How To Decipher A Home Inspection Report

So you’ve found your dream home and made an offer on the property. But hold on, have you taken the necessary step of inspecting that property? Purchasing a house is almost a done deal once it is inspected and it is made sure there aren’t any issues for you to deal with after the sale.

A home inspection is a visual inspection to check deficiencies with the structure and components of a home. If a problem is found, the home inspector will include a description of the problem in a written report and may recommend further evaluation.

However, to deduce the details of a report, it’s important to understand the importance of a home inspection report. To help you with this, Drougas Inspections LLC has listed a few points that could help you gain knowledge about a home inspection report.

What is a home inspection report?
The home inspection report is a database of information about the building inspected. Even if you were present during the inspection, the full inspection report should be read through in detail. That includes sections that appear to be templates or boilerplates.

What to expect from a home inspection report?
We are often asked what the top five items in the report are that should be addressed right away. Certainly, items that are actively leaking, dangerous to occupants, or defective should be addressed whether selling the house or not. Otherwise, our list of concerns could be very different from what concerns you. Then you have the actual real estate transaction that can dictate what is appropriate to ask a seller to correct.

We at Drougas Inspections LLC are always ready to help our clients with additional information after the inspection. However, we do not feel it is proper for us to get involved in the real estate transaction itself. Our report is a database of information about the building you want to be your home. And as with any database, conclusions will be different from one person to the next.

What if the report reveals problems?
When reading the report in detail, we suggest having a piece of paper at your side. Make notes of anything you are not familiar with. List questions that come up as you read about a certain issue.

You can prioritize items that you understand and feel they can wait, items that are a concern but perhaps are not part of the real estate transaction, then the items that you really do not want to deal with once you own the home. Once you have these points, you and your Realtor can decide which to have addressed before closing.

There are often items that require additional information after the inspection. This would create another list of items that need to be investigated before you will move any further with the real estate transaction. Having this all broken down in front of you can help you focus on bigger issues and not a sticking door.

How should I interpret the inspection report?
We know our reports can be very detailed. There can be dozens of photos. To that end, we would stress the idea of not skimming through the report. Also, don’t just look at the pictures!

Another great tip is to pull the report out about three or so months after moving in. You have a lot going on after you are done working with us, like closing, moving, fighting for closet space, deciding where the couch is going, etc. Once you settle in, the tendency is to forget about the inspection process. You don’t have to check off every little item noted in the report. But, circling back through the report can make sure you stay on top of things with your new home.

Bottom line
One concern we have with submitting a home inspection report is that our clients do not read it in detail. We are very interactive at the inspection. We like to explain things as we document the condition of the building and are always willing to answer questions.

Sometimes we believe our clients are comfortable with that process. So they do not read the report! But, the report is the full “meal.” Talking at the inspection is the “desert.” It’s healthier to have the meal, so make sure to read the report.

Also, unless a past client is looking to buy another property, we usually never hear from them again. And we are not trying to beg for more work. But if you think about your own health, your vehicle, your heating system, these are all situations where you have regular maintenance or service performed.

Your home is no different. We definitely would not suggest hiring us every year. But, after every five years, it may not be a bad idea to follow up with another detailed inspection. Many things we find wrong with a home; the homeowner did not know about! So, do your best to have your home inspected for issues from time to time.

For more information on a home inspection report, reach out to Drougas Inspections LLC. We are a home inspection company in Lee, New Hampshire. We are always an email or phone call away for follow-up questions, even new questions about that big project you want to take on. We are very happy to hear from past clients, months and years after the inspection, with questions about homeownership.

Our services include home inspection, septic and sewer inspection, radon testing, and water testing. To learn all about our services, please click here. To get in touch with our experts

please click here or give us a call at (603) 882-1400 for more details.