Home Buyer Inspection Tips

Pre-Inspection Tasks

To prevent inspection delays and ensure a smooth and complete inspection of the home, we need your help facilitating the following items:

The inspector needs clear access to:

  • Attic
  • Water Heater
  • HVAC System
  • Electrical Panels
  • Built-in kitchen appliances
  • Fireplace
  • Crawl space

Make sure:

  • All utilities are on (electric, water, gas)
  • To unlock attics, doors, gates, electrical panels, and lawn sprinkler control box
  • Pets are secured

Note: For liability reasons, inspectors do not move personal property. Inspectors may charge an additional fee if they return to the property to inspect items that were not accessible or if the utilities were off.

For Texas Home Buyers:

Below is an excerpt from the Texas Real Estate Commission One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale) form:

“7. PROPERTY CONDITION:

A. ACCESS, INSPECTIONS AND UTILITIES: Seller shall permit Buyer and Buyer’s agents access to the Property at reasonable times. Buyer may have the Property inspected by inspectors selected by Buyer and licensed by TREC or otherwise permitted by law to make inspections. Any hydrostatic testing must be separately authorized by Seller in writing. Seller at Seller's expense shall immediately cause existing utilities to be turned on and shall keep the utilities on during the time this contract is in effect.”

Inspection Day!

Attend the inspection - Your attendance is not mandatory; however, we always recommend showing at the end of the inspection to review the findings with the Inspector.

Relax - Inspection will provide you an analytical look at the house.  Inspections are not a pass of fail test.  It’s a non-invasive evaluation of the status of a house at the time of the inspection.

Participate – Before the inspection, you should prepare any question on specific systems of the house. We will gladly address your question during the inspection review.  You can always call - even after the inspection of your home.

Read the full reports - We will provide you with three different standard reports, which provide a snapshot of the home at the time of the inspection:

  • The Full PDF version of the report. This version is printable and contains other details like the water pressure, water shutoff, HVAC temperature differentials, etc.
  • The Full Web version of the report is like the Full PDF version except it is in html and has clickable photos and videos.
  • The Summary report, which is in html format, contains only the deficiencies found during the inspection. The summary will show the deficiencies in four categories: Safety, Maintenance, General and Cosmetic.

We also provide WDI (wood destroying insects) report when a termite inspection is ordered.

Your investment. Our passion.