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A home inspection or building inspection can raise many questions. As a home buyer or seller, you may be asking "what should I ask during a home inspection?" Most home buyers and sellers are not home experts and don't know all the details of a home inspection, and that's ok. You should not be afraid to ask questions! At Florida Building Inspection Group, we try to be engaging and answer any questions you may have throughout this process. Our goal is to educate and inform our customers about their homes. Leave them with a thorough understanding of everything they should know about the condition of their house and any possible issues it may have. Understandably, as a responsible homeowner or potential buyer, you would like to know everything there is to know about a house before you make any significant decisions. To help you, we have developed a list of crucial questions to ask during and after your inspection. This list can help guide the essential questions you should ask and discuss with your home inspector during and after your home inspection.
This question is probably one of the most important questions you can ask during a home inspection. You will want to know about the condition and age of the roof. Some apparent issues can be identified from looking at the roof, like missing shingles, flashing, and curling shingles. However, other roof issues, like spongy areas from past water leaks, can only be found by walking on the roof. Waviness within the roofline can tell you a lot about the condition of a home and give you direction on where to look for potential issues. This can reveal potential problems with the foundation, ground settling, leaks, poor insulation, wall dry-rot, and attic humidity. Therefore, asking your inspector about the roof and roofline is always a good idea.
Asbestos is one thing that can be overlooked in a home inspection, especially in cases where the house was built before 1970. Your inspector should always check your insulation and flooring applications for the potential presence of asbestos. If the asbestos is found, it will require removal, which can be costly. However, knowing about it before purchasing the home can help you negotiate the selling price.
A home inspector will examine every visible aspect of the home, including the HVAC, roof, grading, and plumbing. However, one major question you want to ask your inspector is if they suspect anything beyond the walls. In some cases, there are signs of neglect or a lack of care from past repairs. As a result, this can indicate problems that you, as the buyer, may want to address that aren't easily seen.
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The HVAC system is a critical component of your home and home inspection. Therefore, it is essential for you to understand the condition and age of your HVAC system clearly. Most home inspectors should be able to verify the age of the HVAC system by taking off the cover and closely looking at it. There is a good chance that the HVAC system will need to be replaced within a few years if it is 15-20 years old or older. It is also a good idea to ask for copies of the annual HVAC maintenance receipts from a licensed HVAC company. These receipts will show that the unit has been professionally cleaned and serviced each year to maintain it properly.
It's extremely important, especially for home buyers, to ask, "What are the top capital expenditure issues you found on the property?" These are incredibly costly issues you do not want to be left unknown and get stuck with down the line. These high-cost issues can include the foundation, roof, HVAC system, and many others. As a responsible home buyer, you will want to know about these issues before purchasing the home to avoid getting stuck with costly repairs later.
Red flags and inspection findings can be overwhelming in any home. However, this is especially true for older homes, as well as for first-time homebuyers. It is important to ask your inspector, "What red flags did you find?" and "Which red flags are the most urgent?" To understand the urgency of the red flags and issues that have been identified. This will inform you on what issues were found and which major problems need immediate attention.
Two critical components of any home are the home's structure and the soil underneath the house. As a responsible buyer, you need to look at the structure of your home and ensure that it is both structurally sound and not in need of maintenance. The other key area you must look at as a responsible home buyer is the soil underneath your home. You will want to ensure that the house does not have issues with the soil underneath it.
Home inspectors are trained to diagnose a home's grading and drainage problems. Grading is crucial for all homes, as the ground around the house should slope away from the home and helps to direct water away from the home's foundation. Along with the grading, you will also want to know about the downspouts. You will want to ensure that the downspouts are correctly working and disposing of the water away from the foundation.
The main water shutoff is the switch that allows you to turn on and off all the water in your home. It is extremely important for you to take note of where this switch is located. The main water shutoff can sometimes be hard to find, hidden, or in an unusual location. Therefore, asking your home inspector if you do not know is important. You may need to use this switch in cases of an emergency, if you are changing the house's water filter, or if you plan on doing renovations.
The main electrical breaker is the breaker that controls your home's power. However, there is no main electrical breaker in some cases, so you will have to shut off each breaker individually. This is important to know for emergencies, changing an outlet, and doing electrical work.
All new homes must have GFCI-protected outlets in the bathrooms, kitchen, garage, and outdoors. Usually, these outlets have one or two master outlets for each area in the house, allowing you to reset or trip all the outlets in that area. However, the master GFCI outlet can sometimes be hidden and hard to find. In other cases, the master GFCI switch may be a breaker in the electrical panel rather than an outlet. Therefore, it's a good idea to ask the inspector so they can show you for future reference
As previously stated, there are tons of crucial questions you should be asking at each stage of the home inspection process. Although there are important questions to ask at every step of the home inspection process, these crucial questions should start before you even hire an inspector. As a home buyer or seller, you want to ensure that you have a home inspector on your side. Knowing what questions you should be asking in each stage of the process can be difficult. However, this is nothing to worry about because your trusted home inspectors at the Florida Building Inspection Group are here to help you! Along with our list of crucial questions to ask during and after your home inspection, we have also created a list of questions you should ask before getting a home inspection. Click the button below to learn more about what questions you should ask your home inspector before getting your inspection.
Ensure you know everything there is to know about your home or potential home and get your questions answered before making any significant decisions. Do you have questions and are looking to schedule a home inspection for your home or a potential home? Call the Florida Building Inspection Group today to schedule your home inspection and make more informed decisions about your home. Florida Building Inspection Group is one of the best residential and commercial building inspection companies in Florida. Call us today to learn more about our services and get your home inspected by some of the best home inspectors in the business!
