Home Buyers: The Importance of Hiring a Home Inspector

A home buyer should insist upon a home inspection being performed! In fact, a satisfactory result of the home inspection should be a contingency of the offer to purchase a home.

If the home inspector finds problems or situations that need to be addressed that the seller is not willing to correct, the offer to purchase could be null and void, or findings by the home inspector could end up being points of negotiation between the seller and the potential buyer.

A home inspector will evaluate and inspect every inch of the home-inside, outside, under and over. In other words, everything from the crawl space to the chimney should be inspected as well as all system within the house.

Generally, the home inspector will walk around the exterior of the home to see if there are any glaring problems, such as loose siding, chipped or cracked paint around exterior trim or windows and cracks in the foundation. The home inspector will also check the downspouts and gutters to be sure they're firmly attached and functioning

If the house has a crawlspace, the inspector will crawl under the house and check the foundation from under the house, check the beams and supports in the floor, check for dampness and any other obvious problems.

The home inspection will also include a check of all appliances to be sure they are working properly and often the home inspector will start the dishwasher and let it run through a cycle. The inspector will also turn on the oven's bake and broil features, turn on the stove burners and run water through the kitchen sink.

Bathrooms will be checked to ensure the toilets are in good working order, sink faucets will be turned on and tubs and/or showers will be checked for water pressure and also for water damage to nearby walls and floors.

The furnace and hot water heater will be checked to ensure they are working properly and the inspector will probably ask when either or both were installed or replaced.