Tips for Attending the Home Inspection

A home inspection is a critical part of buying a home. I feel strongly that buyers should make every effort to be present at the home inspection. An important thing to remember is that a home inspection is meant to provide you with information and not to create a to-do list for the seller.

Here is a list of tips for attending the home inspection:

• Ask your home inspector how long they think it will be. Generally, inspections can take 2-3 hours, but it’s really determined by the size and age of the home. 

• Some inspectors are okay with you just coming towards the last ½ hour to get a synopsis of their findings.

• Wear comfortable clothes in case you get down and dirty (like in a crawlspace).

• The inspection is not to be invasive. Your inspector will not be opening ceilings, walls, lifting up deck boards, etc. They can only see obvious defects and will report on what they can see.

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s great to know whether an issue is minor or an expensive repair. 

• Feel free to bring a tape measure with you to take room measurements. 

• It's best to avoid bringing family and friends along during the home inspection. This way, the inspector can remain focused and dedicated to their work without any unnecessary distractions.

• If you are planning to have any work done to the home, the home inspection is a great time to have professionals come by to give estimates as we may not be able to get back into the home until the final walkthrough. 

• Make payment arrangements with your home inspector and either pay before the inspection or at the inspection. 

• Inspection reports are typically emailed to you a day or two after the inspection. As soon as you get the inspection report, be sure to email it to me so I can look it over. 

• Once we’ve all reviewed the report, you can let me know if you’d like to move forward or ask the seller to fix or give a closing cost credit to repair.

• The point of the inspection is to:

  • • Discover health and safety issues

    • See if there are structural issues

    • Determine if there are needed repairs to working components like the furnace or water heater.

    • Our focus is not on minor cosmetic imperfections such as paint colors or dents in flooring, and understand that every home, even new construction, will have some flaws that need to be accepted or addressed. 

Remember, we are mainly concerned with health and safety issues and things not working. 

After Closing:

If you do buy the home, use the inspection report as a road map for repairs and maintenance. And don't be shy about contacting the inspector, even long after you've moved in.

Ready to connect? Reach out! I look forward to helping you on this journey!

► Go to Step 16

Monique Hanson is a REALTOR® serving the greater West Michigan area. Monique helps people buy and sell homes in Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa Counties. You can contact Monique by calling or texting 616-805-9177 or emailing hello@moniquehanson.com.