4 Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector

When you’re preparing to buy a home, you are understandably very excited! However, in all that excitement, don’t forget to do your due diligence when you seek out a home inspector. Our team at Burgess Inspections, Inc. recommends that you ask a home inspector these five questions before you hire one.

1. What Do You Check?

A home inspector will investigate more than 1,600 features of a home. They will scrutinize everything from the roof to the foundation and everything in between. Going into the inspection understanding what the inspector will do will ensure that you walk away from the inspection satisfied with their work.

2. What Don’t You Check?

Any inspector is going to have limits to what they can check. For example, they cannot cut a hole in your wall to see what is inside. However, they can flag potential problems in the report so you can have further inspections done if needed. Also, they can’t see into the future. If a problem exists in the home today, they can tell you; however, they cannot predict what may go wrong.

3. Can I Attend the Inspection?

If the answer to this question isn’t “yes” you should not be hiring that inspector. Any good inspector will want prospective owners to be present at the inspection. There is great value in being able to have someone explain your home’s systems and how they work, instead of just reading about it in the report. It also gives you the opportunity to ask any questions and get clarifications if you don’t understand something in the report.

4. How Long will the Inspection Take?

Often, inspections take place during the workweek when the seller is less likely to be around. Because of this, it is a good idea to know how much time you’ll need to potentially take off work to be present. Of course, the inspector cannot give you an exact amount of time, but having a ballpark figure will help you plan and organize. Additionally, if you’re quoted a time that seems way off, it could be a red flag that your inspector doesn’t know what he is doing.

Our team at Burgess Inspections, Inc. of Virginia welcomes all questions from our inspection customers. We want you to feel comfortable with the home inspector you choose so you can be confident in your home-buying process. To ask a question or to schedule an inspection, contact us today at (804) 794-1423.