Home Inspections - 5 Tips for the Best Experience!

After months of searching, you’ve FINALLY found a house that you’d like to purchase. It’s time to call the home inspector to see what problems you’ll have to look forward to! 

While that’s certainly an aspect of what we do, home inspectors offer so much more than just that. Buying a house is a big step. Whether it’s your first home or your 5th, it’s likely the biggest investment you’ve ever made and your home inspector wants you to be able to enjoy it for as long as you intend to live there.

A home inspection is not only a deeper look into your new home, but an in-depth course - teaching you how to maintain it, what to look out for and be aware of, and what you have to look forward to in the future. Unfortunately, though, not all Cuyahoga County home inspectors are created equally. Here’s five things you do to make sure you get the best experience:

1. Research your Home Inspector. It’s usually easy to take the recommendation of your family or realtor when choosing a home inspector. While we understand that completely, we urge you - do your own research! Regulations and standards change regularly. Making sure that your home inspector is up to date on their certifications is incredibly important.
 

2. Attend the inspection personally. This is important for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons to be present for your home inspection is this: while most home inspectors aren’t permitted to offer suggestions regarding whether or not to buy a home (and they will definitely never write it in the report) your inspector will likely be able to walk you through the different repairs, estimate the cost involved, and how well that works with your budget if you are there to monitor the inspection. 

3. We know it can be lengthy, but read the inspection thoroughly. Too many sellers or prospective homeowners toss aside the inspection and never read it, viewing it as simply a formality of buying a new home. However, a good home inspector will, in clear and concise wording, break down all the issues (present and potential) and what will be involved in correcting them.

4. Get a pre-sale home inspection. Many sellers choose to leave the home inspection to the home buyers. While this might be a good way to save a little bit of money, having a home inspected before putting it on the market ensures that there will be no costly surprises later on down the road.  Not only that, but it will also shorten your buyer’s cycle eliminating the need to go back and forth with repairs after the prospective buyer has their home inspector comb through the house.

5. Prep the home before the inspection. This a courtesy to the inspector coming into your home, and it goes a long way with them. When a home inspector doesn’t have to empty your crawl space or climb around last year’s Christmas decorations to check out your attic, it makes their job easier and faster. And easier to identify possible problems! If you’re selling your home and have a scheduled appointment with a home inspector, there’s a few things you can do to help out. Unlock doors and remove pad locks and pet/child gates. While it can feel intrusive to have a home inspector going through your home, preparing for their visit (and recognizing that it will be an in-depth look at your home) can make a world of a difference!