You don’t want any nasty surprises after you move into your new home, right?!  Getting a professional home inspection is one very important step you need to take once you’re under contract.

Your contract will include a contingency that gives you a certain number of days to complete an inspection.  Once you have the results, you may ask for major defects to be repaired.

No home is perfect but at least a professional inspection gives you some guidance on what you are facing. Only you can decide what you are willing to accept or undertake if you decide to buy this home.

If any red flags arise, then you’ll need to decide what is a deal breaker for you or not one. Here’s a rundown of what to expect:

Inspector Who?

Make sure you hire a reputable and experienced inspector. You are welcome to choose any Delaware licensed inspector. The team of inspectors I use are well-trained professionals in the field and do general home inspections, radon inspections, lead-based paint inspections and septic inspections.

Items to Check Off

A home inspector will visually inspect the physical condition of the home and its major systems. A standard checklist usually includes: heating system; cooling system; electrical system; appliances — kitchen/bath/laundry; plumbing; chimney; framing/structure; foundation/basement; drainage; roofing; and garage.

What to Expect

Keep in mind that inspectors look for deficiencies that are in view and won’t pull up carpet or look for any other hidden defects. Also, if the inspector has serious concerns about a specific element, then you may need to hire an expert – such as a structural engineer, HVAC contractor, or plumber — to give you a more thorough evaluation.

If a home is vacant, I will make sure the seller has all of the utilities turned on during the inspection so the inspector can see how they operate. We don’t want to incur the cost of a second trip out to your home!

Time and Cost

On average, a standard inspection can take 2 to 4 hours depending on the size of the home and costs several hundred dollars for home inspections. I will be happy to set up those appointments and get the pricing for you when get to that point.

Special Services

For an additional fee, some inspectors may include items such as wood destroying insects, rodents, mold, fences, pools, spas, sprinkler systems, septic tanks and also environmental services, including testing for radon, lead, asbestos, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde.

Show and Tell

Having an inspection is a great opportunity to gain some first-hand knowledge about the home you are about to purchase. You should accompany the inspector during the inspection to take advantage of his/her expertise and find out how the home functions.

During an inspection, you will see what type of systems exist in your home and their condition. You also can learn how to maintain them, which can be a big help as a new homeowner and for keeping up the value of your home. It’s a good time to ask questions so you understand your home AND the inspection report you’re about to receive.

Report Summary

After the inspection, you will receive a signed report that summarizes what was discovered. This report is your property and no other party is entitled to see it. Remember, it’s important to understand that an inspection is not a warranty since it is limited to what is visually accessible at the time of inspection. Many inspectors carry errors-and-omissions insurance but their contracts often limit their liability to a refund of the fee.

However, if the inspector discovers some major defects , you and I will discuss them and make a plan of action to resolve the issue with repairs or credit.

Red Flag Alerts

Some red flag issues are hidden and hard to see at first so make sure your inspector keeps a keen eye on the following:

•Lack of general maintenance.  A home that hasn’t been properly taken care of for many years could have major issues – such as water damage — lurking. That’s when due diligence is especially needed during an inspection.

•Too many issues in a home that isn’t old. Some issues are typical for a home’s age and location and not the sign of poor construction. For example, you may not mind a fixer-upper that has “good bones” located in a certain neighborhood. However, you do want to steer clear of a home that isn’t really that old for the amount of work it might entail.

•Do-it-yourself additions or any DIY work that isn’t up to code. If the addition looks awkward and cheap, it probably is and could be detrimental to the home when you want to resell. Or, you’ll need to factor in the cost and time to tear down and rebuild properly.

•Termite infestation. This can wreak havoc on a home so you’ll need to determine how bad it is AND how much it will cost to fix and prevent in the future.

•Moisture in the basement.  This can mean two things: the home’s grading has some seepage issues and/or you’ve got the potential for mold. Usually the basement will smell musty if this is the case. Mold is a serious issue and can cause health problems if pervasive, so tread carefully!

•Water marks on the ceiling or walls could signal a leaking roof, gutters rusting, or faulty plumbing.  These can all lead to wood rot and other possible destruction. All can be fixed but you’ll need to determine the extent of the damage. Or this could be a sign of past issues that have already been resolved but you’ll need to find out.

•Cracks in the wall and sloping floors. These indicate possible structural and foundation issues, which can be costly depending on the age of the home.

•Toxic materials in homes built before 1970 such as lead paint or asbestos (found in some building materials). Factor in containment and professional replacement costs before you buy!

•Faulty and outdated wiring. This can be a serious fire hazard so inspectors should check for overloaded circuits and proper grounding.

Take Action

If something was red flagged in the report, you may need to hire an expert and get some estimates for needed repairs before you can move forward with the sale. We will discuss what’s important for the seller to fix, what you can fix or not fix to determine how we will negotiate through these repairs. For some items, it could be a simple solution. A trip to the hardware store may be all that’s needed. Get a list of those items you want to fix yourself and price it out.

If you want to go ahead with the sale, you’ll need to decide if you want the sellers to fix it themselves or offer as credit. If you have a choice, sometimes it’s smarter to hire your own contractors and supervise repairs.

Before issuing a formal “request to repair,” consider the seller’s incentive to hire the cheapest contractor or to replace appliances with the least expensive brands. We will then present the seller’s agent with any repair requests you would like done and the seller will then decide if he is agreeable or not to the repairs. These repairs are usually negotiated through as we all want the same goal–you want to buy the house and the seller wants to sell the house.

As always, I’ll be right by your side if we decide to embark no this homebuyers journey together, so don’t worry too much about home inspections right now—you need to find your home first and go under contract.  I’m just letting you know what to expect along the way so you feel more confident with each step. 

We’re heading into the final weeks of this Buying a Home 101 series and also for your final steps to buying a home. You’ll get the nitty-gritty in the next article, Almost There … Pre-Closing Details for Buyers.  It provides a breakdown of what to expect so you’re ready for the big day.

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