Home Inspection Overview – Video
What to expect when you’re inspecting: Part 1 Overview
The Hume Group recently met for a Q&A session with one of our preferred home inspectors, Dominic Schreiner of Finishing Touch Home Inspection, LLC. We covered some basic questions that we get a lot from Tacoma home buyers.
Q: Are Inspectors licensed? Do they go through a training?
A: Here in Washington State we are required to carry a Home Inspector’s License, and to get that license you are required to go through classroom training, field training, and then pass the State exam. So, yes, there is a requirement to have a license to be a home inspector here in Washington.
Q: What’s the average cost to have a home inspection?
A: Here in the Tacoma area it is usually about $350-$400.
Q: How long does the home inspection take?
A: Your typical home inspection is going to be between 2 1/2 to 3 hours. But, it can vary, depending on the type of home, the client and how many questions they have, so I always offer at least a 3 hour window for most standard homes and sometimes an additional time frame for larger homes or for multifamily.
Q: What types of things does a home inspection actually cover?
A: What’s required by the State to be covered in a home inspection is the Washington State standards of practice, and that is a list of all of the items that we are required to inspect. The big items on that list, though, are things like the roof, the structure, the plumbing, heating and cooling, and the electrical system.
Q: Do you inspect the crawl space?
A: I do inspect the crawl space. We’re looking at the structure, the plumbing, the electrical, insulation…there are a lot of important things down there that need to be inspected.
Q: I’ve noticed that a lot of my buyers don’t already know a home inspector. How do you recommend that people go about choosing one?
A: Well, to start, typically your Agent is going to refer you a home inspector, or sometimes three home inspectors. Now we can cover questions to ask your home inspector when you are hiring them in a later segment. But, initially, you are going to get that referral from your Agent.
Q: Do you recommend that a buyer be present for the home inspectoin?
A: The home buyer is not required to be there during the home inspection, but it is a good idea for them to show up at least for a portion of it. The end is a good time to be there when we’re reviewing the results, that way I can answer questions, I can go over the entire inspection, and just get the buyer more familiar with what is going to be in the report.
Q: What are some of the “biggie’s” that you’re looking for during the home inspection?
A: Well, your most expensive thing is going to be your structure. So, concrete and foundation repairs, those things can be expensive. Roof structure repairs can be expensive as well.
Q: Do you recommend that a buyer get a home inspection on a new construction house?
A: Yes, I would actually recommend a home inspection on a new construction because there are a lot of things that I find in new construction homes, and it is your last chance to negotiate your transaction. So if you just forego your home inspection, while your home may be covered by a warranty, you won’t be able to go back to the seller (the builder) and ask for certain things if you don’t get them caught before you actually own the home.
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