Busted! Don’t Believe These Myths About Home Inspection!

The process of purchasing a home is as exciting as it is daunting. Several steps must be followed in the buildup to the final purchase of a house, and one of the most important of these steps is getting your future home and property inspected.

During an inspection, a professional looks for any faults with the structural integrity of the house as well as any plumbing, electrical or air quality issues. Hiring a home inspector ensures that any problems, big or small, are brought to the attention of the buyer. Typically, an inspector is much more adept at finding flaws that a buyer or real estate agent might miss.

Unfortunately, some people pass on an inspection because they may believe some of the myths floating around about home inspection and how home inspectors work. Falling for these misconceptions can later come back to haunt the homebuyers.

To help you avoid falling prey to these misconceptions, we’ve debunked a few of the most widely believed myths about home inspections.

Myth 1: All home inspectors are the same, so a cheaper inspector is just as good as an expensive one.

While all inspectors are limited by the visual nature of an inspection and its related constraints, it in no way means that all inspectors are the same.

Your first question should not be “how much do you charge for a home inspection?” You must focus on hiring a professional who is trained, experienced, professional, trustworthy and independent. Experience is sometimes difficult to come by, as the home inspection profession has a high turnover, mainly because of the reliance on the housing market and low income from inspections. That’s why when hiring a home inspector, instead of asking about fees you should ask for their credentials and certifications.

A certified home inspector will be someone who has been trained thoroughly. Certified home inspectors have to be members of an association that offers a disciplinary process.

Professional home inspectors will generally have their own company, a company website, a company email address and publish this in full view for all to find.

Myth 2: A new home does not need an inspection.

On a new home, you're not likely to encounter the type of problems inspectors often mentions on older structures - water damage, a worn-out furnace, a roof that needs replacing. What you may find, however, is evidence of poor workmanship or failure to follow the plans - warped floors, joists weakened by improperly installed ductwork, leaky plumbing, bad wiring, drainage problems around the foundation, improperly installed appliances, poor seals around vents or other roof structures, or other things that just weren’t done properly.

Your sales or construction contract on a new home allows you the right to an inspection before taking possession. However, surprisingly many people choose to pass up the inspection, figuring it’s not worth spending the money to have someone check out a new home.

However, it doesn’t make sense to scrimp on a home inspection cost when you’re talking about an investment the size of your home. A new home inspection is likely to cost less on any brand new build. Our advice would be to get the home inspection done for peace of mind.

Myth 3: A home inspector should be able to tell me everything that can potentially go wrong with the home I’d like to purchase.

A home inspector is required to report the things that are not functioning properly, especially if they’re unsafe. They will also inform you when certain components and systems are at the end of their service life such as worn-out heating, plumbing or electrical systems.

They cannot predict with accuracy, however, when things will go wrong because they can only account for variables present at the time of inspection. For example, you may buy a home with a roof that’s seen better days. The home inspector reports there is no sign of water damage, and in the first winter, you experience major leaks from ice dams. It isn’t due to faulty inspection services even if the inspector agreed you could probably put off getting a new roof for a few more years. The inspector will only report wear and tear on the existing roof and provide you with recommendations for the lack of improper attic insulation - the cause of the formation of ice dams in the first place.

To put expectations in perspective, Goldstein reminds consumers to keep in mind, “A home inspector doesn’t have X-ray vision and can’t see through walls and floors. A home inspection is not an exhaustive engineering analysis, nor will your inspector take apart components for inspection. It’s a snapshot – a professional observation of existing conditions by someone with a trained eye.”

To get your home assessed by the best home inspector, reach out to New Age Inspections. We are determined to perform inspections of the utmost quality, with integrity. We make sure that our clients know and understand every fact about the property they are purchasing. To learn more about services that we provide, please click here. If you’ve any questions about home inspections, get in touch with us by clicking here.