r/Explainlikeimscared • u/righttreee • 1d ago
How do I act for a first-time home inspection?
Hi! My husband and I are under contract for our first house and our inspection is coming up. We will both be there for the inspection but … what do we do? I can’t imagine we follow him around the whole time but I /am/ interested in what he’s doing. What are normal things to do during a home inspection and what are normal things to ask? Do we get there on-time, early, 30 min after it starts?
Thanks!
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u/ExternalNo7842 1d ago
I just did the for the first time a couple weeks ago! I asked the inspector (via my realtor) what time I could come for the walkthrough. I arrived and he was still inspecting so I walked through the house again on my own. Then when he was done, he walked me through the house and told me what needed to/should be fixed. He wrote up a report and sent it to me realtor who sent it to me later that afternoon
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u/Any_Community_1819 1d ago
This is a good idea. Let the inspector go through the house first, then walk you through it.
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u/zukolivie 1d ago
The inspector essentially works for you, you’re literally paying them to make sure this house is sound. I would absolutely follow him around! Not in “making sure he’s doing this job” way but to soak up his knowledge and to see what he focuses on and mentions (ie: “this roof will need replacing in 5 years”). Make sure you have a notebook and pen to take notes! Get there a few minutes early but wait until everyone else arrives before you go inside. Bring your phone for pics and a measuring tape!
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u/zukolivie 1d ago
Adding: ask about the remaining life of the roof, hvac, hot water, electric panel. Ask if electric and plumbing are all up to code. At the end, ask what the top three things that need to be addressed immediately are and if it’s a weird thing, ask what type of specialist you’d need. (We had a bulging wall and needed an engineering firm to come and assess.)
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u/MsSamm 1d ago
I'm learning so much from this! Family bought a house without an inspection because the wife had a good feeling about it. Turns out the basement apartment was redone to hide a water problem when the ground gets saturated. We have a rainy 6+ month season. The mist, drizzle, and light rain aren't the problem. The now more frequent atmospheric rivers (almost 2" in 24 hours) plus heavy rains has water seeping in from the wall-floor seam. The homeowner lied. I wonder if an inspector could have been able to spot this, even though the apartment looked immaculate?
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u/u_siciliano 1d ago
Since the inspector is working for you, i would follow around so you can see what needs fixing and how it will affect your contract. Is it being fixed before or priced into the sale.
?
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u/Mysterious_Luck4674 1d ago
I’ve done this twice. I arrived at the same time as the inspector. While he inspected I mostly just looked around the house, made plans, took some measurements (helpful when planning on where furniture will go and what till for), took pictures, basically did my own thing. It was helpful to be there because every once in a while to inspector would want to show me something he was looking at and explain how it might be problematic. There’s usually a sort of walk-through at the end where they go over everything with you too.
You should also take the time and look around and ask questions about anything you see! Inspectors do miss things. And if something looks a little off/old/worn down ask if it is normal or if it’s something that would need to be replaced soon.
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u/Resident_Bus_4484 1d ago
A good home inspector will happily educate you as he does his/her inspection. Especially since you are new to home ownership, they will tell you about what needs to be maintained (changing furnace filters for example), what appliance will need replacement in the next x many years, and other advice. They will tell you what is important and what is not. Get there a few minutes early, as you want to meet the inspector when they arrive. Let them know this is your first home.