What is a Home Inspection?

September 5, 2008

What is a Home Inspection?

A home inspection is a complete, top-to-bottom, visual check-up of the structure and systems of a house. It is meant to be an objective determination of a home’s condition.

A home inspection usually takes 3-6 hours to complete, depending on the size of the home.

During the inspection process, the inspector will examine all of the following components of a home:

  • Home exterior including doors, decks, and vegetation
  • Heating and cooling systems for leaks and efficiency
  • Electrical systems for safety and soundness of design
  • Plumbing systems for venting, distribution, and drainage

In addition, the inspector will review the roofing system, the home’s interior, and several other parts of the property.

A home inspection may be ordered by a home owner or by a home buyer.

Why Get an Inspection?

For a home owner, an inspection can detail a home’s shortcomings and provide a roadmap for repairs.  This can help a person prepare his home for sale because “major issues” can be addressed in advance of listing.

For a home buyer, a home inspection physically reviews a home under contract, identifying structural flaws that may impact the home’s desirability.  This is essential for the negotiation process because no home is “perfect” – even new ones!

A home inspection highlights potential long-term trouble spots and the likelihood for expensive home repairs.  This is why real estate professionals often recommend inspecting a home immediately after signing a purchase contract.

Source: American Society of Home Inspectors Frequently Asked Questions on Home Inspections

(Image courtesy: Anderson Home Inspections)

Source: Bring The Blog

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2 Responses to “What is a Home Inspection?”

  1. Nick Gromicko on September 5th, 2008 10:24 pm

    Qualifications and experince vary widely in the inspection industry. Always interview inspectors first.

  2. Jay Valento - Long Beach CA Real Estate on September 8th, 2008 6:46 am

    I noticed the home inspectors in Southern California take about 1 to 3 hours to complete a home inspection for our buyers. It is true it all depends on the size of the property. In our area we don’t have basements as the picture above indicates but we do have raised foundations that home inspectors crawl under.

    The graphic looks cool in this post.

    Jay

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