If you’re buying a home you NEED an inspection! Stick around to find out what to expect from a home inspection.

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If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home you may have questions about the inspection process.  As your Anthem, Arizona REALTORS®, we have been involved with a lot of home inspections, so we will happily give you an idea of what’s typical here in Arizona!

Also, at the end of this post we’ll give you access to our cheat sheet: 10 Questions to Ask your Inspector Before Hiring Them

So, stick around!

It is so important to us that our clients understand the inspection process and what to expect early on.  Some surprises are fun, but trust me when I say home inspection surprises are NOT.

So, first things first, What is a Home Inspection?

A home inspection is a professional inspection of the property to determine its condition.

Unless otherwise negotiated in your purchase contract you have 10 days in Arizona to conduct any and all desired inspections of a property.  It is best to get your inspections scheduled as early as you can in these 10 days just in case you need follow up inspections OR if you need time to collect quotes for repairs.  Your REALTOR® will be able to recommend an inspector if you don’t already have one in mind, and can even help with getting the inspection scheduled.

In this post we are going to share with you the five most important things you should expect from a home inspection.  Before we jump in, we want to remind everyone …NO house is perfect!  Your inspector IS going to find things that are wrong with the home and report them to you.  This does not mean you should run away.  In fact, the opposite is true, if your home inspector conducts the inspection and says there is absolutely nothing wrong with the home… THEN you should RUN…from that inspector.  You can always ask the Seller to correct items found by the home inspector or if it there is just more than you can handle, you are not obligated to continue with the contract.

So, what are the 5 most important things you can expect from a home inspection?

#1: A Meeting with your Inspector

Typically your inspector will spend a few hours inspecting the home and will then ask you, the buyer, to meet them at the end for the ‘Wrap-Up”.  During this meeting ask questions!  I know it sounds cliché but there are no silly questions.  This is your future home we are talking about and you need to understand anything that may be an issue for you.  I also like to encourage people to walk around and look at the things the inspector has noted, even if this means getting on your hands and knees to look at a crack or climbing up on the roof to see a broken tile.  Just kidding, DO NOT get up on the roo!  Your inspector will send you photos of any roof issues. But seriously, be as involved as you possibly can during your meeting with the inspector.  They are there to help YOU, so make the most of their expertise and insights.

#2: A Better Understanding of the Home

You can and should expect to have a better understanding of your future home following the home inspection.  Your inspector should be taking the time to show you where things are that they inspected.  Especially the important things like the main water shut off, cleanouts, and the breaker box.  Trust me when I tell you, you don’t want to be looking for the cleanout when your house is backing up with dirty water… been there, done that, it’s gross!  If they don’t show you where these things are, just ask!

#3: An idea of the Lifespan of the Fixtures

Many home inspectors will comment on how certain fixtures are doing given their age and perceived maintenance.  They may comment on things like the roof, appliances, the heating ventilation and cooling, the exterior paint, and more.  Now, this is not necessarily things that you can or want to ask the seller to repair, but it CAN help you to prepare your budget as the new owner of this home.  For example, if the inspector tells you the AC likely only has 5 more years of useful life, you can start saving now, so that you are well prepared when the time comes to purchase a new one.

#4: A Report

That’s right, you can expect a formal written report with photos from your home inspector.  Following your meeting with the home inspector, they will put all the things they mentioned in writing along with some other great information about your home that they may not have mentioned in person. Typically you will receive this within one day of the inspection being completed.  Even if you attended the wrap up meeting and asked a million questions, READ THIS REPORT.  Let me say that again… READ THIS REPORT, cover to cover, even if you don’t want to.  These reports contain very valuable information and it’s been put together specifically for YOU so that you can make the best possible decisions.  If there is anything in the report you don’t understand, call your inspector and ask for clarification.

Last but not least,

#5: Food for Thought

Your home inspection is such a valuable piece of the home buying process and it can give you a lot to think about.  This is the starting point for your negotiations in the BINSR process.  If you’re thinking ‘what the heck is the BINSR process?’, don’t worry, we will be tackling this in more detail in future videos so make sure you subscribe to our channel and hit the bell icon so that you’re notified when those videos come out.  In short, BINSR stands for Buyer’s Inspection Notice and Seller’s Response, and it is essentially where you, the Buyer, can ask the Seller to correct any items you disapprove of as a result of your findings during the due diligence period.  The biggest thing you want to think about is what repairs do you NEED versus the repairs you WANT.  If the inspector notes that a light fixture isn’t working properly but you know that you are going to replace the light fixtures to match your taste when you move in, then don’t ask the Seller to fix it.  If there is a repair you can do yourself and one you can’t consider asking the Seller to correct the one you can’t.  It’s a game of give and take and you want to try and put yourself in the other person’s shoes, no matter which side you’re on.  Be reasonable.

So what do you think?  Do you feel more prepared to tackle the home inspection process?  If so, throw me an “I’m Ready!” in the comments below

As promised, if you’re wondering how to pick the right inspector for the job, then you may want to snag your copy of our cheat sheet: 10 Questions to Ask an Inspector Before Hiring Them!