A Home Inspection is a visual inspection of the exterior, structure, roof, garage, attic, basement/crawlspace, plumbing, electric, heating & A/C, and interior rooms of a home. The home inspection will also include an evaluation of the installed & readily accessible components of the home. The home inspection should be made by a qualified professional, who is trained and has experience in evaluating all the component features in a house, and who is able to give a clear and accurate picture of the condition of these components. It is important to remember that a Home Inspection is basically visual in nature, with no intrusive drilling or digging performed. When you and your Home Inspector have completed the Inspection, the house must be in the same (or better) condition than it was when you first began.
A Home Inspection should have a distinct two-prong focus. First, the primary goal is to clearly identify any potential significant defect that will affect your buying decision. Second, is to clearly identify any areas in need of near term repairs, or any components that are reaching the end of their useful life span. Even though it is secondary, this area provides very useful information that you will need when setting up your maintenance budget.
A quality Home Inspection, performed by a NAHI professional, is designed to provide you with the information you need to make a more informed decision about your potential purchase. You should be able to walk away from the Inspection knowing, in a clear way, what your immediate major issues are (if any), and what items will need repair and/or maintenance in the near term.
To review the NAHI Standards & Code of Ethics that each of our members conduct their inspections by, click here.