Florida Home Buyer Tips: Inspection FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Inspections

As we covered in the previous page, there are a number of important reasons why you should consider hiring a qualified home inspection expert before buying a home here in Orlando, FL. The listing may have been staged really well and left you feeling right at home. However, real estate is one place where you don’t want to ride off first impressions alone. Anyone in the industry can tell you stories of when the dream home quickly became a nightmare situation, because the homebuyer was not aware there was a serious issue with the foundation, etc.

For anyone who’s still a little unsure about the reasoning behind hiring a home inspector, we wanted to provide this page of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers that should help provide some further insight.

What’s included in a typical home inspection?

The standard home inspector’s report will provide detailed information on the condition of the following:

• The home’s heating system
• The central air conditioning system
• The roof, walls, ceilings, floors
• The windows and doors
• The interior plumbing and electrical systems
• The foundation and other essential structural components

(Feel free to consult the American Society of Home Inspectors’ Standards of Practice for more specific details on what is covered in a typical report.)

Do I really need to get a home inspection?

Purchasing a home represents a very significant single investment. Any wise investor will tell you that they don’t go into any serious investment without knowing as much about it as feasibly possible. Home inspections routinely uncover factors that could represent significant costs down the road. Having this knowledge about a home will allow you to make the best decision with the utmost confidence.

(You should also consider hiring a home inspector if you’re planning to put your home up for sale.)

What should I expect to pay for a home inspection?

There are several factors which will be measured into the final fee for an inspection, including:
The size of the home

• The geographical location
• The home’s age
• Inclusion of any additional services (radon or septic testing)

We recommend not letting cost be the deciding factor when it comes to choosing a home inspector. Instead, we suggest making your decision based on the inspector’s qualifications. This is not an area where you want to cut corners.

Why can’t I do this on my own?

Even homeowners that are very experienced when it comes to construction and home maintenance won’t have the knowledge and expertise of a qualified home inspector. Not only do they know how these systems are supposed to fit together, but they also know why they fail.

(Buyers should also consider how difficult it may be for them to perform a completely impartial inspection of a home that they really want.)

What happens if a home fails the inspection?

This is a common misconception here in Orlando, FL, but home’s can’t “fail” an inspection. The point is to provide an assessment of the current condition of the residence. Home inspectors don’t pass or fail the home’s they are looking at. They provide you indepth information on the current physical condition, as well as point out which components and systems may require work or replacement.

Do I need to be there for the inspection?

It isn’t a requirement, but we’d strongly recommend that you be present. That way, you can see what the inspector is getting into and ask any questions along the way as you both learn more about the home’s condition. The inspector should also be able to recommend some on the spot tips for home maintenance.

What should I do if the inspector finds some issues?

Hate to burst your bubble, but every house is going to have it’s problems. Just because the inspector’s report has listed an issue, this doesn’t mean that you should immediately back out of buying the home. This is knowledge that you can know use to make an educated next step. If you are running a tighter budget, it might be that you don’t feel you’ll be able to incur those extra repair costs. Others might feel that the repair costs are worth it to be able to buy that particular residence.

Hopefully this has helped you gain an appreciation of the true value to be gained from a qualified home inspection. We also recommend you checking out our article on common home buyer mistakes if you get a chance.