home inspections as much as possible. You will be getting a report whether you attend or not, however when you are there at the time of the inspection it allows you the opportunity to see the condition of the house for yourself, as well as ask the inspector follow up questions to any issues that arise. Being able to be there during the inspection will also allow you to gauge the severity of any issues so you will know what items you NEED to ask to be fixed, and what items you can fix yourself ect.

Here are our tips for when you attend the home inspection:

1. Inspections can take anywhere from 2-3 hours so make sure you are prepared and can block out that amount of time for the day.
2. Inspectors can only see obvious defects and not what is inside the walls with plumbing and electrical. When you have a clean inspection report come back, that does not mean you will have zero issues with the home at all ever, but it is in good shape at this moment in time.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to the inspector. If you do not understand something that is being explained to you, ask for more clarification. Especially if it comes down to knowing if something is a minor or extensive issue.
4. Bring a tape measure with you. You may not be able to get into the house again until the day before closing. If you need to make any measurements for furniture now is the time to do so.
5. If you are planning on getting any additional work done to the house, now is the time to schedule painters, contractors, or flooring experts to come by during the inspection so you can get any estimates that you may need since we most likely won’t be able to get into the house again until the day before closing.
6. Bring your checkbook with you as most inspectors require payment at the end of the inspection. Most inspectors also are able to take card as a payment as well.
7. Inspection reports are generally emailed to you the buyer within about 2 days. Once you receive the inspection report send it over to us so we can discuss the items on it in detail with you. From there we will discuss a strategy on what items you would like to ask to be fixed, or if you would like to ask for closing cost credit for the repairs.
8. Remember the whole idea of the inspection is to:

• Discover any structural or safety issues
• Find any issues with appliances and figure out what repairs need to be completed to change it back to working order.
• The inspection is not meant for us to nit pick the paint colors of the house or if there is a dent in the refrigerator door, ect. There will always be minor cosmetic issues with a home unless it is new construction. We want to be focusing on the big issues of the home like structural and safety concerns.

Now that the inspection itself is completed, we wait for the report to come back to us.

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