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Difference Between Home Appraisal and Inspection did you know

What is the Difference Between Home Appraisal and Inspection?

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The home buying process can be confusing. There are so many steps and an entire glossary of terms to remember. It’s no wonder that many first-time homebuyers regret their purchase. One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming an appraisal is enough. They forgo the home inspection and rush to sign and snag their deal. But a home inspection is just as important, if not more important, than an appraisal. If you like to live without regret and want your real estate investment to be a dream home and not a haunting nightmare, you need to know the difference between home appraisal and inspection.

Buying a home is a lot like buying a car. The first thing you want to do is understand the value of your intended purchase and then its condition.

If you look up the value of a 1990 Chevy Impala with 100,000 miles, you’ll compare that cost when you take a trip to a dealership. It will help you spot an overpriced car. But there is no “Blue Book” for homes. The real estate market will be different depending on each unique property and its surrounding neighborhood, and an appraisal is performed to determine a house’s value.

difference between home appraisal and inspectionWhat is a Home Appraisal?

A licensed third party performs an appraisal to identify the worth of the property. Lenders commonly used them to determine if the value of a house is in line with the asking price. 

They’re looking for factors such as:

  • Location
  • Size
  • Age
  • Building materials
  • Energy efficiency
  • Safety
  • Obvious damage

If the current homeowner has set the cost above the property’s worth, the lender will refuse to approve the loan unless the price is adjusted.

If a home appraisal is far above the asking price, suspicion arises. Why do they want less? Is there something wrong with the property that they aren’t telling you? 

This is why a home inspection is important.

Why Do I Need a Home Inspection?

You need more answers; ones that an appraisal alone cannot fulfill. Determining the condition of a home is crucial to make an informed decision as a buyer.

Returning to the vehicle comparison, you wouldn’t buy a car without knowing what’s under the hood. How old are its parts, and how many car accidents has it been through?

It would be handy to have a mechanic check out the engine, wouldn’t it? Then you wouldn’t have any surprises! 

A home inspector works for you similarly. After they check the home you want to buy, you receive a complete understanding of the entire property from the perspective of a trained professional with immense knowledge. 

What is a Home Inspection?

A licensed third party performs a home inspection to identify the condition of the property. When you plan to buy a home, a home inspector investigates the property with an expert’s eye and meticulous attention to detail. 

A home inspection report thoroughly outlines the health of all major components of a house, including its:

  • Roof
  • Foundation
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • HVAC

These are all expensive and essential parts of a home. If the property has faulty or aging components that require repair or replacement, you will want to know before you sign on the house.

Buying a home is an enormous investment. You’re paying a lot of money to receive something of value, not a financial burden. Even though it might look beautiful, there could be hidden issues that cost large sums of money to fix. 

The larger the home, the more expensive the repairs. For instance, a faulty HVAC system can cost upwards of $10,000 to $30,000. If the roof is nearing the end of its life expectancy and it’s leaking, you will need an extra $20,000 – $100,000 to replace it. 

By having a home inspection performed, you get the inside scoop about the health and safety of the property and what renovation projects could be in the near future. At that point, you can decide if you will close the deal or walk away.

Let’s Recap: Appraisal vs Inspection

When you intend to purchase a home, an appraisal determines the value of the property while an inspection identifies its current condition. With these two factors in mind, both the lender and the buyer can move forward in the house buying process with security and confidence in their choices.

Are you looking to buy a house in the Tampa Bay Area? Learn as much as you can about the property before you sign. Divinity Inspection Service wants to help you choose wisely. 

Schedule an inspection today! 

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What To Expect In A Home Inspection During The Pandemic

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The real estate market is on fire right now. And its a sellers market. That means not only are homes flying of the shelves like crazy, prices are up and inventory is down. Who would have expected this would be the market condition during a pandemic? And as such, you may notice a few different things happening during your home inspection.

Extra safety measures

All home inspectors should be implementing additional safety measures for both their employees and the sellers / buyers. In fact, when you call a home inspector to schedule an appointment you need to ask the about their new COVID-19 protocols. They should be able to tell you what you can expect as either the seller or buyer.

