When do you need to have a home inspected? Most people only think of hiring an inspector when they are buying a home. While a home inspection is an important part of the home buying process, home inspections aren’t just for home buyers. Home inspections are also recommended when selling a home, building a home and as a part of your routine home maintenance plan. Below we cover the different types of home inspection services and why and when they are needed.
If you are buying a home, a high quality home inspection can help you identify potential risks, make an informed decision, and will provide you with the education you need in order to move forward in the buying process and negotiate any repairs or price reductions. What many home buyers don’t realize is that getting their potential new home inspected is the buyer’s responsibility — not the seller’s. By allowing the buyer to hire a home inspector, you eliminate any bias or seller’s impact on an inspector. Though paying for a home inspection may seem like a lot for a house that doesn’t belong to you just yet, if you’re thinking of purchasing a home, a home inspection will always be worth the investment.
If you are preparing to sell your home, it may be wise to order a pre-sale home inspection. The last minute discovery of problems by a prospective buyer’s inspector can lead to delays, added expenses and can even derail a deal altogether. Your best solution as a home seller is to have a thorough inspection done prior to putting the house on the market. This allows you to resolve any issues or adjust the price of your home accordingly before they become a problem in negotiating a deal. Our Home Seller Inspections provide you with a comprehensive analysis of your home’s major systems and components. You’ll walk away knowing the current condition of your home, which will ultimately allow you to be in control of the sale!
Many people assume that just because a house is new that it does not need to be inspected, however, this is far from the truth. The building of a home is complex and involves many different professionals and skilled trades that have the potential to overlook critical items. A New Construction Inspection is performed when a newly built home is ready to move in but before your final walk-thru with the builder. Compared to the cost of the home, the cost of a professional inspection buys significant peace of mind. Have an inspection report in hand for that final walk-thru and have any deficiencies corrected before you head to the closing table!
Newly constructed homes typically carry a one year builder’s warranty. Once this warranty expires and the home begins to age, there’s an increased risk of repairs which will no longer be covered. Our Builder Warranty Inspection is a comprehensive visual evaluation of your home which details any deficiencies that may have arisen during its critical first year. We recommend having this inspection about 30 days prior to the expiration of your builder’s one-year warranty in order to address any problems or defects that the builder may be responsible for.
As all homeowners know, routine maintenance is essential to preserving a properly functioning home much like having annual medical and dental exams or regularly changing the oil in your car. Problems that go unchecked for too long can become costly to repair. Schedule a Home Maintenance Inspection to learn the current condition of your home and what investments you need to make now in order to prevent small issues from becoming major problems. We suggest scheduling a routine maintenance inspection annually or every couple of years. We also recommend having a home inspection done after home renovations or major improvements to make sure everything was done correctly and didn’t cause other issues. Your Home Maintenance Inspection will provide you a comprehensive look at your home’s structural systems, electrical systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, plumbing systems, appliances and optional systems (i.e. pools/spas, sprinkler systems, septic systems). Like with all of our other inspections, we include a FREE Wood Destroying Insect Report (Termite Inspection).
Whether you’re looking to buy a home, getting ready for a sale or building a home, The Home Inspectors is here for you every step of the way. We want to help you make confident, informed decisions about your home. Download a few of our FREE resources, schedule your home inspection online or get in touch with one of our experts.