New Bern NC Home Inspectors

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Buying a home is often the single largest investment an individual will make. It would obviously make sense to learn as much as possible about the condition of the property before you buy it. A home inspection may identify the need for both major and minor repairs as well as the need for routine maintenance. This information can help you make the decision to buy or not buy a particular property.

If you are planning to sell your home, a home inspection can give you the opportunity to make repairs that will make your house easier to sell. In today's market many sellers are opting to go ahead and purchase a home inspection. The most common reason a real estate sale falls apart is do to a home inspection so it only makes sense to find out if you have issues before you put your house on the market.

A Home Inspector is hired by a buyer or seller to evaluate the condition of a property prior to a buyer closing on a property or in the case of the seller, prior to the home being placed on the market for sale.

A licensed home inspector will examine the property being purchased or sold using professional standards and guidelines and typically the inspector presents a report summarizing the inspection.

Many Inspectors are members of ASHI, American Society of Home Inspectors, or some similar organization that sets professional standards for Inspections. For more information Click Here. The home inspection can take 2 to 5 hours to perform and it is a good idea, but not absolutely necessary, for the hiring party to be present at the time of the inspection.

How much does a home inspection cost?

Expect to pay from $300.00 to $500.00 for a home inspection. The price varies with the size of the house and the scope of the inspection. Your inspector will be glad to give you a quote on the price and the scope of the inspection so you will know what you can expect to receive in the report and how much it will cost. Whatever the cost, the sense of security you will receive by having the home inspection will be well worth it!

What should I do with my home inspection report?

First of all, don't panic if the report comes back with items that need to be repaired. Few, if any homes are problem free, so you should expect your report to list some items in need of repair. The list sometimes gets to be quite extensive when you are dealing with an older home. Even with an extensive report, many of the items noted can be relatively minor.

5 Questions to ask your Home Inspector

Many home buyers feel like they are real estate experts after all the studying up on loans and neighborhoods and watching the real estate shows on cable TV. But for all but the most handy of house hunters, getting into contract and starting the home inspection process only surfaces how little you actually know about home construction. So you hire a home inspector, but it seems like they’re speaking an entirely different language that is sometimes confusing and can often unnecessarily alarm you.

Here are 5 questions you can use to decode your home inspector’s findings into knowledge you can use to make smart decisions as a homebuyer - and homeowner.

 1. How bad is it - really? The best home inspectors are pretty even keeled, emotionally speaking. They’re not alarmists that blow little things up into big ones, nor do they try to play down the importance of things. They’re all about the facts. But sometimes, that straightforwardness makes it hard for you, the home’s buyer, to understand what is a minor issues that should not be a deal breaker and what is important and costly enough for you to decide whether to move forward with the deal, whether to renegotiate and what to plan ahead for.

I’ve seen things categorized in home inspection reports under “Health and Safety Hazards” that cost less than $100 to fix, like replacing a faucet that has hot and cold reversed. And I’ve seen one-liners in inspection reports, like “extensive earth-to-wood contact” result, after further inspection, in foundation repair bids pricier than the whole cost of the home! In many states, home inspectors are not legally able to provide you with a repair bid, but if you attend the inspection and simply ask them whether or not something they say needs fixing is a big deal, nine times out of ten they will verbally give you the information you need to understand the degree to which the issue is a serious problem (or not).

2. Who should have to fix deficiencies pointed out by the home inspector? Well you certainly have the option to ask the owner of the property to make the repairs. Sometimes this happens and all is fine. However, sometimes the owner is not in a position financially to make the repairs so any repairs are up to the buyer. If you do not know anyone capable to make the repairs ask your Realtor, Home Inspector, or perhaps the local Building Inspector.

3. If this was your house, what would you fix, and when? Your home inspector’s job is to point out everything, within the scope of the inspection, that might need repair, replacement, maintenance or further inspection. They also often point out the expected life expectancy of the item. But they also tend to be experienced enough with homes to know that no home is perfect. Many times, I’ve asked this question about an item the inspector described as “at the end of its serviceable lifetime” and had them say, “I wouldn’t do a thing to it. Just know that it could break in the next 5 months, or in the next 5 years. And keep your home warranty in effect, because that should cover it when it does break.

4. Can you point that out to me? Often, when you attend the home inspection, you’ll be multi-tasking, taking pictures of the interior, measuring for drapes or furniture, even meeting the neighbors, or fielding several inspectors at a time. Worst case scenario is to get home, open up the inspector’s report and have no clue whatsoever what he or she was referring to when they called out the wax ring that needs replacement or the temperature-pressure release valve that is improperly installed. Your best bet is to, at the end of the inspection, while you’re all still in the property, just ask the inspector to take 10 or 15 minutes and walk you through the place, pointing out all the items they’ve noted need repair, maintenance or further inspection. When you get the report, then, you’ll know what and where the various items belong.

5. Can you show me how to work that? Many home inspectors are delighted to show you how to operate various mechanical or other systems in your home, and will walk you through the steps of operating everything from your thermostat, to your water heater, to your stove and dishwasher - and especially the emergency shutoffs for your gas, water and electrical utilities. This one single item is such a time and stress saver it alone is worth the lost income of missing a day of work to attend your inspections.

** IMPORTANT TO NOTE. The home inspection is typically performed after a home has been contracted for purchase and the purchase price has been agreed upon between the buyer and seller. Frequently, if a low purchase price has been negotiated by the buyer, the seller will be less likely to make repairs and/or there will be an agreement for the seller to make some, but not all repairs noted. And, sometimes the parties will agree to a monetary compensation in lieu of repairs. As noted before, it is all negotiable!

Some of the Home Inspectors in the New Bern are we have used are listed below.

• Allstar Home Inspections-(252) 636 1203
• Advanced Home Inspections-(252) 633 5858
• Chittick Home Inspection-(252) 626-0079
• Pillar to Post Home Inspections-(252) 6361500
• John Leake Inspections-(252) 6371948