Field Guide for the Home Seller
Most homes that are for sale require a home inspection to confirm that they are sound and in good condition. A home inspector is the person who is qualified to carryout an inspection of your house, normally on behalf of a buyer, or on behalf of yourself, should you wish to hire one. Most qualified inspectors act under the guidelines of ASHI (The American Society of Home Inspectors).
Why Inspection?
There are many reasons why someone would want a home inspection carried out, but they are mainly used to find out if there are any faults in the property, that the seller or buyer should know about before they conclude the sale.
In some situations real estate sellers may decide that before they list their property they desire to have a home inspection carried. This could be for any number of reasons, however the most normal reason is that they want to see if there are any little faults with the house that can be fixed, relatively cheaply, before it goes on the market, giving the property more weight that can be used as a negotiating tool with the buyers.
Preparing The Home
If you are having an inspection you must have your house and other items prepared before the inspector visits. Getting your house ready for and inspection from a home inspector can be difficult as there is an abundance of things to get done. If you organize everything properly then the inspection can go very smoothly. If you need to you should seek the advice of your realtor about what to expect and how to prepare for an inspection.
Even though a licensed inspector can inspect most of your house, and give a good account of its condition, they may not be at the required standard to comment on other important areas of your property. If this is the case you may need a separate inspection to examine faults is systems such as the water and electricity supplies.
You have to remember that a home inspection is not a pass and fail test, moreover it is an analysis of the general condition of your property and the various systems within it. The buyer, or customer, who hires the inspector, will be the one who decides how to view the final inspectors report.
There's Always Something Wrong
In reality very few properties escape a home inspection unscathed, and a typical houses usually requires annual repairs and maintenance that costs around 1-2% of the value of the property. More often that not, however, home inspectors find that properties need between 2-8%, of the value of the property, in repairs and maintenance costs.
There are many faults and repairs that can be found during a home inspection including wood paneling, roofs and roof venting systems and the guttering.
Home inspectors are under the ASHI so when you have a home inspector come to visit you expect them to be impartial and fair. What you don't want is for the inspector to use a home inspection "as a vehicle" for gaining extra work in a related field. The policy of the ASHI prohibits its members from acting as a referral service.
