8 Questions To Ask Before, During, And After Your Home Inspection

A home inspection is a very important part of the real estate buying process. When you are purchasing a home, you will need to make sure that you ask your home inspector a variety of questions to ensure you are educated on the process and condition of your new home. There are several questions that should be asked before, during, and after the inspection.

Questions to Ask Before the Inspection

What is Included in Your Scope?
A home inspection is a common service, but there is not necessarily a standard scope that needs to be included. You should ask the home inspector for a list of what you will receive along with your fee. If you are considering several different inspectors, you can then compare the scope to make sure that all parts of the inspection that you want to receive are included. If there is something missing, you should also the inspector to add it on for a fee.

What is Your Experience?
You will end up placing a lot of reliance on your home inspector. Due to this, you should always make sure that they are experienced and that you can trust their opinion. One question you must ask during a home inspection is what the inspector’s experience is. You should get a sense of years of experience and whether they hold any necessary certifications and licenses.

Can I See a Sample?
Once the physical inspection is done, you are going to receive a report from your inspector. You should be able to reference this report in the future if you have questions about your home. Due to this, you should ask your inspector for an example of a sample report. This will give you a sense as to whether the report is confusing or could be used as a useful tool in the future.

Questions to Ask During Inspection

What is the cost to fix?
As you are going through your home, the inspector is bound to find items that are broken and need repair or replacement. When this happens, you should ask if it is a big deal and what the cost to repair would be. Based on this, you will be better able to determine what the total repair costs are. This could help you develop a budget or request a repair credit.

Where are the emergency valves?
It is extremely important that you know where all of the emergency valves in your home are. This will include your emergency switches for electricity, gas and water. You should speak with the inspector to ensure that you know where these are and how to turn them off. It would also be a good idea to mark the valves to make them easier to identify going forward.

How do I troubleshoot major appliances?
Home appliances are extremely important and knowing how to repair and maintain them could save you a lot of money over time. Due to this, you should work with the inspector to understand how to troubleshoot certain problems and make certain repairs. They can also give tips on how you can maintain the appliances to prevent the need for more serious repairs.

Questions to Ask After the Inspection

Do I need additional inspections?
Another one of the important home inspection questions that you should ask is if you should receive follow up inspections. An initial home inspection is a high-level inspection to ensure everything is in good working order. However, the inspector may identify issues that warrant further inspections. You should ask the inspector if there are more detailed inspections that should be engaged.

What do I need to take care of immediately?
No home is going to be in perfect condition and you are bound to want to make all necessary repairs when you first move in. However, some repairs or remediations should be made sooner than others. You should ask your inspector what you should focus on first to make sure that you have these items properly taken care of.