If you’re buying a home for sale in Scottsdale, you’ll need a home inspection – but you may need more than a standard inspection to cover the whole property.
Types of Home Inspections (and What to Expect From Each)
A standard home inspection covers everything in a home that doesn’t require a specialist. A general inspector looks for defects in the home’s foundation, its major systems, and other features, checking the home’s:
- Overall structure, including the foundation, roof and attic to search for issues, signs of condensation or water damage, and cracks.
- Exterior surfaces to look for areas that are susceptible to (or have already suffered) water damage, broken seals, deteriorating steps or walkways, decks and settlement cracks.
- Roofing to find loose tiles or shingles and test the flashing, as well as to check for tree limbs that touch the home, gutter debris, and drain issues.
- Plumbing to make sure drains, vents and waste systems are working properly, as well as fuel and water distributors.
- Insulation and ventilation systems to make sure the home is protected against the elements.
- Interior, to include doors, windows, floors, stairways and counter tops, as well as cabinets and other interior features, to make sure everything is functioning properly.
If a general home inspector finds something that needs a closer inspection (or that’s outside the inspector’s scope of experience), he or she will recommend that you hire a specialty inspector.
Specialty home inspections include those for:
- Pests. A pest inspection can tell you about wood-destroying insects or other infestations that a general inspector isn’t qualified to diagnose.
- Chimneys. A general home inspector may not be able to find specific problems, such as issues with smoke distribution or crumbling bricks inside.
- Electrical systems. An electrician can diagnose specific problems with a home’s electrical system and let you know what needs to happen to bring a home up to code.
- Heating and cooling. An HVAC expert can tell you whether specific components of a heating and cooling system are damaged, broken, or about to break and determine whether a unit needs replacement.
- Foundations. Your general inspector can take note of signs of foundation problems, but you may need to work with a foundation engineer to find out whether the home is sliding (or likely to slide) or if the foundation itself is faulty.
- Pools and spas. Most general home inspectors don’t handle pool inspections, so you’ll need a specialist if you’re buying a house with a built-in water feature. A pool and spa expert can check for leaks and examine heaters, water softeners and other important components, too.
- Roofs. A roofing specialist can diagnose more issues than a general home inspector can, so if the seller isn’t providing a roof certification and the roof is older, you may want to consider hiring one.
Your Scottsdale real estate agent can help you decide whether you should invest in a specialty inspection for any component of a home you’re interested in buying. If the inspector uncovers major issues, you may be able to back away from the deal with your earnest money intact – or you can negotiate with the seller to make repairs or lower the home’s sale price.
