The home inspection is an essential part of your homebuying journey. Your inspector can identify potential problems in the house, such as foundation damage and a leaky roof, before you head to closing—giving you time to negotiate repairs. However, the inspector only conducts a basic visual inspection of some home components and will not check other areas. While the requirements for a home inspection can vary from state to state, the list below includes the parts of the home that require additional professional inspection. Always make sure you know exactly what is and isn’t part of your home inspection.
Why a Home’s Permit History is Important
During the home-buying process, you will receive a lot of information about the history of the house as well as its current condition. The home inspection and disclosure statement can give you peace of mind before closing on a property.
However, an inspector can only provide information on what they can see, and the homeowner may only be able to provide you details from when they lived in the home—and only to a certain extent. You may want further confirmation that the home is in the condition you think it is. By obtaining the home’s building permit history, you can be confident in the home’s repairs and alterations.