What Can You Expect from a Professional Home Inspection?

What Will the Inspector Inspect?

What can I expect from a professional home inspection is a question most buyers ask during the home buying process.  The job of a professional home inspector is to look over every major part of the home and prepare a report for the buyer’s use.  The usual components of a home inspection focus on the structural and mechanical properties of the home.  In the DC metro area, homes are sold either “in working order” or in “as is” condtion.  If the house is in “as is” condition, then the seller is putting the buyer on notice that the seller will not make any repairs to the property. Accordingly, the buyer should have a home inspection prior to buying the property to understand the condition of the property.  If the property is not being sold in “as is” condition, then the seller is saying that the heating, plumbing, electrical and appliances are all in “working order.”  If anything is not “in working order,” the seller will correct the defect by repairing the item.

For example, if the dishwasher leaks, it is clearly not working correctly.  A leaking dishwasher is covered by the property condition language of the contract, and as long as the house is not in “as is” condition, the seller must repair the leak.  However, a scratch in the dishwasher door does not affect the functionality of the dishwasher and so it is not covered by the working condition language of the contract  The buyer can ask for the scratch to be repaired under the house inspection contingency, but the seller is not required to repair it because the dishwasher is otherwise in condition.  

On the day of the inspection  it is very important to for the buyer be in attendance and to follow the inspector as the home inspection takes place.  That way when the home inspector finds a problem he can clearly explain the issue. In addition, the inspector will give the buyer helpful maintenance hints for the  new house and identify important parts of the house, such as the location of the main water valve or the hose bibs.  

SO WHAT IS COVERED BY THE HOME INSPECTION?

EXTERIOR home inspection items

•  foundation – holes, cracks
•  gutters and downspouts – gaps, sagging
•  siding – warping
•  paint – peeling, blistering
•  windows and doors  - cracks, loose caulk
•  roof – worn spots
•  chimney – loose bricks, stone; tilting
•  driveways, retaining walls, and walkways – sagging, cracks
•  land – proper water drainage

INTERIOR home inspection items:

•  general structure – soundness, rot
•  floors and stairs – squeaking shaking
•  plumbing system –  general condition, leaks, clogs
•  heating and cooling system – condition
•  electrical system – condition, proper grounding
•  insulation – thickness, efficiency
•  walls – cracks
•  kitchen – age and condition of appliances

Most inspectors also will note the presence of mold, if it is seen, and asbestos (which is frequently present in old floor tiles, some siding, and insulation around heating pipes.) However, a house inspector is not typically licensed as an environmental inspector.  If there is a concern about radon, mold or asbestos, then an additional inspection should be scheduled.

Similarly, a house inspector is not an electrician or a plumber. The house inspector is qualified to identify issues or defects, but will occasionally suggest that a “specialist” be called in. 

The Home Inspection Report will be used to create a Request for Repairs to be sent to the seller.  It is up to the buyer to decide which items from the home inspection will be asked to be repaired.  This is part of the continuing negotiation process between the buyer and the seller.  

TODAY BRONWYN AND I SPENT NEARLY 6 HOURS AT AN INSPECTION

Usually home inspections are shorter than that – more in order of 3 hours.  However, the property that was the subject of the marathon inspection was a property with a full rental unit in the basement – which required a double inspection.  Since the property that we inspected today was a “short sale,” it is being sold “as is,” and the seller will not make any repairs.  Short sales  frequently are “as is,” because the seller is typically very short on cash.  The inspection is particularly important in such a situation because the buyer really needs to know what he or she is buying.

I confess that I don’t follow the inspector around anymore. I have watched too many inspections through the years, heard the same inspector jokes, and learned the same tips about home maintenance. Now I being my laptop and hope for connectivity somewhere. However, if there is an issue, I am there to see it so that I can explain it to the listing agent.  If I am representing the seller, I always go to the end of the house inspection so that I can show the seller what the seller has identified and which repairs should be made where.

Lunch was definately fun with my client. During the house inspection, he was hungry so we quickly went to a nearby Jamaican restaurant, the Mango Cafe, for yummy jerk chicken. The rice and beans were VERY spicy, but it all was easily washed down with some ginger beer. So DELICIOUS!!

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