By Katie Bain
One of the most important things you need to do as a Portland Oregon home buyer is to get the home you are purchasing inspected by a qualified home inspector. In today’s post, I will share with you simple tips for finding a home inspector and what you can expect from the home inspection process.
Step 1 – Where You Can Find A Home Inspector
Although you can easily find a home inspector looking online, the best resource to use for finding a qualified home inspector is through your real estate agent or a referral from someone you know and trust. You should choose someone who has verifiable experience and references from their satisfied clients. Interview the home inspector and ask questions such as how long it will take to complete a home inspection, what areas they cover in their home inspection and what areas they do not inspect. A thorough home inspection should take 3-4 hours and they should inspect everything including your crawlspace to your attic and roof. These spaces can often reveal problem otherwise not seen in the living areas of the home. Make sure that the inspector includes photos of any concerns in their report so you have a visual reference of the issue found to discuss with your real estate agent and/or contractors and specialists that you may have come to further investigate the issue.
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Step 2 – What Information A Home Inspector Requires
When making your first call to the home inspector, they will ask you for the following information about the home you want to purchase: type of foundation, age of the home, square footage, and directions to the home. If you have any areas of concern, mention those areas to the inspector so that they can spend more time investigating those concerns.
Step 3 – When To Schedule Your Home Inspection
Last of all, you should schedule the day and time for the home inspection for a time you can realistically be present at the home inspection so that the inspector can point out any concerns they may have and explain those concerns in more detail than the report may provide. This also allows you an opportunity to ask questions.
Your home inspector may take 3-4 hours on average to complete the home inspection and they might have to schedule an additional home inspection of there are outbuildings or equipment on the property which need to be inspected. Additional inspections by specialists may be required for specialized areas that the inspector may not cover such as radon tests, searches and testing of existing oil tanks that may or may not still be is use, sewer lines of older homes, geological hazards and other items your real estate agent may suggest.
Helping Portland Oregon Home Buyers
For more tips on how to prepare for the home inspection or to get additional Portland, Oregon home buyer tips contact me, Katie Bain, General Manager and Principal Broker of Equity Point Real Estate, by clicking here or calling me at (503) 595-8800.