You did it! You got pre-approved, you found your dream home, you made an offer (that got accepted), you’re officially under contract, now the fun begins! It’s time for your home inspection! Not quite sure what to expect? We’re here to give you the details on what your home inspector will (and won’t) do when they check out your home.

Let’s start out with what a home inspector is. A home inspector is someone you can hire to examine every nook and cranny of a home before you buy or sell it. They offer a professional assessment of the property and help to identify any problem areas that have the potential to turn what may seem like a dream home into a much more costly endeavor.  They also act as reassurance when the items they identify are minor.

Now that we’ve covered what a home inspector is, let’s cover what they do!

1. Inspect the Property

As the name suggests, the home inspector will inspect the property. They will investigate every area of the home’s exterior and interior. When doing this, these are the main areas they will cover:

• Exterior structures: These include the roof, exterior foundation, chimney, and gutters
• Interior structures: These include basements, crawl spaces, and windows
• Home systems: These include HVAC units, appliances, and exposed ductwork
• Utilities: Electrical and plumbing systems

Whether you’re the current homeowner or the potential future owner of the home, it’s a good idea to be present during the inspection. It can help to walk through with a fresh set of eyes and see any potential issues firsthand.

2. Answer Questions

It should come as no surprise that home inspectors are a wealth of home-related information. If you have questions about something—like why the basement has standing water in the corner—you should ask them during the inspection. Most of them will be more than happy to share their knowledge.

An inspector can easily address your concerns and tell you whether or not you should worry about a particular issue. If you do decide to attend the inspection, make sure to be respectful of your inspector’s time. Try to take notes and hold most of your questions until after they’ve completed the inspection.

3. Take Photos and Videos

Not only will your inspector create an extensively detailed report about what they’ve discovered during your inspection, they will also take photos (and oftentimes even videos) of areas in question. 

This step can be extremely helpful when they’re detailing areas that you might not be comfortable checking yourself, like the attic or crawl space. Thorough home inspections that include photos and videos are vital pieces when it comes to negotiating repairs prior to closing.

4. Scope Out Hard-to-Reach Spots

As we mentioned above, your inspector will likely venture to a few places that you’d probably not enjoy, such as the attic, basement crawl space or onto the roof. It’s totally fine to watch this part from a distance or simply refer to the photos/notes in their report when they return. 

If they happen to find any major issues, you may choose to venture out and see for yourself but keep in mind that this step is crucial in the home inspection process, so make sure that your home inspector visits the hard-to-reach areas.

5. Provide Unbiased Insight

Once they’ve completed their report, your home inspector will give you a list of any issues they’ve uncovered as well as any additional inspections they suggest. They’ll also provide you with their unbiased professional opinion on the severity of any items they’ve noted in their report.

While it’s true that they may make some strong recommendations regarding the issues they find, a home inspector won’t tell you whether or not you should pull out of your contract – even if they do uncover some gnarly things. That’s where having a realtor you can trust is vital.

The Inspection is Complete, Now What?

Once the inspection is complete, you’ll typically have to wait a few days to receive the inspection report. This can take up to a week sometimes. Your inspector will have covered a lot of ground in their report. They’ll send all of their photos, notes, and information to you along with their report. It’s absolutely vital to extensively review this and determine next steps for your current or potential future home. Your realtor will be able to guide you through the report and help you create the best plan of action.

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