Try to come look at the house when it’s raining. You can observe the lot’s drainage and make sure water is flowing away from the house. Be on the lookout for any standing water or debris. If there are any large trees near the house, they shouldn’t have branches hanging over the house that could damage the roof.
Check any visible foundation and make sure there aren’t any exterior cracks. If the house has siding, look for dents or damage. Look at the roof from the ground. Take note of any missing or damaged shingles. Make sure the gutters are clean and in good repair. Take note of anything you see so you can discuss it with the seller before you put in an offer on the home.
If the house is dirty or contains old property from the sellers, and is not being sold “as is,” you may want to ask the sellers to clean it up first. Some interior damages won’t affect the selling price of the home, because they’re simply considered part of moving into a new home. For example, you won’t get very far demanding that the house be repainted since most people repaint the interior of a home when they move in. Make note of any damaged cabinetry, flooring, or other surfaces in the house, as well as any places where the floor creaks or appears uneven.
You also want to make sure there aren’t a lot of extra holes in the rafters, and that the boards all appear solid and even. There shouldn’t be any signs of rot. You don’t have to have a lot of experience with home repair to recognize a potential problem. If something doesn’t look right, make a note of it.
Also check the area around the water heater. Make sure the exterior of the unit is solid and there isn’t any water or sediment around the unit itself. A sagging floor around or under the water heater may indicate previous flooding.
If you see larger cracks, ask the sellers about them. Try to find out how long the crack has been there and whether it has grown over time.
Find out from the seller when the last electrical repairs were made, and who did the work. If it was done by someone unlicensed or inexperienced, you may have a more significant electrical problem on your hands.
In some areas, sellers are required by law to disclose certain types of defects, such as termite problems. Even if the seller doesn’t have any disclosures, you still need to hire an inspector before buying the house. Sometimes sellers may not be aware of certain issues with the property or may have been living with the problem for so long they don’t even think about it.
If you noticed any potential problems in your personal walkthrough of the property, bring these up to your real estate agent before you place an offer on the house. Your mortgage broker also may have a particular inspector they want to use. If that’s the case, they’ll usually let you know in advance. Typically the buyer foots the bill for the inspection. Your real estate agent can give you a good idea of what to expect from the inspection and how much it will cost you.
Find out how long the inspector has been doing residential home inspections, and how many they’ve done. You also may want to find out if those houses are similar in size and location to yours. Ask the inspector how long they expect the inspection to take, and what parts of the house will be covered. If there’s anything that you want to be inspected that won’t be covered, you may need to hire a different inspector to go over that part of the house.
The inspector likely will notice things that you didn’t realize were signs of a problem when you walked through the house on your own. If the inspector points out anything that you don’t understand, ask them to explain the damage and what would need to be done to repair it.
For example, if the home has a septic system, you may want to arrange to have that system inspected separately by a septic system expert. A septic system contingency requires a septic tank to be pumped and inspected if there is no proof that it has been done in the past 12 months. Most general home inspections don’t inspect in-depth for termites. If your general inspector noticed termite damage, you should call in an expert on wood-destroying insects. Licensed inspectors also may not look at certain parts of the property, such as separate buildings or pools. Additionally, general inspectors only look at what is visible. Any evidence of visible damage could indicate a more significant problem inside the walls or underground. Inspectors will look in hard to reach areas, like the attic, on top of the roof, and in the crawl spaces below the house. An inspector typically will not check underground sprinkler systems.
Seldom will a home inspection come out completely clean with no damages or potential problems at all. An inspector may give an idea of how old a system will be and how much longer it may last.
This is more likely to be the case if you’re buying a home that has been unoccupied for a significant period of time, or if you’re buying a foreclosed or abandoned house. Even if the house is being sold “as is,” you still may be able to get a credit for some major structural repairs, such as to the foundation.
Having more than one estimate also gives you a range of prices, so you can bargain with the seller better. If your budget is tight, look for licensed repairmen and general contractors who are willing to provide a free estimate.
The buyer will order the house inspection and is not obligated to release the information, but it is useful for them to point out repairs they are asking to be paid by the seller. Start with your lowest offer – usually that the seller pays for all repairs listed in the report, no matter how minor. The seller then gives you a counter-offer. You can make a counter-offer to their counter, but after that, the seller must either accept or deny it.
For example, suppose the inspection revealed there are repairs that need to be made to the heating and air-conditioning system in the home. However, you plan on replacing that system with a more energy efficient model. Revealing to the seller that you plan on replacing the system anyway is a sure way to ensure they won’t pay for even a portion of the repairs to the old system.
