3 Things Inspectors Check in a Home Inspection

By Greg Smith

BoulderHomeSource represents the region’s finest properties with exceptional skill, using the most innovative technologies currently available. BoulderHomeSource offers ultimate privacy, security, speed, and efficiency. The team’s years of full-time experience have given them a clear understanding of the mindset of home buyers and sellers and a thorough understanding of the regional marketplace.

When you finally find your dream home, you’re probably excited to sign the dotted line. But before finalizing your home purchase, there’s an important step that you shouldn’t skip: a home inspection. When you’re under a contract for a home, home inspectors will check every area of your home that might affect the property’s value. However, there are three big-ticket items that you need to pay attention to.

These can be expensive to fix, so you need to know about any problems related to these areas before you buy. When inspectors do find problems in an area they don’t specialize in, they will recommend hiring a specialist to inspect it.

1. Sewer scope. This inspection is important because we cannot easily check if there are cracks in the sewer line or whether it is clogged. One of the reasons why a sewer line gets clogged is because of tree roots. In Colorado, a cracked sewer line is often caused by clay piping. Home inspectors are going to tell you if you need to replace the sewer scope, use a Roto-Rooter, or both. Sellers need to be informed and ask to have it repaired.

2. Foundation. A home’s foundation should be solid and stand the test of time. Generally, all homes have fine-line cracks. However, when you see cracks starting to spread, or when cracks are big enough to fit a dime in, then there’s a need to hire a structural engineer. They’ll make sure the home is safe and sturdy. Other signs of foundation issues include misaligned doors and windows. These issues cannot be easily seen because of drywall or because it’s underground, so paying attention to the home’s interior is important.

3. HVAC system. This is your heating and cooling system. Most of the time, an inspector will draw attention to your HVAC system because it is already old. If the system is already around 12 years old, a specialist should be called for cleaning and diagnosis of any problems.

When we get the inspection report, we’ll go through it carefully. We’ll focus on these big items first because they can cost a lot to fix. Then, we’ll look at medium-sized problems. We usually don’t worry too much about small, cosmetic issues. A home inspection is all about protecting the buyer, and we’ll help you negotiate with the seller to fix any major problems.

If you have any questions about home inspections or buying a home, please give me a call at (720) 235-2409 or send me an email at lorrie@boulderhomesource.com. I’m here to help!