WHAT DOES A HOME INSPECTOR DO? For your own safety, and to make sure you’re not going to have any surprise repair expenses when you buy a home, using a professional home inspector is highly recommended.

A home inspector will check a home’s plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical systems, plus look for structural problems, check the basement and roof for water leakage, and look at the exterior and interior finishes throughout the property.

So before you sign any written offer to buy a home, make sure that it includes an inspection clause or other language that says that your offer is conditional upon having a satisfactory home inspection.  A seller may be willing to renegotiate a price to accommodate needed repairs, or you may decide that the home will take too much work and money.  A professional inspection will help you make a clear-headed decision before you buy a home.

Plus, you can get answers to many questions and tips for maintenance and a lot of general information that will help you after you buy the home.   Most important, you’ll see the home through the eyes of an objective third party before you buy.

Items on your inspection report should include…

- FOUNDATIONS, BASEMENTS, AND STRUCTURES
Basement floor and walls, proper drainage and ventilation, evidence of water seepage.

- EXTERIOR SIDING, WINDOWS, DOORS
Exterior walls, windows, and doors; porches, decks, and balconies; garage.

- ROOF
Roof type and material, condition of gutters and downspouts.

- INTERIOR PLUMBING SYSTEM
Hot and cold water systems; the waste system and sewage disposal; water pressure and flow; and hot water equipment.

- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Type of service, the number of circuits, type of protection, outlet grounding, and the load balance.

- CENTRAL HEATING & COOLING SYSTEM
Energy sources, heating equipment, age, capacity, and distribution.

- INTERIOR WALLS, CEILINGS, FLOORS, WINDOWS, AND DOORS
Wall, floors, ceilings, stairways, cabinets, and countertops

- STRUCTURAL, INSULATION, AND VENTILATION INFORMATION

- FIREPLACE
Notes about the chimney, damper, and masonry and cleaning.

- GARAGE
Doors, walls, floor, opener.

- APPLIANCES
Including a wide range of built-in and other home appliances, smoke detectors and television/cable hookups.

- LOT AND LANDSCAPING
Ground slope away from foundation, condition of walks, steps, driveway.

Are there any other inspections I need to have done before buying a home? In addition to the overall inspection, depending upon the neighborhood where you’re buying, you may wish to have a separate test conducted to check for termites and radon gas.

If you need the assistance of someone that has experience working with Inspectors and home owners, feel free to email me at gracehughesjax@gmail.com for assistance, or my direct line is 904-233-1341.  Or if there is other critical information you need to know, feel free to give me a call for a free consultation.

My web site where you can find any home listed in the Northeast Florida MLS is located at the following link: www.FindaPlaceWithStyleNgrace.com.  Go to the Property Search page.

Tags: Buy a Home in Jacksonville Beach, Buying a House in Jacksonville Beach FL, Buying a Single-Family Home in Jacksonville Florida, First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, Home Buyers in Jacksonville Beach, Jacksonville Beach First Time Home Buyers, Jacksonville Beach Home Buying Process

Posted on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 3:59 pm and is filed under Buying a Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.