To learn more about Ben and to read his credentials, please see our Allied Resource video interview with Ben Clarke.
From a home inspectors view, a home inspection is a visual inspection of the individual components of a home. This visual inspection outlines how they are working as independent parts, as well as how they contribute to the overall function and health of the home.
When you tour a home with us, Your Northern Virginia Real Estate Agent, you’re only in the home for 20-30 minutes on average. This doesn’t give you adequate time to uncover any issues that might take away from the value of the home.
A home inspection is ordered after we place the home under contract by coming to an agreement with the seller/owner of the property. Home inspections are conducted by a licensed trained professional called Home Inspectors. They have many years of experience.
The length of a home inspection can vary based on the size, age of the house, deferred maintenance, and upkeep over the life of the home. Home Inspectors go in and we not only identify potential problems but give advice based on their findings to you, the future homeowner.
A home inspection for an average sized townhouse in Alexandria, VA should take 2-3 hours. Two Thousand (2,000) Square Foot single family home with a basement would probably run 2.5-3 hours.
The major components home inspector look at in an inspection are the building envelope: the roof, cladding or siding, windows. You can also expect the home inspector to look at everything mechanical within the home: heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, and all the individual components and how they work together.
Most people underestimate the skill level of the home inspector. Not all inspectors are created equal, some are more experienced than others but the bottom line is that all licensed home inspectors are professionally trained, and most have previous home contracting experience. They have been trained in the industry from both sides of the coin.
Don’t go into a home you’re considering purchasing and do the inspection on your own and expect to pick up on the same things a professional will find.
At the end of the day, the answer is “Yes”. Yes, you need a home inspection to protect your assets and avoid liability for repairs that will need to be completed after close. Yes, you will need to hire a professional. A family member with some home repair experience might provide good insight, but he isn’t trained on the critical points an inspector will look for in an inspection. A professional inspector will also be able to properly document his or her findings for the use in your legal and binding sales contracts and negotiations.
You can reach Ben Clark by texting or calling 540-535-5322 or certifiedbuildinginspectors(dot)biz
Start your home search with Abraham, your Norther Virginia Real Estate Specialist by shooting him an email at Abraham@AskAWalker(dot)com.
About the Author: The above article was written by Abraham Walker, Your Northern Virginia Real Estate Agent, helping clients market their homes to achieve high sales with a quick closing time is my main priority.
He’s the co-founder of Ask A Walker and can be found on YouTube, Facebook, and HERE on this blog.
Abraham can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at (703)539-2053.
He’s happy to answer all your real estate questions.
Thinking of selling your home? Check out 20+ step process to selling your home. Or contact me now to start the home selling process. Same day appointments are available on a case by case basis.
I help people sell and buy real estate in the following Northern Virginia area cities & neighborhoods: Kingstowne, Island Creek, Cameron Station, Overlook, Alexandria, Old Town, Belle Haven, Fort Hunt, Mount Vernon, Springfield, West Springfield, Burke, Lorton, Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Manassas, Annandale, Fairfax, Arlington, McLean, Reston, Herndon and of course Vienna.
