Josh Davis of Pillar to Post is with me today to answer several home inspection questions we typically get from both our clients and our team.

 

What does a home inspection cover? What does it cost?

 

According to Josh, a whole home inspection covers almost every component of the house itself. The cost of an inspection depends on your home’s square footage, but it’s usually around $495. There are also add-on services a home inspector can provide. Pillar to Post, for example, can add radon testing, sewer scopes, infrared scans, etc.

 

What are some things a home inspection doesn’t cover?

 

Detached sheds, irrigation systems, septic tanks, and wells are all items a regular home inspection doesn’t cover. There are specialists who can inspect these items, though.

 

What are the most common issues inspectors find during a home inspection?

 

Here in Oregon, one of the most common issues inspectors typically see is wood rot in the home’s siding. Oftentimes, they also find crawl space issues, some of which are minor (e.g., insulation that needs to be rehung) and some are more important (plumbing leaks). Electrical concerns are another issue they usually come across.

 

What attempts at repairing a home do you see most often?

 

The two most common repair attempts Josh see’s from homeowners themselves are incorrectly installed roofing and incorrectly installed plumbing/drain lines. When it comes to your roof, incorrectly aligned shingles can allow water to leak into your home. As far as plumbing goes, Josh often sees people try to use weird, flexible connectors to fix a problem they should leave to a professional.

 

What home inspection advice would you give to someone who’s about to sell their home?

 

In Josh’s words, talk to your Realtor first. That’s why you work with them. They’ll know what’s expected from the market. You may not necessarily want a whole house inspection prior to listing your home, but that can depend on your disclosure status. Also, if you’re getting a home warranty, make sure you get it before the home inspection is done.

 

If you were selling your home with our team, we’d send you right back to Josh after our home inspection consultation. In most cases, we recommend getting a home inspection done before listing your home. This is because we begin the home sale process with the end in mind, and we don’t want anything to come up in the inspection after we’ve gone under contract that would force us to put the home back on the market. That’s not good for a home sale.

 

If you have any further home inspection questions for Josh, you can email him at mills.team@pillartopost.com.

As always, if you have any other questions or real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.