Whether you are planning to buy a house or a condo unit, you will need to have it inspected before moving in, in order ensure that everything is in proper working order or to avoid any unwanted surprises in the future. A home/condo inspection is basically a visual examination of the physical structure as well as the mechanical systems present. Before finally deciding on buying a house, co-op, or condominium, you should have it properly checked by an experienced and impartial home inspector.

The inspector should ensure that the inspection as well as the inspection report meets all the applicable requirements within your state and complies with a well recognized standard of practice and code of ethics. You should be able to request and receive a copy of the items that will be inspected ahead of time so that you will be able to ask any questions that you may have even before the inspection begins. If there are specific areas that you want to make sure are inspected but is not included in the report, be sure to identify and have them addressed immediately.

The purchase of a home or condo unit is probably one of the largest most important investments that you will be making in your life, which is why you need to be sure of everything. You need to know each and every detail before you even make that crucial decision. Remember that no matter how good a house or a condominium may look it will always have problems present here and there (some being more serious than others). The inspector will be able to see and interpret all of the possible visible and hidden problems present and will then be able to give you his/her professional opinion along with the number of potential problems that he/she has seen.

The inspector should be able to provide the customer with his/her history in the profession and maybe even a few names as referrals. For newer inspectors, they can always partner up with a seasoned veterans for assistance on the inspection process.

Some inspector associations and state regulations actually allow the inspector to perform repair work on the problems which are found during inspection, unless regulations prohibit them otherwise. If they are not able to do the repairs themselves you can also ask for possible referrals of good repair companies that you can use in repairing the problems.

For most part the cost will greatly vary depending on the state that you are in, the size, age of the house, scope of services as well as other included factors. While the typical house inspection for smaller homes is around $400-500, homes larger than 3,000sqft cost more. Cost must always represent the value in terms of the home inspection in relation to the investment being made. Cost does not necessarily reflect or directly relate to quality.

Before considering in getting the inspectors services, ask for samples first. See if you are able to understand the inspector’s reporting style or not and if the parameters in the report fulfil all your needs. Most inspectors usually will already be able to provide you with their full report 24 hours after inspection.

You should. Being present in the inspection process will help you understand more about your potential purchase. Aside from observing you will also be able to raise questions regarding the house being inspected, giving you a deeper insight.

No matter where you look, properties will always have problems one way or the other – some being bigger as compared to others. Even newly constructed houses have problems, but that does not necessarily turn you off. Knowing the particular problems will help you to avoid unwanted future surprise as well as give you an idea on what you might want to do in the future.