Home Inspectors

By: Patricia Johnson

Are you looking to purchase or sell a property? If you are, then you definitely need the services that only a home inspector can provide.

Buying or selling a home is perhaps the single most important financial decision you will ever have to make in your life, so it's best that when you get to that point, you employ all the professional assistance you can.

A home inspector is qualified to do just that. He or she will inspect the home thoroughly, greatly minimizing any costly future complications.

You are familiar with medical examinations performed by a doctor, aren't you? If you haven't yourself been subjected to such a test, then chances are that one of your friends or family members has. A medical examination is a thorough check of your body. It's like giving it a good looking-over inside and out.

What does this have to do with what home inspectors do? Simply that home inspections are like a medical examination of your home.

Like a medical examiner with the body, the home inspector looks over the entire home, covering all of its systems from top to bottom. The systems that a home inspector checks include air conditioning, heating, electrical, and plumbing. He or she may also evaluate the physical components of your home, such as the condition of the roof, the foundation, floors, ceilings, walls, windows, doors, and other structures of the building.

A common misconception is that a home inspector determines the home's value, or ensures that the building meets municipal codes, when, in fact, they don't. What they do is determine the condition of existing structures and calculate the risk of any problems arising in the future.

Whether buying or selling a home, it is important that, prior to making the final decision, you assess the pros and cons of such an investment. Check out whether the home is sound. A home inspector is the right person for that job. He or she sees to it that you are making the right decision. He or she knows a lot more about home construction than you do. A good home inspector will know if a house is in good condition or not based on the condition of the systems and general condition of the external structures.

In addition, a good home inspector should be open to questions. When you inspect a home before closing on a sale, it would be a good idea to let the home inspector accompany you.

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