CONGRATULATIONS, you’re officially under contract on your DREAM home! Your home inspection report is complete and NOW you’re staring at the hefty inspection report that seems to highlight EVERY SINGLE FLAW in your future home! SO … WHAT’S NEXT?

Don’t go into a full-blown panic! Knowing the RIGHT QUESTIONS to ask the home inspector can certainly help put the massively-detailed report into some perspective.

• Is this a MAJOR or a MINOR problem?
  In order to evaluate the report, the home inspector should separate any flagged items into 2 categories, inspection concerns and inspection comments. Those that fall under “Inspection Concerns” would be those items/components that are not operating as intended or that would need further inspection by an appropriately licensed professional.
  
  Those items/components that fall under “Inspection Comments” might require some maintenance in the future. Based on the inspector’s opinion, these items are noted as an “awareness factor” for the prospective buyer.
• Should I have an APPROPRIATELY-LICENSED PROFESSIONAL do a follow-up inspection on any “Inspection Concerns”?
  BY ALL MEANS! The purpose of a home inspection report is to provide a buyer with a comprehensive unbiased view of a home and to identify any MAJOR problems associated with the property. The results of the home inspection are the opinions of the inspector. Keep in mind, home inspectors are NOT licensed roofers, licensed plumbers, licensed electricians, etc.
• What things DID YOU NOT Inspect?
  Be sure to ask the inspector what components were not inspected, meaning those that were BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE GENERAL HOME INSPECTION! You might be surprised to learn that the following items, but not limited to, are typically not part of a general home inspection: water softener/filtration systems, septic systems, dug wells, washer/dryers, central vacuum systems, home security systems, exterior yard lighting, humidistat controls, hurricane shutters, specialty pool items such as pool timers, pop-up head cleaning systems, pool heaters, pool water treatment systems, specialty pool lighting, to name a few.

We hope you found this post on home maintenance tips interesting, helpful and informative.

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Until then… it’s all about YOU!