Home inspections tend to be one of those mysterious processes that people generally only hear about when they’re in the market for a new home or are looking for ways to reduce their homeowners insurance. To that end, we’re here to clear up some of that mystery and confusion and set the record straight on several common myths we hear about home inspections. Let’s dive in.

Myth #1: A home inspection and a home appraisal are the same thing.

On the contrary. A home appraisal is conducted with the intent of determining the home’s value with the appraiser generally working for the lender.

A home inspector works for you, the buyer, and is focused specifically on assessing the safety of the home, not the value of the property.

While an appraiser may make a high-level assessment of the state of the property, they are not focused (nor trained) on evaluating safety aspects of the home.

Myth #2: New or flipped homes don’t need an inspection.

Whether it’s a brand new home or a newly remodeled home, inspections are still important – perhaps even more important since no one has lived in the home to test the construction or appliances. Just because a home has been newly constructed doesn’t mean it is without faults. An inspector can alert to any potential problem areas.

Myth #3: A home can pass or fail an inspection.

Buying a home is not like taking a test. There’s no pass/fail option. Only an assessment of the given state of the property. While an inspector may point out flaws or code violations in a property, that information does not disqualify a home from purchase and signal you to run as fast and far as you can in the other direction.

The real test is really the one given by you as you evaluate the report given to you by your home inspector. Can you live with the information presented to you? Your tolerance level is likely different than other buyers’, and it’s really up to you if what you see on the inspection report is what you are comfortable taking on as a homeowner.

Myth #4: A home inspector can see into the future.

While home inspectors are able to evaluate the current state of the property at a given moment in time, they are not – with certainty – able to predict when exactly your A/C unit will go out, when your roof will need to be replaced, or if, for that matter, you might encounter a maintenance issue days or weeks after moving in.

What your inspector can tell you is how old certain appliances are and their expected shelf life, but no inspector can guarantee when exactly you might encounter problems. The protection against challenges like these is to prepare for them by setting aside money to be used on maintenance issues.

If you have questions about these common myths or anything else related to home inspections, make sure your questions get answered by a certified home inspector you can trust. Call us today at 786-732-0342.