Professional Home Inspections

In general, buyers are entitled to conduct a series of inspections on the property they are about to purchase. After your offer has been accepted, your HomeSmart agent will assist you in hiring a professional home inspector to conduct an inspection of the property. At HomeSmart, we recommend you choose a home inspector that is certified by a trade association.

Some of the items typically investigated during an inspection are appliances, plumbing, A/C, heating, electrical, structure, foundation, roof, and attic. If any of the previous are areas of concern, you can ask your inspector to address concerns regarding indoor air quality, expansive soil conditions, previous fire or flood, pests, and mold. If you are obtaining a loan, your lender may require specific inspections, such as an inspection to certify that the home is free of wood-destroying organisms.

It is around this time you can expect to be provided with a Property Disclosure Statement from the seller, which contains all information related to the sale of the property. Your HomeSmart agent will ask you to read through it carefully and ask any questions you might have during your inspection period.

Additional inspections you may want to consider are a survey to determine where property lines are located and a claims report, which gives buyers the past insurance claim history on the property (a factor which can affect the cost of your homeowner’s insurance).

In addition to formal inspections, buyers should consider other methods of obtaining information about the property. For example, talk to your potential neighbors and drive around the neighborhood during different times of the day. While touring the neighborhood, consider things such as proximity to freeways, airports, and schools.

Your HomeSmart agent can also provide you with resources for obtaining information on crime statistics, city planning and zoning, school information and environmental concerns which may affect your decision to purchase.