How Long Does a Typical Home Inspection Take?

If you are thinking about purchasing a house in the local area, you need to take the time to find the right property to meet your needs. It is important that you are aware of any issues with the home or property that you're looking to purchase prior to officially buying it. It would be disasterous to get locked into a mortgage on a home in disrepair, that may not only hurt its value, but may make it unsafe for you or your family to live in.

How can you avoid this outcome? The best way to mitigate these sorts of risks is by employing the services of a home inspector, to fully examine the house and property, and provide a full report of the condition of the home, so you and your family can know everything that may require fixing.

Is a Home Inspection Required?

First, it is important to understand that a home inspection is not required; however, you probably want to have one performed before you decide to purchase a house. Typically, a home inspection takes place after you have made an offer on a home. After all, if you do not own that specific house, you would not be able to get an inspection on someone else's home without making an offer first.

Importantly, the homeowner does not necessarily have to let you perform a home inspection. They might decide to refuse your offer entirely if you ask for a home inspection; however, if someone doesn't want you to get a home inspection on the propterty in question, there's probably a reason why you should go with a different house anyway.

Therefore, you need to get a home inspection done before you decide to go through with the offer on a house.

What Does a Home Inspection Look At?

Importantly, a home inspection is going to vary from place to place. For example, a home inspection in Miami is not necessarily going to look at the same areas of a house when compared to a home inspection performed in Georgia. At the same time, there are several important areas that a home inspection will cover. These include:

• Structural Components: A home inspection is going to take a look at structural components. For example, the home inspector is going to take a look at the foundation and make sure there's not a crack present.
• The Roof: Your home inspector is also going to take a look at the roof. You should expect to get approximately 20 years of life out of a roof; however, this can vary depending on the materials used. If the roof has a lot of damage, you might need to replace it, so you want to know this before you decide to buy the house.
• HVAC: A home inspection will also take a look at the HVAC system. Your HVAC is responsible for heating and air conditioning. You want the HVAC system to be in good working order. If you need to replace it shortly after buying a house, you could be out tens of thousands of dollars.
• Electricity: A home inspector will also take a look at the electrical system of the house to make sure it is working appropriately. That way, you know if you need to do any repairs.
• The Plumbing: A home inspector will also take a look at most aspects of the home’s plumbing. You need to clarify the areas that might not necessarily be covered on the home inspection.

Because a home inspection is comprehensive in nature, you want to get one done before you decide to buy a house.

How Do You Find a Home Inspector?

So, if you want to have a home inspection performed, how do you find a home inspector? There are a few ways you can do so. Because you should work with a local real estate agent, you should talk to the agent to see if he or she has a recommendation for a home inspector you can use.

Or, if you are receiving financing on your house, you might want to talk to your lender to see if they can recommend a home inspector for you. That way, you can find a reliable home inspection company with rave reviews to handle these tasks. Your home inspection is very important, and you need to find the right person to do the job.

How Long Does a Home Inspection Take?

Next, if you order a home inspection, how long will it take? First, most home inspections will take place pretty quickly after you reach out to schedule one. Most home inspection companies understand that you would like to close within approximately 30 days. Therefore, they should be able to meet your timeframe.

Then, when your home inspector comes out, expect the home inspection to take approximately two to four hours. You do not necessarily need to be present for the home inspection, but you may want to be there. If you cannot be there, you may want your real estate agent to be there instead. You will also gain access to the report after the inspection is done.

There are a number of factors that will dictate how long the home inspection will take. These include:

• The experience of the person doing the home inspection
• The age of the house
• The size of the house
• The location of the house
• The items being covered in the home inspection

You need to be patient with the home inspector. You do not want him or her to overlook anything important.

What Should You Do After a Home Inspection?

After the home inspection is done, you need to take a look at the report to see what types of issues were uncovered. It is highly unusual to see a home inspection that has absolutely nothing wrong with the home; however, you want to pay attention to the big-ticket items. Are the utility systems intact? Does the HVAC unit work well? What is the state of the roof? Even if you do not plan on asking the seller to do any repairs, you still need to know what is wrong with the house.

If there are significant issues with the home, you may ask the seller to give you a repair credit. Or, you may want to walk away from the house entirely.

Work With Ormond Beachside - Mike Glisson

If you are looking for a house in the local Ormond Beach area, you need to work with an experienced real estate agent who can help you. At Ormond Beachside, it would be our honor to help you find your next home. Contact Mike today to schedule an appointment!