Less people involved

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, you may find less people at your home inspection. In some cases, you would see one to three home inspectors, your real estate agent and the buyers. Sometimes the sellers also attend. However, in an effort to limit exposure, some home inspectors may ask that no one except the buyer’s realtor attend the inspection. While not all safety protocols may be convenient, they are important. A good home inspector will make accommodations and provide a very detailed report so you don’t feel like you’re missing anything.

Extra cleaning during the pandemic

Some home inspectors don’t clean up behind themselves. Unfortunately, some even leave a mess behind! They track mud on the floors, leave lights on and leave the A/C turned down very low. Simply put – it’s sloppy work. Due to COVID-19, extra cleaning should be included in every inspection. This goes beyond the normal standard of cleanliness and respect. Home inspectors should be cleaning behind themselves as much as possible. And hopefully homeowners are cleaning behind the home inspection as well. Everyone needs to pitch in for the safety of each other.

Home inspections are a necessary step to any and all home purchases. However, a safe work environment should remain the top priority. While we might find ourselves enduring new challenges, our goal is to make sure all of our customers are happy with our service. Divinity Inspection Services has always gone the extra mile by using our personal standard of service that all of our inspectors follow. Our goal is to make sure every customer is beyond satisfied with their thorough home inspection.

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How To Keep Your House Clean While It’s On The Market

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Putting your house on the market can be an exciting time. However, it can also be very stressful. The current global pandemic makes these events that much more to manage. Especially if you’re working from home, things can accumulate very quickly. Here are some great ways to keep your house clean while it’s on the market. Especially if your family is home.

Staying on top of the kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home. However, the kitchen is also one of the hardest areas to keep clean constantly. Here are some easy things you can do to help:

  • Divide up the cleaning kitchen among as many people as you can, more hands create light work
  • Commit to cleaning immediately after use
  • Eat out at least once a week to give yourself a break from the upkeep
  • Use (biodegradable) paper plates, utensils and cups to make cleaning easier

Dedicate specific time to clean each day

The easiest way to keep a house clean consistently is to consistently clean. This might seem like a lot but if you commit to a dedicated time each evening to pick up the house then it won’t become a huge mess that you have to clean.

Limit showing times

This is easier to do because of the pandemic. Showing times should be limited to limit your exposure anyways. However, this is also a great tactic to help with your family if you’re all home all day. Limit showing times to only the evening or specific hours during the week. This will help to manage a cleaning schedule as well.

The global pandemic has made many things more complicated. That being said, the real estate market isn’t slowing down and it’s still a seller’s market right now. If you put your house on the market be prepared for things to be a little different, but don’t worry, you can do it. Don’t forget to call Divinity Home Inspections for your home inspection.

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Should You Sell Your House During The Pandemic?

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The pandemic has disrupted and continues to disrupt many markets. Did you have plans to sell your home when the coronavirus hit the U.S.? Now, you might be wrestling with the really tough decision about whether to move forward — and when.

Some potential sellers are frozen in place, constrained by the pandemic and hoping for improvements in the coming months. But not every seller has the luxury to take a wait-and-see approach without making serious trade-offs. Some may be driven by a job relocation, a growing family, or other life events.

Although selling a home in 2020 and beyond is going to look a lot different than it used to, people haven’t stopped selling houses altogether. And considering that the lingering effects of the virus could last into 2021 and beyond, we can’t expect an “all clear” signal anytime soon for putting out that “for sale” sign.

Find an agent who can help you sell safely

Connect with a professional using the best tools, technology, and practices to navigate COVID-19. The pandemic requires a new way of selling which includes precautions, virtual tours, cleaning and more. All agents should be requiring their buyers to wear masks and gloves. They should also facilitate how many surfaces are being touched and how to safely show the home. You need an agent who can find a way to enforce these regulations and prioritizes your health as well as selling your home.

Real estate analysts predict that COVID-19 will most negatively impact the luxury housing market. Buyers at higher price points who have large holdings in the equity markets may postpone large real estate transactions as they wait for stocks to recover from the market plunge.

Online presence and marketability

According to HomeLight’s Flash Poll for the week of April 1, 2020, 84% of agents have shut down open houses and 45% are restricting or eliminating physical showings. That means your home must shine in online listing photos and videos to convince buyers to leave their house to view it in-person. Many photographers are now offering walk-through videos as well as photos. A professional video will make your home shine. Walking around with your iPhone and shooting a video of your home will not have the same impact. Hire a professional and it will make all the difference.

