| Preparing for an Inspection |
How to Prepare for an Inspection
No home is perfect. Anything from major damage to minor maintenance
issues are often found. Even new homes are not immune – they could have
problems with the plumbing, electrical system, heating and cooling system,
or the roofing system just to name a few.
For homeowners, it’s important to be aware of any issues your home may
have prior to putting it on the market. Getting a pre-listing home inspection
will ensure that you’re aware of any problems and can take care of them on
your terms – or present them as-is and adjust your selling price
proportionally. The alternative leaves you open to costly surprises and
delays, and even potential deal-breakers once you’ve entered
negotiations with the buyer.
For buyers, a Home Inspection is vital to uncovering issues a home may
have but are invisible to the untrained eye. Even if the home inspection finds
more problems than you’re comfortable with and you move on to a different
home to start the process all over again, it’s money well spent. A home
inspection will give you the opportunity to ask the seller to make the
repairs before you buy, or to back out of the contract. So be sure to ask
for the “inspection contingency” when you begin to enter negotiations with
the seller. This allows you to set a limit on the cost of repairs to the home.
If the Home Inspector estimates that repairs will cost more than the limit,
the contract is voided. It is a good way to protect yourself from ending up
with a home that requires repairs that you are unable or unwilling to pay for.
Before the home inspector arrives, there are a few things you should know.
There are no federal regulations governing home inspectors. The laws are
going to differ state by state. Therefore it’s important to interview your
home inspector or inspection company prior to hiring them. Since each
state is going to have their own standards of certification for inspectors –
and some don’t even have any – credibility is a big issue in choosing the
right home inspector. Ask what certifications your inspector holds and
what associations he or she belongs to. Most associations such as the
American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), National Association of
Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), and National Association of Home
Inspectors, Inc. (NAHI) have membership requirements that include
minimum levels of experience and training as well as codes of ethics.
There are also several state-level associations that your inspector may
be a member of. Ask your inspector and then visit the association’s
website.
Once your home inspector has arrived, it is recommended that you
accompany him or her on the inspection of the property. This is so you
can become familiar with the home and its systems as well as exactly what
repairs the inspector recommends and why. You might also want to
prepare a list of items that you’ve seen in the home that you feel are cause
for concern as well as any questions you may have. The inspection is a
great time to find out where the home’s water and gas shutoff's are and
where the main shut off for the electricity is.
Here are some other suggestions for homeowners:
Accessibility:
Make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially to the attic
and crawl space. It’s also a good idea to trim any trees and shrubs that
may make an inspection of the exterior of the property difficult.
Housekeeping:
The inspector may photograph your home for the inspection report, so
clearing the clutter and moving vehicles from the front of the home will help
the inspection go smoother.
Maintenance:
Repair minor things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.
No home is perfect. Anything from major damage to minor maintenance
issues are often found. Even new homes are not immune – they could have
problems with the plumbing, electrical system, heating and cooling system,
or the roofing system just to name a few.
For homeowners, it’s important to be aware of any issues your home may
have prior to putting it on the market. Getting a pre-listing home inspection
will ensure that you’re aware of any problems and can take care of them on
your terms – or present them as-is and adjust your selling price
proportionally. The alternative leaves you open to costly surprises and
delays, and even potential deal-breakers once you’ve entered
negotiations with the buyer.
For buyers, a Home Inspection is vital to uncovering issues a home may
have but are invisible to the untrained eye. Even if the home inspection finds
more problems than you’re comfortable with and you move on to a different
home to start the process all over again, it’s money well spent. A home
inspection will give you the opportunity to ask the seller to make the
repairs before you buy, or to back out of the contract. So be sure to ask
for the “inspection contingency” when you begin to enter negotiations with
the seller. This allows you to set a limit on the cost of repairs to the home.
If the Home Inspector estimates that repairs will cost more than the limit,
the contract is voided. It is a good way to protect yourself from ending up
with a home that requires repairs that you are unable or unwilling to pay for.
Before the home inspector arrives, there are a few things you should know.
There are no federal regulations governing home inspectors. The laws are
going to differ state by state. Therefore it’s important to interview your
home inspector or inspection company prior to hiring them. Since each
state is going to have their own standards of certification for inspectors –
and some don’t even have any – credibility is a big issue in choosing the
right home inspector. Ask what certifications your inspector holds and
what associations he or she belongs to. Most associations such as the
American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), National Association of
Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), and National Association of Home
Inspectors, Inc. (NAHI) have membership requirements that include
minimum levels of experience and training as well as codes of ethics.
There are also several state-level associations that your inspector may
be a member of. Ask your inspector and then visit the association’s
website.
Once your home inspector has arrived, it is recommended that you
accompany him or her on the inspection of the property. This is so you
can become familiar with the home and its systems as well as exactly what
repairs the inspector recommends and why. You might also want to
prepare a list of items that you’ve seen in the home that you feel are cause
for concern as well as any questions you may have. The inspection is a
great time to find out where the home’s water and gas shutoff's are and
where the main shut off for the electricity is.
Here are some other suggestions for homeowners:
Accessibility:
Make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially to the attic
and crawl space. It’s also a good idea to trim any trees and shrubs that
may make an inspection of the exterior of the property difficult.
Housekeeping:
The inspector may photograph your home for the inspection report, so
clearing the clutter and moving vehicles from the front of the home will help
the inspection go smoother.
Maintenance:
Repair minor things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.
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