Page 10 - Kim Sargent GuideBuyerCustom.pdf

The Property Inspection

What To Expect At The Inspection home inspection. While home inspectors are not
The purchase contract will likely contain currently required to have a license, most are, or
provisions allowing you various inspections of the have been, general contractors. The inspection and
property. The purpose of these inspections is to the resulting report provide an overall assessment
of the present condition of the property.
educate you as to the physical condition of the
property you are purchasing. While these
inspections do not provide guarantees of the What is inspected?
condition of the property, they do provide The home inspection covers items such as exterior
valuable information to you as a buyer. It is siding, paint, flooring, appliances, water heater,
important to remember that your purchase furnace, electrical service, plumbing and other
contract may provide for withdrawal from the visible features of the property. This is a general
contract if these reports are unsatisfactory to you, inspection and will often call for additional
but inspections should not be considered an open inspections by specific trades, such as roof and
door to renegotiation of the purchase price. furnace inspections.
Structural Pest Control Inspection Further Inspections
Often referred to as a “Termite Report” the If conditions warrant, the home inspector may
recommend a Structural Engineer’s Report. Such a
Structural Pest Control Inspection is conducted by report would identify structural failures and detail
a licensed inspector. In addition to actual termite recommend corrections.
damage, the report will indicate any type of wood
destroying organisms that may be present, Geological Inspection
including fungi (sometimes called “dry rot’’, which You may also elect to have a Geological Inspection
generally results from excessive moisture.) to educate yourself as to the soil conditions of the
Section I – Conditions home you are purchasing. This inspection is
performed by a geological engineer and involves
Most pest reports classify conditions as Section I or not only physically inspecting the property but also
Section II items. Section I conditions are those researching past geological activity in the area. The
which are “active” or currently causing damage to primary purpose of a geological inspection is to
the property. Generally, Section I items need to be determine the stability of the ground under and
corrected before a conventional lender will make a around the home.
loan on a home.
Section II – Conditions Home Warranty
Those items, which are not currently causing Home protection plans are available for purchase
by seller or buyer. Such plans may provide
damage, but are likely to, if left unattended to are additional protection of certain systems and
Section II Conditions. A possible Section II item is a appliances in your new home.
plumbing leak where the moisture has not yet
caused fungus decay.

Who Pays?
Your purchase contract will specify who is
responsible for the cost of the inspection and
making these corrections. This is a negotiable item
and should be considered carefully.
Physical Inspection
The Physical Inspection clause in your purchase
contract, when initialed by both parties, allows you
the right to have the property thoroughly
inspected. This is usually done through a general

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