Tips to Prepare for A Home Inspection

You’ve found the perfect home, now what? Before you make your final decision, you’ll need to hire a home inspector to ensure everything on the property is in good condition. A home inspector can find parts of your potential home that you may not have even thought to look at. They’ll identify everything on the property that needs repairs or doesn’t follow the latest safety codes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at this step, don’t worry! We’ve put together a few tips below to help you through the process. 

Before you’re ready for a home inspection, you’ll need to hire an inspector. Here are a few tips to help:

1. Ask Your Real Estate Agent

Sitting at the top of our list, this tip will help lift any sort of weight off of your shoulders. Our real estate agents work with a multitude of vendors and would be happy to share a list of local home inspectors that have a great reputation.

2. Ask Question Before You Hire

Just like anyone looking to hire someone, take the extra step to call and interview your potential home inspectors. By doing so, you’ll be able to get a good feel of the kind of quality work they’ll do and if you’ll be able to work well with them.

3. Read the Reviews

Turning to resources like Yelp, Google My Business and Angie’s List are a great way to get honest and real feedback. Just remember to take the good with the bad. Many users are more likely to post bad reviews than they are good. So be sure to read each piece of feedback carefully to determine whether you should hire or move on.

4. Request Their Price

This may seem like a simple step, but it can be an important one for many first-time home buyers and those with a strict budget. And remember, a high price doesn’t always mean the best quality of work. So be sure to ask them the reasoning behind their price, the size of homes they typically do, if they have any specialties, etc. And then do your research in the third step above to help you determine if they’re worth the money.

Now that you have hired your inspector, let’s take a look at a few tips to help you prepare for inspection day:

1. Make a List

Sit down and take some time to list out all the areas of the home you’d like to give another look and ask your inspector to examine. This could include areas like the foundation, the roof, rain gutters, appliances, and more. This list will help give you something to focus on while your home inspector looks around. Then, you can sit down together to discuss your areas of concern and their evaluation at the same time.

2. Bring Items for Notes

Many home inspectors these days will provide you with a recap of their inspection, but it’s still good to come prepared with a way to take notes on what they’re seeing. Whether it be a pen and paper or the notes app on your phone, write down everything the inspector says that’s worth noting and any questions you may have for them or your real estate agent.

3. Dress for Success

Depending on the home, you could potentially be walking through the yard, crawling in tight spaces, or standing for a few hours. To set yourself up for success, wear comfortable shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and can move easily in.

4. Be Ready to Take Pictures

Whether your home inspector has some areas of concern or you do, take pictures of everything. These images will be helpful to reference at a later date, especially if there are any negotiations before closing. These will also be good to save for before and after examples of the work you do to your home in the future. 

Now that we’ve covered a few tips to consider before your home inspection, let’s make sure you start your home buying experience on the right foot. Our real estate agents are ready to help you find the home of your dreams every step of the way, so visit our Contact Page or give us a call at (817) 717-6036 to get started today!

Sources:

https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/tips-to-find-the-best-home-inspector

https://www.opendoor.com/w/guides/home-inspection-checklist-for-buyers

https://housemaster.com/article/buyers-the-home-inspection-checklist-you-need-to-read