What Does a Home Inspector Look for During an Inspection?

When buying or selling a house it's important to understand what happens during an inspection. Learn what an expert home inspector looks for during an inspection.

What Does a Home Inspector Look for During an Inspection?

When you have a contract to buy a new home, it's easy to fall in love with its potential. But before you stay too long in seventh heaven, you'll need to check the reality of a home inspection. During a home inspection, a professionally trained inspector visually and physically evaluates the entire structure, from the foundation to the roof, for potential defects or warning signs. A home inspection should include the examination of all major systems, including plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical and appliance systems.

The home inspector will also examine structural components, such as the roof, foundation, basement, exterior and interior walls, fireplace, doors and windows. Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long history of helping people make smart financial decisions. We have maintained this reputation for more than four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people the confidence to decide what steps to take next. Roofs need to be replaced from time to time, which can be an expensive process. As part of your inspection report, an inspector will normally provide an estimate of how many years in good condition the roof has left before considering replacing it.

During the inspection of a real estate home in Indiana, the buyer can talk to the inspector and ask him any questions about the condition of the property. A good inspector will know when to call heavyweights and can even count on a network of specialists to whom they can refer you. A number of national organizations, including the American Society of Home Inspectors and the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, train and certify inspectors to meet strict criteria. In any home, the inspector is likely to encounter minor problems (a leaking faucet, a squeaking door), but the main goal is to discover the main flaws. Yes, a home inspection can affect the appraisal, but only if the home inspector finds some major defects that negatively affect the value of the property. In addition to checking the ventilation of the water heater, the inspector will also check its maximum temperature to ensure that the tap water doesn't get hot enough to burn anyone.

When choosing your inspector, you should look for one of these certifications to ensure that your inspector has obtained additional certification in addition to being licensed. Even if a home inspector is going to buy a home, they must commission a third objective to carry out the inspection. Unlike a home inspector, the appraiser doesn't crawl into the basement or climb onto the roof looking for problems. As a seller, on the other hand, you'll want to know what the inspector will be looking for so you can be prepared for your visit and help make everything go as smoothly as possible. If serious problems arise, talk to your home inspector and real estate agent about the best ways to proceed. Talk to your home inspector and real estate agent about the best path to take if you discover these types of problems.

As with most things in life, the cheapest inspector isn't always the best, especially if your state doesn't license home inspectors. Many of these appliances have built-in safety features, but a good inspector will ensure that the safety equipment is properly activated. If they detect something of concern, the inspector might recommend a chimney inspector who will use a specialized camera to look inside the chimney and chimney. An inspector can determine if a roof was built correctly by a professional or if it was built carelessly by an amateur.