Home Inspectors

One of the most important parts of the home buying process is having the home inspected. You should never buy a home without having it thoroughly inspected. A home inspector will comb through the home and return to you a thorough report listing aspects of the home that need repairing or maintaining.

Find a Home Inspector

The home buyer pays for the home inspection. You can locate professional home inspectors through the American Society of Home Inspectors or the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. You might also ask friends and family members for a home inspector recommendation. I am unable to recommend a specific inspector due to the conflict of interest that is involved with the process. I can however provide a list of local certified inspectors for you to choose (listed at the bottom of this page).

Having the Home Inspected

Typically, the home inspection comes after you’ve signed a sales contract. Our Lee county contract’s include a clause for the home inspection and lets you back out of the sale if home inspector finds the home needs major repairs.

Here are the most common areas of the home that are inspected:

• Heating system
• Central air conditioning system
• Interior plumbing system, including the type and condition of plumbing used. Most home inspections do not include sewer inspection.
• Electrical system inspection of wiring, grounding, fans, main panel, ceiling fans, light fixtures, and circuit breakers.
• Roof construction and gutters
• Attic framing and ventilation
• Walls
• Ceilings
• Floors
• Windows
• Doors
• Foundation
• Appliances
• Garage
• Basement and other structural components

Home Inspection Results

If the house inspection report shows problems it’s up to you, the buyer, to decide how you would like those problems solved. Some issues may be minor enough that you can fix them on your own. Or, you may ask the seller to reduce the price of the home in lieu of repairs that need to be made. In some cases, you might ask the seller to make the repairs before you purchase the home. Finally, some repairs might be so significant that you decide not to purchase the home at all. Talk with your home inspector about the results of the report and the impact and cost of making the repairs.