how a home inspection works
potential home buyers often hire home inspectors to visit a property and produce a written report that details its condition including any necessary or recommended repairs maintenance concerns and any other potentially costly or hazardous issues the home inspector will assess the physical structure of the home from the foundation to the roof and the home s systems this assessment will determine whether the home is up to current housing codes a home inspection can tell a home buyer a lot about a newly constructed home or an existing one and save them money and aggravation for sellers meanwhile having an inspection done before putting their home on the market can afford them the chance to make any necessary structural repairs or upgrade and replace systems that may help increase the likelihood of a sale typically a home inspection is done after a sales contract or purchase agreement between a buyer and a seller has been signed for this reason it s important that the contract include an inspection contingency also known as a due diligence contingency which allows a buyer time to find an inspector schedule and attend if they wish an inspection receive the inspector s report and decide how to proceed based on the information they ve obtained an inspection report can include everything from material defects that negatively impact a home s value to minor cosmetic issues based on the report the buyer may decide to proceed with the sale schedule additional inspections renegotiate the sale price with the homeowner ask that certain repairs be made and paid for by the seller or cancel the contract if the buyer requests major repairs they may also ask for a re inspection with the original inspector to verify that the original problem that was identified has been remedied other more specialized inspections may be conducted for problems such as asbestos mold or mildew termites pests radon or lead or to check sewer lines chimneys or other structural components these may involve additional fees 