What is a Home Inspection Report?
A home inspection report is a useful tool in the real estate market for both buyers and sellers. A home inspection is an examination of the conditions in a house. These conditions are those that affect the property values and include such items as structure and mechanicals. “The home inspection takes the uncertainty and emotional barriers out of buying a home.” (Gonzalez)
A home inspection is not an appraisal. An appraisal is a method of determining property value and takes into consideration items such as square footage and property value. The home inspection will take these factors into consideration but also accounts for the inside prospective of the home.
The home inspection report is unique to residential properties and is used to determine and diagnose the property characteristics.
We will explore the expectations of a buyer or seller when entering into a home inspection. During the home inspection, the condition and structure of the home will be documented by an inspector after taking a simple visual assessment of the property.
After the exterior is visually inspected, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are examined and their performance recorded. The inspector will not disassemble the equipment but turn it off and on to see if it is in working condition. The inspection will report any observed material defects.
Plumbing is an important component of a home and the inspector will visually examine the operation of the plumbing system. The water flow is expected to be free of any obstruction so clear, clean flow of water should occur. The inspector is making sure that sewage and waste return is separate from the fresh water supply. Additionally, the inspector will visually check the water heater.
The electrical system is also visually inspected and lights and outlets randomly checked. The notation of the type of electrical box as to whether the service is fuse or switch triggered will be documented in your inspection. In conjunction with the electrical and heating review some inspectors will offer a thermal imaging inspection using an infrared camera to give the information on heat loss and any electrical problems that are not visible to the causal observance.
Choosing a home inspector can be a difficult process in some areas because of the large amount of inspectors available and their different levels of education and competency. When considering a home inspector, there are several approved education institutions, and although not national, they can be found on the individual state sites such as nachi.org or npiweb.com. These national home inspection schools add credibility to the training given to the inspector. These sites will also give a list of the inspectors in your area by zip code.
The average fee for this service is between $350 and $500 and varies according to location, size and type of inspection needed. The home inspector will ask several questions before quoting a price so it is best to call and discuss prices with a few inspectors in your home area. It is prudent when buying or selling a home to get a home inspection. This will save money on expenses later on after the purchase and in some cases help to firmly set the selling price.
