Home Inspections: A Wise Investment for Homebuyers

By Stephen M. Gladstone

Home inspections are now the rule and no longer the exception with wise homebuyers. Anyone who has bought a home, be it a new or used one, can attest to the horror stories of problems popping up in their dream house, almost as quickly as the papers are signed.

Take the dripping faucet that suddenly turns into a plumber's second vacation... or the broken window sash that requires hiring a carpenter for the price of his kids college tuition.

We fear it, and yet many of us casually spend more money than we ever thought possible on a home with little attention turned to the potential needs and repairs the future can inevitably bring.

Enter the Home Inspector...not Superman, or a soothsayer looking into a crystal ball, but a modern day home detective who evaluates the clues and conditions made much more obvious to him from his training, and the day to day inspections of a wide variety of homes and condominiums.

Often the Inspector can note many subtle signs within the home that can suggest potential problems or hazards, and just as importantly note the many good aspects of construction and mechanical systems in operation, to help establish that there is value to the new home. Water stains, curled roof shingles, termite tubes, peeling paint, and other clues missed by a homebuyer can add thousands of dollars to the cost of a home. Often this happens because they were not trained to focus on these types of details.

While the Inspector is not performing the service to provide a guarantee or warranty, his intent is to establish the visible conditions of the home at the time of the inspection. The careful step by step procedure often taking two and a half hours or more at the site, is the best protection a buyer can have. In addition, the Inspector should be able to discuss with the client maintenance needs, be willing to explain how the home systems operate, show where the safety equipment and emergency shut-offs are, and how to use them.

A purchaser should leave the inspection with a good understanding of the condition of the home, know a bit about the functioning of the various home mechanical systems, and after all the on-site discussions are done, feel more secure that this house is the house they want to purchase. No house can fail an inspection, but the conditions found often dictate the next round of negotiations and /or decision to continue the process. The buyers should also have a feel for the life expectancy of the important systems within the home and some idea about projected costs. The written report should follow and should reaffirm the conditions established at the site. It often becomes an instrument for negotiation in the final contract, if unforeseen items are found.