Are you thinking to yourself, “What is a home inspection?”. We have the answer for you.
Before we get into the answer, we are a professional & qualified home inspection company and are always glad to help. As you go through this blog post or any other content on our website, we just want you to know that you can always contact us with any questions or concerns that you may have. You can also browse through our “Frequently Asked Questions“. Now, back to your question, “What is a home inspection?”.
Any Sally and Sam Homebuyer can look at a home and decide whether it is attractive. They might notice it is freshly painted in pleasing colors, has the required number of rooms, a cook’s kitchen, and is located in a location with top schools. But what about less obvious parts of the house?
It takes special expertise to determine if the functional parts of a home are in good shape. If you attend an open house, how do you determine if there are plumbing problems, electrical problems, structural problems, drainage problems, the condition of heating and air conditioning equipment, and the condition of literally hundreds of other items that could cause concern? That is likely why you’re asking “What is a home inspection?“.
Enter the home inspector.
A home inspector is trained to be a detective in regard to the construction and working parts of homes. It is not an exact science.
The home inspector cannot tear into things, so they can’t always see everything they’d like to. They do, however, come equipped with ladders, strong flashlights, and devices to measure various things related to plumbing, electrical, and other necessary home items. Importantly, a home inspector will also typically bring a digital camera to photograph problems such as roof shingles not lying flat, signs of mildew from leaking pipes, and construction that doesn’t comply with building codes.
It’s a good idea to ask the home inspector if there are any particular tests they would perform if they were buying the home. For example, radon gas (a colorless, odorless gas that is a carcinogen) can be a problem in some parts of the country. It can be detected, measured, and, if levels are above EPA standards, there are procedures to deal with it successfully. A home inspector can help identify such issues for you.
It’s easy to see that a home inspection can provide a wealth of valuable information. While it is easy to fall in love with a listed home, a home inspector can be the key to avoiding disastrous discoveries down the line.
So, What Is A Home Inspection?
A home inspection is the process of observing and reporting on the condition of a real estate property in the process of being sold.
Or as explained by InterNACHI (InterNACHI is the organization that certifies home inspectors throughout the United States.) in their “Standards Of Practice“:
A home inspection is a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a residential property (as delineated below), performed for a fee, which is designed to identify defects within specific systems and components defined by these Standards that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector. The scope of work may be modified by the Client and Inspector prior to the inspection process.
We hope you found this answer to “What is a home inspection?” useful. If you have any additional questions or would like to discuss scheduling a home inspection, you can always contact us via our contact page. As mentioned earlier, you can also visit our “Frequently Asked Questions” page and browse questions there.