The average age of a purchased home in the United States has grown by 10 years since 2009.
Older homes can be marked by character and quality of construction when compared to newer built houses, but like humans, homes tend to have components that break down as they get older.
Why does this matter? When buying a home, we recommend that our clients get a home inspection 9unless they have a compelling reason not to) so that they know what they are getting.
A home inspection gives you the opportunity to hire a professional to go into the house and give your their observation of the condition and soundness of the components of the home you are planning to buy.
A good home inspector can either confirm the quality and condition of the home or alert you to potential defects of the costly variety and those that are more benign but still may need attention at some point in the future.
With that in mind, we sat down with Southern Indiana Home Inspection expert, William Troutman of Certainty Home inspections to find out exactly what home inspections cover, don't cover, and why you should probably get one when your buying a home.
See are full interview below:
In the Southern Indiana market, home inspections run from $350 to 650 on average depending on the size of the home, number of outbuildings, and foundation type.
This cost can be a small price to pay if your inspection were to prevent you from buying a house with a major defect that you couldn't see with your own eyes on the initial walk through.
You can get an estimate of the cost for your house and a sample copy of a home inspection report by visiting www.CertaintyHomeInspections.com .
6 More Things To Know About Your Inspection
When working with our buyer clients, here are eight things we want them to know regarding the home inspection:
1. Depending on what house you buy, you may need additional inspections in addition to the primary home inspection. These inspections include, but are not limited to, pest inspections, septic system inspection, radon inspections, and possibly others.
2. You must use a licensed Indiana home inspector or a qualified licensed contractor for the specialty of the inspected item in question (i.e. HVAC contractor to inspect heating and air system).
3. Regardless of when the home was built, the home inspector will judge the home based on the current year's building code. Because of this, some items the inspector puts in his/her report are not necessarily defects but reflect that code has changed since the house was built.
4. We encourage at least one buyer to attend the home inspection in person for educational purposes and to hear the 'tone of concern' directly from the inspector.
5. Inspection costs are the responsibility of the buyer, so plan for those costs in your budget
6. The home inspector should issue you a full report of their findings noting the following:
- Minor repair items
- Items that are working but don’t meet current code
- Areas of concern that need further evaluation
- Major defects, if any.
Generally speaking there are five types of property defects that, if presented in the inspection findings, could likely qualify as a 'major defect':
Water Leaks: Water is the enemy of all construction. Examples could include evidence of active water penetration in the home's foundation, plumbing leaks, and roof leaks.
Structural Integrity: Examples could include major foundation cracks and settling or lack of proper tie-downs on a manufactured home.
Infestation from wood destroying insects: Examples could include evidence of active termite infestation or damage from wood destroying insects.
Mechanical Systems: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and sewer/septic should all be safe and functioning properly. Any compromises or failures in these systems could constitute a major defect.
Safety: The property should be safe for occupancy, therefore it should be free of significant safety issues such as toxic levels of radon or lead, black mold, or even a window that does not stay open in the event of fire.
Anything that falls outside of these five main categories is up for negotiation between buyer and seller as they may be considered normal wear and tear items.
We use the word "could" above to highlight that each property and item inspected is different. There are a variety of defects or breaks that can happen to components of a home. Some of them can be expensive to repair, while others might just need a simple and inexpensive fix.
That is why it is so important to hire an experienced expert to point out the defects in a home you are considering to give you an opportunity to learn what may be wrong (and right) with the home.
Our team has worked with a number of different local home inspectors over the years and we can recommend one to you during your home buying process or you can choose one that you like.
Whatever you decide, it's important to consider having an inspector help you determine the condition of the home you anticipate spending thousands of dollars and many hours of your life in.
If you have more questions about the home inspection process or would like help buying or selling a home, email us at 812Living@gmail.com.
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