Home Inspection
One commonly negotiated contingency in a purchase offer is having a thorough home inspection. Although it would be thrilling to find a perfect home with no concerns, unfortunately, they don’t exist!
A home inspection is a visual inspection of readily accessible areas and components to determine condition of major systems, structure, and other operations. Most buyers request a home inspection as a way to report on the condition of the home, since in Virginia, buyers must due their due diligence to discover all aspects. This could range from pulling neighborhood stats to running a title search to inspections.
Typically inspected items during a home inspection include:
- Plumbing
- Heating and cooling systems
- Electrical
- Roof
- Foundation
- General structure
- Appliances
Once an offer is accepted by all parties, the buyer generally has 10 days to complete the home inspection, review, investigate further, and ask the seller for any repair items.
The cost of an inspection varies depending on location and size of the home, but generally ranges from $400-$500. For reputable local (and certified) home inspectors, ask your Realtor for recommendations.
Hampton Roads Real-e-statement is written by Alyssa Godwin, a Realtor with Liz Moore and Associates. For questions regarding buying or selling contact Alyssa at 757-329-6161 or alyssagodwin@lizmoore.com. You can also find Alyssa on Facebook or on the web at www.lizmoore.com/alyssagodwin.