What to expect on inspection day

The most important thing is to make sure that the utilities are turned ON. The inspector cannot inspect the homes' systems unless he can operate them. We have prepared a checklist How to Prepare For a Home Inspection. Please see that the party in possession of the property receives a copy of this checklist.

The day of the inspection, your inspector will arrive one and a half hour before the scheduled inspection time. He does this to get started on the outside portion of the inspection. We do recommend that you attend the inspection because we feel it is an opportunity to learn more about your home, but to ensure safe inspections, we ask that you not follow the inspector around the outside of the home or on the roof. Your inspector will be taking digital pictures of any concerns, so you will be able to see any issues he finds when he shows you the report. 

When you arrive onsite, your inspector will present you with the Inspection Agreement. This agreement further describes the inspection itself. The inspector will also present you with a binder containing several items for your convenience:

• If you are purchasing the home, we know this may be your first opportunity to see your new home after the offer was signed. We have included some graph paper to assist you in deciding how you would like to arrange your new home. Your inspector will be happy to allow you to use a tape measure if you would like, Just Ask!
• A Home Inventory Form; we all know we should have one. Few of us do! When you are moving, what better time to fill one out.
• The second tab in the binder will be empty, you may chose to print a copy of the report and place it in the binder. The report will also be available online for five years.
• Tab three contains your copy of the Inspection Agreement and your Free 90 day warranty.
• We have included several articles and home maintenance tips from "Mr. Fix-it" Tom Feiza. We find Toms books both informative and easy to read, and hope you will as well.
• The last section contains a Maintenance Checklist. The Inspection Report will give you an understanding of the condition of your home on inspection day. Ongoing maintenance is critical to maintaining the value of your home into the future. This handy form will help with that.

After this brief meeting with you the inspector will continue the inspection. He will be taking pictures not only of any concerns with the home but general pictures as well. A Complete Home Inspection generally takes two and one half to three hours to complete. The inspector will conduct the inspection according to the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI) Standards of Practice.

The inspector will be entering the attic and the crawlspace if space allows, as well as each room of the home. Towards the end of the inspection the inspector will inform you where to shut off the utilities to the home, in case there is ever an emergency and how to perform maintenance tasks such as how to change the furnace filter. After compiling the report, the inspector will go through the report with you and describe any issues found.