What is a Home Inspection?

 The process by which a qualified home inspector visually examines the readily accessible systems and components of a home and operates those systems and components utilizing a specified Standards of Practice as a guideline. 

 Although not a mandatory requirement when purchasing your home, it is highly recommended. After all, it's not likely that you would buy a used car without having it looked over or test driving it first; and a car costs a fraction of what you will spend purchasing your home. Let Guided Inspections "test drive" the house that you are considering purchasing so that there are no surprises for you down the road. If you have a friend or relative who is a builder, carpenter, etc. (or you are one yourself), feel free to have them take a look at the house. However, you should also consider having a licensed and qualified home inspector perform an unbiased property inspection, as this inspection report will hold more weight with the seller, in the event that you end up requesting repairs or concessions.

 It is not uncommon to have a home inspection reveal some or multiple deficiencies in any given home. It is rare that you will find a home that is completely free of deficiencies or issues needing attention. Once you have reviewed your inspection report and have compiled a list of items that you would like the seller to address, there are two ways to proceed:

1). You can request, through the assistance of your Realtor, that the seller address and repair these items.

2). You can try to have the purchase price adjusted to account for items that you will end up repairing at a later date.

In either case, neither side of the transaction is required or obligated to make any repairs or adjustments. The inspection is not a "pass/fail" inspection, but rather a snapshot of the home's current condition. The Texas Real Estate Consumer Notice Concerning Hazards Or Deficiencies (TREC OP-I) goes into further detail regarding this matter.

 Absolutely!  I encourage my clients to attend the home inspection if possible; however, sometimes it is not feasible.  Rest assured though.  Even if you cannot attend the inspection, I perform the same quality inspection, followed up with detailed reporting, regardless of whether you are able to attend or not.  If you do plan on attending, I have found that the best way to perform the inspection and ensure that you are getting accurate and thorough results is for me to follow my normal procedure and routine throughout the home and then take as much time as necessary going over the home's components, features and potential deficiencies with you during the inspection summary at the end of the inspection.  This method helps to eliminate missed items, ensures thorough data collection and allows you to take measurements, grab lunch, and envision future room setups during the 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hour inspection.