Buying a home is exciting! If you’ve found the right home at the right price, that’s a big deal, and it’s worth celebrating. It’s also worth taking some time to prepare before sitting down at the negotiating table. Houses are complicated; there’s a lot of important stuff going on beneath the surface. One 30-minute walk-through with your realtor is not sufficient to educate you on the home’s actual condition. That’s where the best home inspectors in Philadelphia come in.
Let’s take a brief look at the key areas inspectors focus on and how you can use what you learn when finalizing the sale.
Home inspectors are focused on the big stuff, issues that affect the home’s safety and integrity. Key areas of attention include the following:
Your inspector will examine the foundation’s fundamental components and look for any signs of decay or damage. They use visual inspection and several other tools to determine if the structure is sound.
The home’s roof carries the lion’s share of the burden of protecting the home from rain, snow, wind, and heat. Your home inspector will take a careful look to see any evidence of stress or impairment. They look at gutters to make sure they are working properly to direct water away from your home and check flashings, eaves, and other related elements.
Electrical fires remain the number one cause of house fires in the United States, so inspectors look carefully at all system components. Circuit breakers, grounding, GFCIs, wiring, outlets, and fixtures are all subjected to the scrutiny of an inspector.
Water can come from a variety of sources and cause expensive injury to homes. Inspectors will look for obvious signs of plumbing problems such as leaking pipes, slow drains, malfunctioning water heaters, or running toilets. But they will also look for less obvious indications of water issues, including the following:
Your house probably won’t score 100% on the inspection, but that’s okay. Read the inspector’s report carefully, ask many questions, and then take the big stuff to the negotiating table. You can ask the seller to make costly repairs, but keep in mind that they are not obligated to make them to your standards.
Sometimes a better solution is to ask for a price concession so you can make the repairs yourself. And, in extreme cases, it might be necessary to walk away and keep searching. Whatever you choose, a home inspection makes it possible to make that choice with confidence.
Call Eagle Inspections today! With the help of the best home inspectors in Philadelphia, you can make a safe and smart home purchase.