Here’s What to Expect From Your New Home Inspection

Moving into a new home is exciting and scary at the same time. After all, it signals both the start and end of a new chapter in your life. But before anything else, it’s important to do a thorough sweep of your future house. While your estate agent should have already walked you through everything, it’s also worth getting a professional opinion —and this is where home inspections come in.

What’s involved in a home inspection?

Home inspectors work methodically through a list of procedures. These professionals get down and dirty (literally) by going through all the nooks and crannies — from your roof and ventilation, down to your attic and plumbing. Through each step, they take photos and jot down notes before making a final assessment. All in all, the process takes around two to three hours.

It’s good practice to tag along during your home inspection, so you can get a feel of how to check your own facilities. Plus, you’ll be able to familiarise yourself with every corner of your space.

What gets inspected?

Almost everything gets inspected, but there are two things you need to be most thorough with:

Heating

We all know how harsh British winters can be, so you need to make sure that your new home’s heating system is in great condition. And even beyond a lack of heating or hot water, Ideal Home warns about the serious safety issues that could happen if a boiler has been neglected, including fatal carbon monoxide leaks. After ensuring it’s in full working order, you can then look into getting coverage. UK heating specialists HomeServe advise homeowners to take out boiler insurance as it will save you from any additional costs later down the line if the boiler that you’ve inherited from the previous owner needs costly repairs. That way, you won’t have to worry about future breakdowns, as the policy should ideally take care of it. The key takeaway is it’s important that you don’t wait for something to go wrong before taking action, unless you want to end up paying even more.

Plumbing

Water leaks, faulty materials, old pipes — we cannot emphasise what even one of these problems could do to your overall irrigation. Like a broken heater, faulty plumbing can be dangerous too. The best-case scenario would be the water temporarily stops running. The worst-case scenario is an explosion or a pungent smell overtaking your entire house, just like this Tetherdown homeowner who suffered the consequences that come with a poorly installed drainage system. Obviously, this is something that you wouldn’t want happening to you, so it’s vital to check the plumbing.

Other points of inspection:

• Walls (outer and inner)
• Foundation
• Pathways
• Doors and Windows
• Roofs
• Ceilings
• Floors
• Fireplaces
• Electrical wires
• Other appliances

Exclusions from home inspections:

• Pools
• Places behind heavy items such as a tall shelf
• Unsafe roofs (if it’s too slippery, for example)
• Septic systems and other advanced machinery

How much is a home inspection?

Your estate agent won’t cover the cost of a home inspection. The average inspection costs around £250. But for homes under 1,000 square feet, it should be no more than £150. Any additional queries that aren’t included above, such as radon or mould testing, will cost around £50 extra, according to Toxic Black Mould.

It is always important that you get a qualified surveyor to carry out your home inspection. Not only will you be made aware of existing issues, it can give you a better idea of how much you’re going to be spending on maintenance. After that, you can finally start turning it into your dream home, which here on DIY Daddy we can guide you through.