What your inspection should cover
One of the final steps when purchasing a home is the home inspection. While the inspection will run you a few hundred dollars, it is money well spent that can help identify serious issues or give you more peace of mind for signing the final papers.
Here are the main items your home inspection will cover:
- Roof. The inspector will look for any signs of loose or missing shingles, weak spots, missing flashing or other roof issues.
- Exterior. He or she will check the condition of siding, brick, porches, decks, driveways and, importantly, the foundation.
- Insulation. Inadequate insulation will be noted.
- Interior. The inspector will check for loose drywall, cracks in the ceiling or walls, leaks in the basement or crawl space, a shifting floor in the garage and other structural issues.
- Furnace, air conditioner and water heater. Your report will include details about the type of heating and cooling, the age and condition of each system. It will sometimes include an energy efficiency rating as well.
- Electrical. Your inspector will indicate the type of wiring, condition of the system and number of outlets in each room.
- Plumbing. He or she will look for good water pressure, as well as signs of leaks or other issues.
- Code issues. Any areas that are not up to current code will be noted. In some cases, you may be able to ask the seller to address code issues.
The home inspection gives you a final opportunity to back out of a home purchase, should it uncover any major issues. It also gives you the chance to ask the seller to make any final repairs or code updates to the home prior to the closing. While a home inspection is not legally required, we highly recommend including this step in your home-buying process.
To learn more about buying a home in Steamboat Springs, contact us using the form below. We will put our nearly 30 years of experience to work for you.