What is a Home Inspection?

Click to watch video on Instagram

Home Inspections can be intimidating! If you've never owned a home before and you're not super handy or familiar with the systems of a home (roof, foundation, heating/cooling, electrical) - how are you supposed to make sense of it? This is a 4-part series where I break down each step of the physical inspection process. Stay tuned this week for more tips on this subject!

Let's start with basics - a General Inspection provides a written report detailing, in the inspector's professional opinion, what components and systems of the property are not working properly, are a safety hazard, or are nearing the end of their service lives.

I was joking in my video! Nothing lasts "forever" (sigh) and you should really view your (potential) new home as a living, breathing organism. They move and shift with the earth beneath them, everything eventually wears down with repeated use, and a home routinely needs maintenance and repair to stay in good condition. It’s a sign of a THOROUGH inspection when there’s a list of items that need maintenance or some repair, not a sign of a “bad home”.

It's super important to understand that these inspections will be thorough but limited - they can only give their opinion on items that are readily and easily accessible. Now, I've seen inspectors squeeze into tight spaces and crawl underneath homes and make every effort to view every part of the home... But they've got to do this within reason and make sure they're not endangering themselves or damaging the building.

If something concerns you on a report, call in a specialist! They can give you a more granular look at that particular component.