Getting The Most From Your Home Inspection

© 2008 Jim Morrison

Prices are low and interest rates are historically excellent; the days are growing longer; and unfortunately, foreclosures are skyrocketing; all of which results in“For Sale” signs sprouting up in front yards all over the place. The stage has been set for another busy Spring season in New England real estate. Almost every homebuyer in our area will hire a professional home inspector to evaluate the home they want to buy, but some will get a lot more for their money than others. If you want to get the maximum benefit from your inspection, there are a few things you need to know:

Hire a Quality Inspector

If you’re like most folks and you don’t happen to know a really good inspector, get a referral from someone whose judgement you trust like a local real estate attorney or buyer’s broker. Don’t simply rely on names from the telephone book, or shop the web for the cheapest company you can find. A sloppy inspector can end up costing you money and heartache, so do your homework and get the best! You should contact a few firms if possible and interview them over the phone. There are dozens of variables, but it takes about three hours to inspect an average sized home properly. Ask your inspector how much time they’ll be budgeting for your house.

Reports can vary quite a bit too. A handwritten, checklist type of report isn’t going to do you much good if you or your attorney can’t read or understand it. Most of the better inspectors type narrative reports on a computer. It’s the 21^st century, so they can email it to you so your lawyer won’t have to read a fax of a fax of a fax.

Know What You’re Getting

You’ll need to spend some time deciding what kinds of inspections you want. Some things that aren’t generally looked at during a basic inspection are: septic systems, wells, solar heating equipment, sprinkler, security, pools, elevators, hot tubs, saunas, wells, pumps, wood stoves, pests, radon, lead paint, electro-magnetic fields, etc. Home Inspectors don’t test air conditioning systems from mid-Fall to mid-Spring, either. Many people are surprised to learn that most inspectors don’t get onto the roof of the house to inspect it. Ask your inspector to walk you through a typical inspection on the telephone.

You should spend time speaking with your inspector beforehand to talk about how things will be done. Many inspectors don’t like to answer questions during the inspection, how does yours feel about client participation? If the house has a crawl space, will your inspector enter it? Make sure you bring any particular concerns to your inspector’s attention in advance so you can discuss how they will be addressed.

Tag along

It’s important to schedule as much time as necessary for you to accompany the inspector and speak with him privately afterward. The report should be full of great information, but it won’t say it all. To really understand it, you simply have to be there. A qualified, experienced inspector will take pride in leaving you feeling like you got a great education as well. If you don’t know much about construction, bring along a trusted friend or relative who does!

There Are No Bad Houses, Only Bad Owners.

OK, that’s not quite true, but I made it up and I kind of like saying it. However…

Houses are just like the people who own them and nobody’s perfect. Your inspection report will probably list a few dozen issues ranging from “almost meaningless” to (hopefully not too) “disastrous”. Sometimes a particularly dangerous or expensive defect will be discovered that you’ll want to renegotiate your contract with the owners. Either way, you’ll have a comprehensive report on the condition of the property that you can use to plan your maintenance schedule and budget for big ticket items. Properly maintaining your home has a big impact on your quality of life. Knowing that you had a thorough inspection from an experienced professional should give you some peace of mind, knowing that you’ve done all you can to minimize unpleasant surprises.

Jim Morrison
978.851.6315
Morrison Home Inspections
"Each house tells a story. We write 'em down."
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Empowering homebuyers with the information they need to make solid decisions since 1987