Why You Should Read Your Home Inspection Report

There are plenty of saying around things like “you don’t know what you don’t know” and when it comes to understanding why you should read your inspection report 100% is to get information that can be critical to your home-buying purchase. Most homebuyers do not have any construction background and reading a home inspection report can be a little intimidating. This doesn’t just apply to new buyers, but if you are a new homebuyer I encourage you to really take the time to review your home inspection report.

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Being a home inspector in Pembroke Pines, FL I’ve received calls on several occasions and the first question I ask is have you had a chance to review the home inspection report? More than half the time the answer is typically no or they skimmed over the summary. There is so much more information that can be beneficial besides just the defects that were called out on the report. Since Florida is a licensed state, there is required information that must be entered in the home inspection report from the state’s SOP. Most home inspections in Florida will follow 2 SOPs, that being the state SOP(Standards of Practice), the Internachi SOP, and/or ASHI’s SOP. This required information includes specific information about the home such as the building material type, roof type, electrical panel type, and plumbing material types.

Why You Should Read Your Home Inspection Report – What can you learn?

Knowing the type of material for certain components in a home can be critical when it comes to repairs and replacement costs. There may not be anything defects with a component but if it’s older material or component it may be more expensive or difficult to replace/repair when things reach their serviceable life span. Let’s say you have an air conditioning unit and the unit is working just fine, meaning it is producing cold air with a differential range of 15-22 degrees of the ambient temperature of the area. There is no physical damage or concerns. Safe to assume everything is good but what if I told you there are units that are R-22 refrigerant that was recently phased out and it may be more expensive to repair the unit or repairs may not be an option due to supply chain issues with refrigerant? As a buyer or the buyer’s agent, you may negotiate your deal a little differently to protect your homebuyer from the burden of those repair costs.

In your home inspection report, you will see pictures or text that includes the serial and model number of major components such as the water heater and the air conditioning units, I encourage you to research the model and serial numbers of the units to check replacement or repair cost. In South Florida, the focus tends to lend toward the 4-point inspection and the wind mitigation inspection because if the 4-point inspection has defects then insurance may be difficult to obtain and if the wind mitigation report doesn’t show that the home has certain protective features then the home insurance premium may be more expensive than the homebuyer can afford. GGR Home Inspections inspectors review defects found on the 4-point inspection, home inspection, and wind mitigation during the summary onsite with the clients and realtors. If there is an immediate risk to the building or people residing then the listing side is informed of those immediate risks so that there is no delay in addressing them to protect the new homebuyer’s purchase while it is in process.

There are so many different types of home inspection software, GGR Home Inspections uses modern software that provides high-definition 150-200 photos and videos on average per inspection. Click for sample reports. There are color-coded recommendations but please don’t just look at the red items. Let’s take a quick look at the GGR Home Inspections summary categories:

Important Information / Limitations: Comment Key – Definitions – Why You Should Read Your Home Inspection Report

This report divides deficiencies into three categories; Significant/Immediate Attention Defects (in red), Marginal Defects/Recommendations (in orange), and Minor Defects/Maintenance Items/FYI (colored in blue). Safety Hazards or Concerns will be listed in the Red or Orange categories depending on their perceived danger, but should always be addressed ASAP.

Items or components that were not functional, represent a serious safety concern, and/or may require a major expense to correct. Items categorized in this manner require further evaluation and repairs or replacement as needed by a Qualified Contractor prior to the end of your contingency period.

Items or components that were found to include a safety hazard, or a functional or installation-related deficiency. These items may have been functional at the time of inspection, but this functionality may be impaired, not ideal, and/or the defect may lead to further problems (most defects will fall into this categorization). Repairs or replacement is recommended for items categorized in this manner for optimal performance and/or to avoid future problems or adverse conditions that may occur due to the defect, prior to the end of your contingency period. Items categorized in this manner typically require repairs from a Handyman or Qualified Contractor and are not considered routine maintenance or DIY repairs.

This categorization will include items or components that may need minor repairs which may improve their functionality, and/or be found to be in need of recurring or basic general maintenance. This categorization will also include FYI items that could include observations, important information, limitations, recommended upgrades to items, areas, or components, as well as items that were nearing, at, or past the end of their typical service life, but were in the opinion of the inspector, still functional at the time of inspection. Major repairs or replacement should be anticipated, and planned for, on any items that are designated as being past, or at the end of their typical life. These repairs or replacement costs can sometimes represent a major expense; i.e. HVAC Systems, Water Heaters, Plumbing pipes, etc.

These categorizations are professional judgments based on what the inspector observed at the time of inspection. This categorization should not be construed to mean that items designated as “Minor defects” or “Marginal Defects” do not need repairs or replacement. The recommendations in each comment are more important than their categorization. Due to your perception, opinions, or personal experience, you may feel defects belong in a different category, and you should feel free to consider the importance you believe they hold during your purchasing decision. Once again, it’s the “Recommendations” in the text of the comment pertaining to each defect that is paramount, not its categorical placement.

Summary: Why You Should Read Your Home Inspection Report

I hope this article has been helpful is displaying the opportunity for information that may not be a defect in the report but can help in the decision-making process of your homebuying journal. If you have additional questions and you want to get in contact with GGR Home Inspections please send us a note, text, or call.