Home Inspector

A home inspection by a certified inspector is a must. It offers protection and a safety net for the buyer. If a major defect or a safety issue is discovered, the buyer has grounds to back out from the sale and get an earnest money refund.

In the greater Spokane WA area, a standard home inspection costs about $250, non refundable. A good home inspector will want the buyer to be present so they can explain what he or she is looking for and their verdicts as they inspect. A written report is presented later but you can get a lot more by being there. There may be specific issues you want the inspector to look at. They may offer candid "off the record" advice about those issues and the house in general, like our inspector did, which proved invaluable.

The most important function the inspector performs is to look for safety issues and hazardous materials. No one wants asbestos or similar dangerous materials present on the property they are thinking about purchasing. Asbestos and similar materials, before being banned, were widely used for exterior siding and insulation of pipes and ducts. The cost of removal is exceedingly high, if even possible. The workers must dress like astronauts going to the moon. For the layman the material is difficult to spot and identify since they can be in many different forms. Some forms are more dangerous than others.

Aside from safety issues and hazardous materials, the main concerns are the roof, electrical wiring, plumbing, heating systems and the general structural integrity of the house. Replacing or repairing even partially any of those problems can be prohibitively expensive. The seller maybe willing to renegotiate the asking price to compensate but most people, like my dad, just want to move in and enjoy a home, not immediately get bogged down with major home repairs.

The buyer should love the house and be prepared to purchase it before contacting a home inspector. If there are any doubts or a lack of passion to own it, one should keep looking. Home inspection assumes you are buying the house. It comes after an offer is made with the appropriate earnest money placed in escrow. You will be paying a non-refundable fee for inspection. It is really the last step.