You are about to put in an offer on a home. You have already imagined building your life within the walls of this home and you are so excited about this next step in your journey. This is an amazing moment that so often turns to stress due to the steps that have to be taken after the offer is accepted and you are in your due diligence period.

However, having the right people on your side can greatly alleviate this stress. An amazing real estate agent (not all are equal), a mortgage broker, a closing attorney, and yes the home inspector.

While the home inspector can be viewed as a potential speed bump in the process, a good home inspector is just there to give you the proper information to make your decision. If you go to buy a car, it would be good to have a mechanic take a look at it and see if anything stands out as wrong. Better to address it beforehand.

You can prepare yourself by being properly educated on a home inspection and the rules and regulations that govern home inspectors. Here are some key points to understand to be prepared:

1. The backbone of a home inspection is the report. This report is full of information that you can use over the life of the home. Oftentimes the full report can be upwards of 100 pages and sometimes more. This is mostly due to white space and pictures. It will be broken into sections corresponding to the areas of the home. It will have basic information such as the age of certain appliances, to defects.
2. For the most part when people get the report they look at the defects. It’s like getting your report card in school and slowly looking at it to assess the damage. So let me go ahead and let you know that there will be defects. Even if it’s a brand new house, be prepared that there will be some defects
3. Just because there is a defect does not mean that the home should be condemned. Oftentimes most of the defects can be resolved quickly and with little money. There are times when some defects are large and should be taken very seriously. If these are found CONGRATULATIONS, you avoided buying a big problem. You can work with your agent to determine the best course of action.
4. Depending on the state in which you live, home inspectors have to follow certain rules and regulations. The rules focus mainly on what home inspectors must inspect, what we are not to inspect, and how to convey the findings in our report. Language such as “ Recommend qualified contractor to repair,” is typical for a report. It is up to you as to how to handle the recommendations if you do at all.

Knowing what you can expect in a report can help you navigate the emotions of getting the report. At Apex Inspections LLC you are our client and if you have questions about the report we are available to discuss the findings with you and offer further explanation.