Why do inspections?

When buying a home there are so many things to think about!  And an inspection is just another thing on that list!  As your Realtor, I will be here every step of the way, and I always recommend inspections during the negotiated option period. Even when you know going in to the contract that the house is being sold “as is” or is new construction.  Why do you do an inspection in the first place? You want to be sure that the home is what you think it is, or isn’t too much to take on.

A home inspection is a full and thorough report done by a licensed inspector to check things such as electrical, HVAC, roof, in crawl spaces, etc.  They look over and document the condition of the home for you.  And let’s be honest, they are real experts, they know the codes and workings of a home way better than I ever could as your Realtor!  Once they go over all of the systems and condition of the home, they will send you a report with lots of comments, photos, and possibly recommendations to consult contractors.  This report is yours as the buyers to do with as you please.  Sometimes sales price is re-negotiated, and sometimes repairs are asked for and negotiated.

As your Realtor, I will recommend a general inspection, sewer scope, and wood destroying insect inspections.  Again, you want to know what you are getting in to.  And these inspections will give you that peace of mind, or may also make you realize that you are biting off more than you can chew and this may not be the home for you.

Also, the purpose of  home inspection is not pass or fail!  I hear this a lot, “do you think that this house will even pass inspection?”  An inspection is just simply a report to let you know things wrong or right with the house. And you can decide, as the buyer, what you deem important as needing fixed or what you are comfortable with.  Each buyer varies here!  You may be handy and not worry about a lot of the minor things on the report.  Or your brother/cousin/friend might be a plumber so plumbing issues don’t scare you.  So no matter what, there is no “Fail” a home inspection.  Even what I would deem a really bad inspection report can come back, and the home still be bought.  Everything is fixable, just some things are more important to one buyer vs another buyer. And these decisions are very personal to each buyer.  These inspections just help us see everything possible to give you a full picture of the home you are buying!

Let’s talk sewer scopes real quick!  Sewer problems are often costly repairs, and you don’t know until lines start backing up.  Some inspectors or plumbing companies offer an inspection to help you see through the lines.  Sewer line materials have changed many many times over the years and some are better than others. I recommend this as an add on for home inspections!  Even as the added cost at the time of inspections, it can buy peace of mind or let you know of an issue that the seller may not be aware of yet.  And due to recent City of Lubbock ordinance changes, I highly recommend the inspector send their camera all the way to the city tap because this is now the responsibility of the homeowner if it needs work done as well.

Wood destroying insects can be a problem too!  They are usually pretty well hidden while doing their damage too, so a termite inspector can come out and look for the signs that you and I would probably miss!  They can cause a lot of damage, but also can be treated and the problem fixed.  You just have to know that they are there first!  This is why calling in the experts at the time of inspections is so important!

An inspector can also add on things to an inspection too, this can include sprinkler systems, well tests, septic inspection, pool or spa checks, any number of things!  I have inspectors on my list that have really cool gadgets like a thermal camera or robots that go under or over the house.  And inspector reports differ too, some take more photos, some are interactive.  There is a lot of different options out there!

Each buyer will choose a different inspector for a different reason.  Do your research and find which inspector fits you!