With 88% of home buyers using a home inspector, they’re a critical part of the buying process.
As they should be! Home inspectors can prevent buyers from ending up in a very sticky situation where they have to spend a lot on repairs after paying the monumental closing fees for a house.
However, you might be wondering what home inspectors actually look for. Read on to find out.
Anything Wrong With the HVAC
A home inspector will look and see if anything is wrong with the HVAC system. The last thing you want is to have the heating stop working in winter, or move to a hot city only to find out that the air conditioning is faulty.
If there is anything wrong with the HVAC system or it doesn’t meet the standards it should, a house inspector should uncover this.
Electrical Faults
A home inspector will also look for electrical faults. Not only can electrical faults be very inconvenient when you’ve just moved into a home, but they can be highly dangerous.
They’ll check out the electricity system in the home to the best of their ability.
Plumbing Damage
They’ll also look for plumbing damage. Although a home inspector can’t dig all the way down to the sewer line, they will run all the water in the house and look at any exposed pipes.
This will give you a good idea of if the plumbing is working. It may not uncover faults that run deeper into the ground, but if there are any obvious ones, you’ll know.
Roof Damage
Home inspections also involve looking at the roof. They should look for any damage, as well as having a good idea of how long the roof is likely to last.
For example, the roof may have no signs of damage yet, but it may be old and need to be replaced in the next few years. They’ll be able to look at this and advise you of it so you can take it into account when making a purchase decision.
Water Damage
Home inspectors will also look for water damage in all its various forms. It could be mold where there’s been a leak, or it could be something bigger, like damage to the foundation of the house because of floods.
This is more likely to be found if you’re buying a house in a flood zone, but water damage can be found anywhere and it can really compromise the home.
Home Inspectors Look For All These Things and More
Home inspectors will specifically look for all of these things, but they’ll look at anything they can and report what’s picked up. Home inspectors are integral to the buying process, because they can really protect the buyer from spending money on a house only to find out it’s not what was promised.
They may find major faults, or just things to bear in mind for the years to come.
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