It’s important for real estate agents to understand home inspection basics, as it’s a key part of the home purchase process. So does the realtor go to the home inspection? The short answer is that you should go to at least a few home inspections. You will spend plenty of time reading through inspection reports with your clients, as they will want to know your opinion of the inspector’s findings. By knowing what a home inspector is required and not required to report on, you will be able to advise your clients during negotiations and help them get their next home at a fair price.
Why is a Home Inspection Important?
A home inspection is very important to the sale or purchase of a home, because it can literally make or break the deal. A home inspection that reveals cosmetic issues won’t ruin the sale of a home. Major foundation issues, severe water damage, or a termite infestation, however, could cause a buyer to decide to back out of the purchase. Because of this, it’s incredibly important to understand how an inspection works, what’s being looked for, and what the results mean.
What is the Home Inspection Process?
A home is typically inspected “Outside-In, Top-Down”, which is very common in the home inspection industry as it helps allow for a more organized and thorough inspection. Here’s a glimpse at what goes into the average home inspection:
- Inspecting the property around the home
- Inspecting the exterior of the home
- Inspecting the roof
- Inspecting interior rooms
- Inspection home systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC)
- Looking for defects
With the “Outside-In, Top-Down” approach, inspectors begin on the outside of the property, walking around the exterior of the home. Then they inspect the roof, the garage, and later make their way inside the home. This allows inspectors to notice and make note of any exterior issues with the home, such as roofing issues, to be able to keep a closer eye on the potential impact of it inside the home as well.
Once inside, the inspector starts at the top of the house with the attic, and then works their way down to the basement or crawlspace. The crawlspace or basement is last on the list because any leaks that emerge while inspecting the plumbing inside the home will have time to drip down and be noticed by the time the inspector gets down there.
What are the Benefits of a Home Inspection?
A home inspection allows a potential buyer to know about any minor or major issues with the house they intend to buy, and because a home is a large investment, it’s important to know what sort of issues may need to be addressed. A seller may have a home inspection done before they even list their home so they can know if there are any issues they need to address before a buyer comes along, that way they can get ahead of any problems that may be present.
PDH Real Estate’s course, Introduction to Home Inspection for Real Estate Agents, gives you just that: an introduction to home inspections. Our home inspection lessons will give you valuable insight on:
- Overview of Home Inspections – Provides an introduction and review of the home inspection industry
- Legal and Business Aspects – Pre-inspection agreements, insurance, marketing
- The Inspection Process – Method of inspection a house, Standards of Practice
Having an understanding of the home inspection process can give you a leg up on your competition, and make your clients feel more at ease because you’ll have insider knowledge on what went on during the inspection.
If you’re ready to get started with a career in real estate, PDH Real Estate is here to help. We offer affordable, hassle-free education to help you build a successful real estate career. You can visit our website at www.pdhrealestate.com to learn more, or you can contact our customer support team at staff@pdhrealestate.com or 888-572-7324 with any questions.
