What To Look For Before Your Home Inspection

Buying a home is a long process filled with paperwork and negotiations between the buyer, seller, and real estate brokers. However, there are a few things you should look for before the home inspection to ensure the sale is preserved. If you can address concerns before they arise, you will not have to deal with surprises.

With the help of Divinity Inspection Service, you can find out what to look for before your home inspection so you don’t lose a potential purchase.

How Should You Prepare for a Home Inspection?

Perform a Mock Inspection

The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) suggests doing mock inspections. To begin, check all aspects of your home for signs of damage, including the interior and exterior components. This involves performing a basic visual examination of what the inspector will look for to discover where the damage lies. 

Specifically, you must go beyond the aesthetics and into the nitty-gritty. There are a few telltale signs around the house that you might overlook. 

That’s because, occasionally, property damage may be unobservable through a cursory inspection alone. So, going beneath the surface will help you understand whether purchasing this home will be beneficial or a burden you don’t want to take on. 

The following are the key elements to help you better prepare for a home inspection:

• Water-stained driveways (indicate potential flooding)
• A backed-up gutter system (if visible, could reveal the reason for flooding or suggest the homeowner didn’t properly maintain the home)
• Sewer system 
• Gutter eaves (clogged gutters can damage the roof)
• Foundation (i.e., cracks)
• Water heater
• HVAC system
• Electrical Panel
• Water heater
• Attic insulation 
• Insulation
• Ceilings 
• Fireplace

Be Prepared With a Basic Repair Checklist

Along with doing a walkthrough of the home you are considering purchasing, utilizing an inspection checklist is beneficial. The list can be provided to the inspector to warn them of any concerns. 

You can visit the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) website for a basic home inspection checklist and other system-specific lists (i.e., electrical panel, sewer system, wood-destroying organisms, and fireplace and chimney). InterNACHI’s basic list will break down the differences between major, minor, and cosmetic defects. They also have a checklist for mock inspections.

As a homebuyer or seller, this allows you to examine all the home’s components, giving you peace of mind before deciding. More so, this gives you the opportunity to bring up any issues during price negotiations.

Ask Questions

Besides being prepared to discuss any damage with the seller, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the home. The homeowner or the real estate agent should be able to answer them or find an answer for you. The more questions you ask, the more likely it is that you will have no surprises. Also, this prevents you from experiencing buyer’s regret or inheriting repairs and replacements you didn’t agree to.

Upon opening the lines of communication, ask the hard questions:

• Have there been any significant issues with the systems in the home?
• Does the homeowner expect any potential major repairs to the property currently?
• Does the pool leak?
• Have there been any roof issues? How old is the roof?

Check Prior Code Inspection History

The Building Safety Journal discusses the power of learning about the history of prior code inspections. Code inspections protect homeowners from code failures long after they’ve moved in. To protect yourself and the property, researching the history of code inspections ensures everyone, from the designers who put the plans on paper to the contractors out in the field, meets the minimum standards for safety.

Tie Up Loose Ends

One of the last steps before having an inspection is to tie up all loose ends. If you’re selling a home, resolve any minor issues that may cause the inspection to fail. 

To prepare for a home inspection, you should:

• Make sure the inspector can access the house, furnace, water heater, and air-conditioning units (especially those housed in a closet, the attic, and/or the crawlspace).
• Check that the garage door is open and that water heaters, utility panels, shutoff valves, and re-sets for ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) are accessible.
• Unlock areas that require inspector access (i.e., attic doors or hatches, the electrical service panel, closets, fence gates, and crawlspaces).
• Fix broken or missing items, such as doorknobs, locks and latches, windowpanes, screens, gutters, downspouts, and chimney caps.
• Make sure fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide, and poison detectors are functional.
• Keep your pets secured.
• Clear obstructed pathways that prevent the inspector from doing their job.

Consult Divinity Inspection Service for Your Home Inspections!

They may tell you all of these questions can be answered during your home inspection, and of course they can. But if you can get answers ahead of time, why not? Don’t wait to spend your money on a home inspection to find out the details you can get now. With an enhanced understanding of what to look for before a home inspection, you can confidently make your next purchase.

Our team at Divinity Inspection Service in Florida strives to help all our clients feel as comfortable as possible during the home inspection process. With our 29 certifications, knowledge, and expertise, you will receive the best guidance from our professionals. If you’re looking for the best home inspection service in Florida, contact us to schedule an inspection!

Originally Published:  Nov 3, 2017