Once you are done with the offer on the home and it has been accepted, you have a wide range of inspections that you can choose from. Agencies that provide this service give you a number of ways in which you can go about this. You could opt for complete home inspections or separate ones, or those that are a combination of both methods. You along with your agent will specify in your offer to the seller on what you have in mind to be inspected.
Why a Home Inspection?
In a home inspection, in Elkhart County, a home inspector take a good long look at the structure of the house. He provides feedback on other systems functioning in the house like the air- conditioning, or the heating and even the insulation against windows. The main idea behind a Home Inspection is to give either the buyer or the seller the right idea on what he is about to get for his money. A visual inspection of the site is a must for accuracy.
Many may doubt the need for home inspections. Since they are not mandatory you may feel its ok to let go especially during closing times. However, the fact is that you may move into the house and find that there are many problems with the essentials such as the electrical systems or possibly the chimney in the kitchen. As a seller, you should do this so that your potential buyer does not void the contract and move on. As a buyer, you will need to do this so that you know that you are getting your money’s worth.
At the time of inspection, if certain problems are uncovered, then you should have covered your bases as a prospective home buyer. Your offer letter to the seller will have to include a clause where you can void the contract should there be problems at the time of inspection that are more than what you are willing to handle. Such contingencies should be verbally added in the document. It is wrong to assume that every repair you demand be taken up. It is not mandatory for the homeowner to do so. Nevertheless, going through your contract document in great deal will be necessary.
How a Home Inspection Works
Choosing the right inspector is also very important. Experienced ones will have looked through thousands of homes and will have the necessary order of things down straight. They will know what to look for and will do so without you having to tell them. If you do have friends and family who can do the job for you, it would be a good idea not to use them. In the small chance that they do miss a problem with the house, you would not want bad blood to be there.
It is natural to think that every new construction is problem-free. Fact is, it need not be. There may be oversights and minor issues that could snowball later. This is where a house inspection will really help. The home inspection industry is not a regulated one and hence there are no set qualifications or certifications. The only thing you can do is go on the basis of recommendations, do your own research and interview at least 3 inspectors before you actually settle on any one of them. One of the questions you could ask is about the number of homes he has covered; if there are any in the vicinity, you could speak to its inhabitants regarding the inspector’s work, etc.
You could also check and see if they are part of any professional organizations that may have a minimum qualification for them to get in. Check on these qualifications. An important thing you can look for is if these inspectors carry Errors & Omissions insurance? This is a form of malpractice insurance which is really good to have should they not noticed a significant issue.
In general, the home inspection will cover the following aspects:
- Interiors i.e. the non-cosmetic part
- The foundation
- The bathrooms and the plumbing system
- The electrical system
- Heating and air-conditioning
- The basement
- Any crawl spaces
- Frames of the house
- Areas such as the attic, loft
- The kitchen and the chimney
Ideally, it would be best if you were present for the inspection. It often takes not more than 3 hours. What a good inspector will do is provide the buyer with pre-inspection agreement with his fee included. He will invite you to join the inspection and explain things as he goes. It is the duty of the inspector to report every minor defect he sees, no matter how insignificant. Understanding all of the issues with the inspector close at hand will allow you to take charge of what needs to be done going forward.
(source: American Society of Home Inspectors)
