Buying your first home can be a very exciting experience, but it can also be a little scary. If you have never had to maintain your own home before, you may immediately think that the solution to your dilemma is to buy a brand new home in perfect condition. The reality is that there is no such thing as a perfect home with no flaws. Roof tiles will sometimes blow off in extremely windy weather, pipes will sometimes leak, and air conditioners may break down despite your best efforts. If you’re buying your first home and have hired a home inspector to check out your prospective home, be sure to start out with a reasonable and realistic expectation of what they can do. Their job is to let you know about the integrity and condition of the home you’re buying, whether it is good or bad.
A home inspection should take several hours, long enough to cover all built-in appliances, all mechanical, electrical, gas and plumbing systems, the roof, foundation, gutters, exterior skins, windows and doors. An inspector doesn’t test for pests or sample the septic tank. For those, you need industry-specific inspectors.
Make sure your home inspector is licensed. Work with your real estate agent to hire the most experienced and reputable inspectors—they will most likely have a lot of contacts and can recommend a suitable inspector to work with. Ask what the inspection covers. Some inspection companies have extensive divisions that can provide environmental for radon and lead paint. Be prepared to hire and schedule several inspectors according to your lender’s requirements and to pay several hundred dollars for each type of inspection. Some inspection reports only cover the main house, not other buildings on the property. For specialty inspections such as termites, make sure the inspection covers all buildings on the property including guest houses, detached garages, storage buildings, etc.
While a home inspector can point out problems you may have with your new home, they can also point out what works well. At the end of the day, the results of a home inspection can help you make your final decision about the house.
If you are planning to buy a home, let The Incorvaia Team make the process as easy as possible for you. Call us at 440-879-7130 today!