Open houses are limited during the pandemic

Agents are steering away from open houses. With the requirement of keeping 6 feet apart, an open house just isn’t a feasible option. Also, you don’t want to crowd your home with people and hope that everyone is following the rules. Instead, find an agent that is going to advertise your home significantly so you can depend on appointments only or virtual showings.

If you decide you want to have an open house you will have a lot of steps to take and variables to manage. While disinfecting surfaces and adhering to social distancing practices reduces your household’s risk of coming into contact with the COVID-19 virus, they do not eliminate it. You should discuss the home sale process with members of your house before you list. You may need to adjust visitor procedures or delay your home sale depending on their response.

Few will judge if your home sits on the market

In normal circumstances, homes that sit on the market above an average number of days are at a disadvantage. Homes with a high days on market count can carry a stigma — buyers wonder if the property has something wrong with it or if it’s priced incorrectly.

However, present buyers and buyers’ agents are considerate of COVID-19’s impact on the market so they are unlikely to look down upon homes taking longer to sell. Some MLS systems are even suspending or pausing the accumulation of days on market in order to accommodate for this slower period. This is something you can ask your agent about and they should be able to tell you what to expect in regard to a longer home selling time-frame

You can always change your mind

If you list your home and then are unable to follow through with the sale due to an illness, job loss, or other reason, you can cancel the transaction without repercussions so long as you include a COVID-19 clause in the home sale contract. We definitely recommend you discuss this with your realtor. In most cases contracts with a real estate agent will list specific reasons why you can cancel the listing contract. You want to make sure COVID-19 reasons are listed for your benefit.

To avoid any extra charges from your real estate, review your listing agreement carefully to see if they charge a fee for taking your home off the market early. You can negotiate your agent’s standard agreement to reduce the length of the contract or waive fees; they may be particularly accommodating at this time. Divinity Inspections is always here to help you when you need referrals, a property inspection or a pre-listing inspection.

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Home Inspection Nightmares: Let’s Be Honest

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Home inspection nightmares are out there and we’re going to be really honest about what a home inspection nightmare looks like. It may not be exactly what you think. In fact, you might even be surprised by what we’re about to share. But first, let’s start with the most important point: the nightmare is not what the inspector finds but what the inspector does. Intrigued yet? Read on to find out what we’re talking about.

All inspections find something

Many home buyers believe the home inspection is the biggest culprit of deal-killers. However, it’s a huge myth. The truth is, all home inspectors will find something. Some findings are very minor, others are concerning, and some are really big red flags. But at the end of the day, no matter what we find, the buyer and seller make the decisions. The findings of the report are completely based on the subjectivity of the buyer and seller. What seems small to one person might seem really big to another. This is why it doesn’t really matter what we find as much as it matters how the information is perceived.

The inspector is the nightmare

Any home inspection nightmare story we’ve ever heard has been directly related to the home inspector. For example, some home inspectors go beyond telling a buyer what they found. They instruct the buyer or the buyer’s realtor on how things need to be fixed. This is an industry standard no-no. How things are fixed is always up to the seller, not the buyer. And while inspectors are familiar with general solutions, they should never instruct the buyer in a way that implies specific direction. In many cases this results in a demanding buyer, an offended seller, and a home sale in trouble. The role of the home inspector is to be thorough and informative. The role does not include giving buyers directions to make specific demands.

The inspection leaves behind a nightmare

The other most common nightmare story has nothing to do with what was found in the home inspection. This happens when the home inspector shows significant disrespect or inconsideration to the home. Some inspectors will track mud throughout the house, leave lights on, doors unlocked, gates open and even the front door open! It has happened and when it does it has a big effect. The home inspection trickles down to the sellers, who’s attitude moves towards to the buyers. Many sellers will respond with “well I hope the buyers don’t ask for any favors after this crap”. And that attitude carries throughout the rest of the home sale process. This is the true nightmare for homeowners and unfortunately is more common than it should be.

When you hire Divinity Inspection Services, you hire a company that has their own set of service standards. We go above the industry expectations and ensure that every inspection is thorough, respectful and creates a good experience for both the buyer and seller. We want to become a trusted source for both parties and we can only achieve this offer exceptional service.