When buying a house, pretty much anyone, professional or not, will tell you to get a home inspection. There are very good reasons for this: a home inspection spots problems you might’ve missed. And it makes sense, you want to make sure the property you’re buying doesn’t have any hidden issues before closing. This is where we should note that most home inspectors actually welcome questions, and will happily answer them. This will allow you a deeper understanding of the home inspection process and how results are reached. So, today, we’re going to go through a list of 5 questions to ask your Texas home inspector, and we hope you find it helpful.

1. May I come along?

When asking your Texas home inspector if you can come along for the inspection, the answer should, realistically, always be yes. Most (if not all) home inspectors actually want their clients to come along anyway. This is because they can then point out the issues to you in person. Additionally, they can also answer the rest of your question along the way, which is a win-win for both sides. As such, this should always be the first question you ask your inspector. All in all, you’ll find that most home inspectors are very cooperative when it comes to clients asking questions. At the end of the day, it’s their job to find problems and point them out. However, if they do find some issues such as roof damage, you should learn how to get them fixed. To continue the example, familiarize yourself with roofing services before hiring them.

Keep in mind, most home inspectors will want you along for the inspection usually.

2. What do you check?

 The reason behind this question is self-explanatory: it gives you a deeper understanding of the home inspection process. There are a ton of features that a home inspector looks at (around 1,600, in fact) so they’ll like give you a quick rundown. However, this question is important so you know what isn’t going to get checked during the inspection. This usually includes uncommon, special features in homes such as swimming pools. If the house has some special features, you’ll likely have to hire specialized inspectors to have a look at them and make sure they’re up to snuff. Either way, by asking your home inspector what exactly they check, you’ll know exactly what else needs to be looked at. Additionally, experts from evolutionmovingdfw.com note that a home inspection should always be done before moving in. Realistically, it should be done before buying the house, but sometimes this isn’t an option.

3. What are the biggest concerns, and how expensive are they to fix?

This question should come at the end of a home inspection. Meaning, after you Texas home inspector is done going through everything and identifying issues. After the inspection is done, you will receive a full report, which also usually comes with pictures of identified issues. This is when you should ask your inspector what their main concerns are with the property. This will give you a general guide on what order to approach the problems which need to be fixed in. Additionally, ask if they know how expensive the repairs will be. If you still haven’t bought the home, this can be a dealbreaker in most cases. Or, at the very least, it’ll affect the home’s pricing (or force the seller to fix some of the issues). And if, for example, the HVAC system is the problem, think about what you need to know before hiring a heating repair company.

Knowing what the home inspector is worried about the most can give you a priority for repairs.

Alt-tag: home inspector in empty room

4. What do specific issues mean?

Chances are, you won’t know what every single problem that comes up actually is. In that case, it makes sense to ask the home inspector to explain it in more detail. This will help pinpoint issues which are serious and issues which are fairly minor. Keeping in mind, of course, that even minor problems can become serious if ignored for too long. All in all, understanding every problem that crops up can be a deciding factor in actually buying the home, which is why this question is so important. And if you’re doing an inspection on a property you own, before selling it for example, keep in mind that it’s a good idea to store some of the furniture inside the house somewhere else while the inspection is ongoing. And if you need help getting your belongings there safely, trying to find adequate assistance is your best choice overall.

5. How do I keep this maintained?

You’ll find that most home inspectors are very happy to explain things to people. As such, if you run into something unfamiliar during the inspection, don’t be afraid to ask how maintenance works. Typically, your inspector will be able to give you a basic explanation of how a component or system works and how to keep it working. In the long-run, this knowledge will prove invaluable, so always ask if something like this is unclear to you. Additionally, it will save you a lot of pain in the long term, such as asking yourself why are my water costs so high? When, in fact, some component of a system you’re unfamiliar with hasn’t been properly maintained. Generally speaking, knowing how to keep a house in working order is very important, and you should take the chance to learn while you have it readily available.

Knowing how to keep a house operational is very valuable knowledge.

5 questions to ask your Texas home inspector – closing thoughts

All in all, there are a lot of things you can ask a home inspector which are useful. Realistically speaking, in today’s list we’ve only gone over some of the more important ones. If any other questions come to mind while the inspection is ongoing, remember: home inspectors usually welcome questions of all kinds, so don’t be shy. Take the chance to learn what you can from them about keeping the house in working order before you buy it. At the end of the day, some of the maintenance issues might be a dealbreaker for you. We hope you find this list of 5 questions to ask your Texas home inspector useful, and we wish you a good day.