Whenever you get ready to sell your home, you may have heard the words home inspection. So what is a home inspection? How does it work? And how often should you do it? Keep reading to find out.
What is a home inspection?
Whenever a person is selling a home, the buyer hires a professional home inspector to come out to the property to perform a visual observation to ensure that the home matches the state’s requirements for health, safety and mechanical ordinances. The main point of a home inspection is to make sure that the house is safe and liveable.
What is the process?
A home inspector will come to your home for a few hours and inspect the interior and exterior. While walking around, they will record any broken, defected or hazardous issues with the house. During the walk, they will look at these areas:
- Exterior walls
- Foundation
- Grading
- Garage or carport
- Roof
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- HVAC
- Water heater
- Kitchen appliances
- Laundry room
- Fire safety
- Bathrooms
The main issues they are looking for are:
- Water damages
- Structural issues
- Roof damage
- Damaged electrical systems
- Plumbing problems
- Pest infestations
- HVAC system issues
Your home inspector will not look for:
- Inside walls
- Inside pipes or sewer lines
- Inside chimneys
- Behind electrical panels
- Or other cosmetic issues
Once they finish the walkthrough, they will submit their inspection for grading. This report can take three to four days to get your score back.
How to prepare for an inspection?
Before you have a home inspector walk around your home, you should prepare yourself and your house for the inspection. Here are some steps you need to take:
- Compile all maintenance, routine and home service receipts
- Clear out clutter
- Give the inspector access (codes, keys, garage openers, etc.)
- Lock up pets
- Working light bulbs
- Run water
- Replace HVAC filters
- Trim trees
Who can inspect my home?
Not anyone can inspect your home. Instead, you need a professional, trustworthy home inspector to come out to your property. You can easily find one through online business directories, or we can give you a list of references in Belleville, Edwardsville and O’Fallon.
How often should I get my house inspected?
A home inspection does not have to happen every year. However, we recommend a contractor to come and check out your home once a year to see if there is anything that needs to be repaired or replaced. We even have a package called the Total Home Care Club Package, where our team of experts comes in and inspect your home front top to bottom. Or, you can get your home inspected right before you sell it or every three to five years.
Now that you understand what a home inspection is and how important it is for your property, we want to know if your house is due for one? If your home inspector gave you a list of issues or repairs you need to resolve, then let us help. Give Valor Home Services a call today for more information.
