What is a Home Inspection?

Any Sally and Sam Homebuyer can look at a home and decide whether it is attractive. They might notice it is freshly painted in pleasing colors, has the requisite number of rooms, a cook's kitchen and is located in a location with top schools. But what about less obvious parts of the house?

It takes special expertise to determine if the functional parts of a home are in good shape. If you attend an open house, how do you determine if there are plumbing problems, electrical problems, structural problems, drainage problems, the condition of heating and air conditioning equipment and the condition of literally hundreds of other items that could cause concern?

Enter the home inspector.

A home inspector is trained to be a detective in regard to the construction and working parts of homes. It is not an exact science.

The home inspector cannot tear into things, so they can't always see everything they'd like to. They do, however, come equipped with ladders, strong flashlights, and devices to measure various things related to plumbing, electrical and other necessary home items. Importantly, a home inspector will also typically bring a digital camera to photograph problems such as roof shingles not lying flat, signs of mildew from leaking pipes and construction that doesn't comply with building codes. They don't miss much.

It's a good idea for the buyer to be present during the home inspection. If you ask them to, home inspectors will usually explain how things work to you. This is important as they can show you where cut off valves are, how to remove filters for cleaning or replacement and tell you how often various maintenance chores need to be done. This information can be very valuable if you ultimately purchase the property.

It's also a good idea to ask the home inspector if there are any particular tests they would perform if they were buying the home. For example, radon gas (a colorless, odorless gas which is a carcinogen) can be a problem in some parts of the country. It can be detected, measured, and, if levels are above EPA standards, there are procedures to deal with it successfully. A home inspector can help identify such issues for you.

It's easy to see that a home inspection can provide a wealth of valuable information. While it is easy to fall in love with a listed home, a home inspector can be the key to avoiding disastrous discoveries down the line.

Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing homes for sale by owner, "FSBO", properties. Are you thinking, "Should I sell my home?" Visit http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to sell your home sale for free for one month.

---

Selling Houses: Psychological Effects of Landscaping

Buyers think they care more about the inside of the... Read More

Chapter One FSBO the Russ Miles thriller/mystery novel

Chapter OneShe reached the phone on its second ring. "This... Read More

The Irish Property Market - Expensive But Worth It?

Lying on the edge of Europe facing out to the... Read More

Dont Overpay for a House, Even in Todays Market

If there's one thing American investors love, it's an over-inflated... Read More

Ten Steps for Becoming a Successful Real Estate Investor

The secret to success in real estate investment is finding... Read More

How to Become a Successful Real Estate Developer

Real estate investment and development has never been a more... Read More

Real Estate Investing - Free Vacations While Searching for Real Estate Acquisitions

Real estate investing professionals look for all possible tax deductions... Read More

Why Real Estate?

Five months ago I was faced with a decision to... Read More

New Home Construction - The American Dream or The American Nightmare?

Buying a new home is suppose to be the American... Read More

Home Warranties: Are They Too Good To Be True?

What is a 'Home Warranty?'A home warranty is like an... Read More

Buying a House in Scotland

Buying a house in Scotland is slightly different from buying... Read More

How to Sell Your Home Without a Real Estate Agent

Considering the rapid rise in home prices over the past... Read More

Crossing the Gap from this Home to the Next: Bridge Loan

So you're thinking of getting into a bigger house. You... Read More

Good Tenants - Learn Twelve Ways Landlords Keep Them

Happy, Long-term Good Tenants Paying On Time How to Create... Read More

Investing In Commercial Property

Why commercial property?Compared to residential property investments, commercial property offers... Read More

The Real Estate Market In Spain: Making Profits Out Of Sand

The Real estate market in Spain keeps gaining momentum and... Read More

FSBO: For Sale By Owners Chapter IV [part 1]

Like a monarch, Red Haring reigned in the deep leather... Read More

If You Cant Afford to Retire...Move

According to Warren Bland, PhD, an award-winning author and geographer... Read More

Real Estate, Real Property and Leased Land; Definitions, Discussion and Explanations

Delaware, and the rest of the original British Colonies, has... Read More

The Key to Real Estate Investing Success Revealed!

How did you get into real estate investing? Did you... Read More

Buying Houses: Types of Bargains to Find

To make a good profit in real estate, you must... Read More

What Does It Take To Be A Donald Trump in Real Estate?

Since you are a business oriented person, you might be... Read More

Sell Your California Home For Top Dollar

HOW TO SELL YOUR HOME FOR TOP DOLLAR1. Make your... Read More

The 21st Century Way To Build Equity

Here to stay and firmly established in the U.S. mortgage... Read More

Home Loans ? Identity Theft Protection Could Hurt Home Sales

Identity theft has been a hot topic in the news... Read More

Is 100% Annual Return On Investments Possible With Low Risk Land Investments?

In last week's article, we discussed how substantial profits could... Read More

Land for Sale

Think owning land would cost a fortune? Think again! While... Read More

Five Ps of Selling Houses

1. Planning:Know Your Target BuyersThink about your neighborhood and the... Read More

Real Estate Season is Here

Yes, it has finally arrived. This is the time of... Read More

Understanding Title Insurance

Title to a property is a record detailing the owners... Read More

How Home Buyer Rebates Work

In today's tight housing market, many buyers are looking for... Read More

Should You Accept A Full Purchase Offer For Your Note or Not?

You could be facing a dilemma when considering payout options... Read More

Sell your Property Faster

Learn how to sell your property faster and at the... Read More