Should home buyers attend their New Jersey home inspection? It is crucial to attend the home inspection because of you attend you get so much more out of the experience.
When you attend your NJ Home inspection you get a firsthand view of the issues that exist in the home that you are buying. It is one thing to view a picture of a defect or problem but it’s all the more powerful to actually be there to see it up close. Viewing a problem up close gives you more perspective on its severity. Sometimes a defect appears to be more or less severe when described on a home inspection report. Attending the home inspection will also allow you to ask the New Jersey home inspector some questions regarding the issue. Questions and clarity can come on the spot rather than trying to determine if a problem is a major concern or not. Asking questions of the home inspector should be expected and the home inspector should welcome them.
When a home buyer attends a home inspection he can watch and learn from the New Jersey home inspector. It is advantageous to see the home inspection process and to learn from the home inspector. Maintenance tips and other useful nuggets are often provided, and clients often find the home inspection process educational and valuable especially if the buyers are first time homeowners. The buyer sees the home inspector at work and can make sure all of his or her areas of concern are fully inspected. The buyer can also assess whether or not the home inspector is doing the job that the client expected.
When a home buyer attends the home inspection the report will become even more valuable. The buyer can read the report and review the inspection photos and recollect seeing the issue in the home while remembering the home inspector explanation the problem. This makes it easier for the buyer to determine the main issues in the home and helps to weed out the less important issues. If a buyer is relying in the report alone, they may mistake smaller issues for larger ones complicating the process.
Another major benefit of attending the home inspection is that buyers can get the inspectors thoughts on the major problems. Often a home inspection can be boiled down to several major concerns. Having this time at the end of the inspection with the inspector is invaluable because it helps boil down the inspection to the big inspection items. I find that most buyers want to focus their attention to the larger items and not get too caught up with the smaller issues.
Some NJ home inspectors do not like when clients attend the inspection. In fact, some high-volume inspection companies have an entire business model that is designed on the client’s nonattendance. I strongly disagree with this. Clients should attend their home inspection. There is so much more upside in attending the home inspection then not attending. NJ home inspectors should really encourage their client to attend their home inspections so their clients get the most out of the experience.
John Martino
LookSmart Home Inspections
NJ Home Inspectors Lic # 24GI00058700
Board Certified Master Home Inspector
American Society of Home Inspectors (ACI) #244472
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (CPI) # 200090933
NJ Radon Lic# MET 11963
Commercial Pesticide Lic. (Termite Inspection License) # 27811B
Certified Mold Inspector
5 Preston Ave
East Hanover, NJ 07936
973 407-9621