What To Expect When You’re Inspecting A Home

Whether you’re purchasing your first home or you’re an experienced buyer, each property has its own unique considerations when it comes to ensuring a safe environment and sound investment. Not only are home inspections vital – it’s also vital to complete them correctly and comprehensively within the established time frame.

Many buyers are undereducated about the home inspection process. As a buyer, you don’t necessarily need to know every detail about home inspections, but you should have a good understanding of the basics. Most importantly, you should know what to look for in a strong real estate team that can guide and advise you throughout the entire process. Here are a few essential considerations.

Select the right team.

A good agent knows as much about people as they do about real estate. They should not only be sensitive to your individual budget and lifestyle considerations, but they should also have long-standing relationships with local inspectors, contractors, etc. and be able to recommend those who best align with your personality and objectives.

Your agent should educate you about the home inspection process as part of your initial consultation and onboarding process. Some agents even offer workshops about how to determine which home inspections are necessary and how to negotiate with sellers. Additionally, they may review the particulars of previous sales with their clients to familiarize them with the cadence of a successful real estate transaction.

Have a plan and act fast.

Once you’ve found the right home, your agent should work with you to draft an offer that takes into consideration the specific inspections you might need. This way, you’ve already allotted the appropriate time for inspections to be completed after you’ve placed money into escrow.

At minimum, your first round of inspections should include a standard home inspection – which analyzes the home’s heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems, as well as the roof and other structural components – and a termite inspection. These inspections should be front-loaded, ideally within the first few days, allowing 24 to 48 hours for the reports to come back and additional time to arrange for any necessary specialist inspectors.

Read more at forbes.com