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Home Inspection FAQ: What Do Home Inspectors Do?


Unless you’re extremely well off, any real estate sale or purchase is likely one of the most important financial moves you’ll ever make. Having a tried-and-true home inspection expert in your corner is crucial to ensure you make a sound investment and not get taken advantage of by an unscrupulous buyer or seller.

But what exactly is a San Marcos home inspection? San Diego County allows only trained inspection professionals to perform these examinations, but does little in terms of educating prospective homebuyers or sellers about what precisely is included in an inspection.

We’re here to help. In this article, we’ll answer some frequently asked home inspection questions. This will help you get the most out of your inspection regardless of whether you’re inspecting new construction or an existing home. Read on.

What is a home inspection report?What is a home inspection report

A home inspection report is a professionally written document that contains an in-depth list of a home inspector’s findings on a specific property, including how much the repairs would cost. Your inspector will typically provide you with their report within 24 hours after the inspection takes place.

You should always take the time to familiarize yourself with what’s written in the home inspection report. If you’re the seller, this will enable you to repair the property in a way that maximizes its value to future buyers. If you’re the buyer, you want to know everything about the home in question before you proceed with the negotiations.

Of course, all home inspectors worth their salt will also arrange a meeting with you after you’ve had the time to mull over the report. They will use this opportunity to go over the report with you in person and ensure you have a firm grasp on all the facts.

What does a home inspection include?

A home inspection is a visual examination of a house, apartment, or other residential property. The inspector goes through the place and looks for problems such as leakage, physical damage, faulty plumbing, problems with electric installations, and so on. Afterward, they compile their report and go over it with their client.

How long does a home inspection last?

This depends on the size of the property that’s being inspected, but it’ll rarely go on longer than 2-3 hours. Sometimes, catastrophic problems are uncovered early on that cause the deal to immediately fall through, removing the need for further inspection.

Do home inspectors use destructive or invasive inspection methods?

No. Home inspections are entirely visual, and won’t damage the property in any way.

What about commercial inspections?

Commercial properties serve different purposes than residential properties, and therefore require different standards of inspection. Some home inspectors are also qualified to perform commercial inspections. You should reach out to your inspection company of choice and ask if they perform commercial inspections as well.

How long is a home inspection report validHow long is a home inspection report valid?

It often takes anywhere between 30 and 45 days to close a home buying deal. A stand home shouldn’t change noticeably (or at all) during such a short period, and the home inspection report should be valid for a few months at the very least.

That being said, accidental or deliberate damage can still occur. Although this is rare, it’s still one of the reasons why you should always visit the home a few times prior to closing the deal.

Where can I schedule a top-notch home inspection in San Marcos?

Buying or selling a beautiful house in the San Elijo Hills is no good if it has serious problems that are going to cost a fortune to repair. Luckily, a home inspector can prevent that. If you need an in-depth San Marcos home inspection, San Diego County’s premier home inspection service, Inspectors Company, is your best choice.

Get in touch with us today and take full advantage of our NACHI-certified technicians and state-of-the-art inspection equipment.

Who Pays for Repairs After a Home Inspection?


Let’s say you’re buying or selling a residential property. For this purpose, you hired a reputable home inspection service to examine the property in question and ensure it doesn’t have any serious problems that should be addressed sooner rather than later. 

A couple days after the inspection, your San Marcos home inspection report arrives and it turns out the place really does have some issues. Luckily, it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. But who should pay for these repairs? 

In this article, we’ll explain what you should do after receiving a home inspection report that uncovers damages that have to be dealt with before the deal can proceed. Keep reading to learn more. 

How do you negotiate repairs after an inspection?How do you negotiate repairs after inspection

The first thing to keep in mind is that there’s no such thing as a flawless building. Even if the inspection was done on new construction, it’s still almost certainly going to detect at least some problems. 

In most states, it’s up to the seller to ensure the property follows the relevant safety standards. For example, the seller may be required by law to repair major electrical system issues that can pose fire hazards, or serious sewage or drainage malfunctions that can result in flooding, before they’re even allowed to sell the place. 

With the above in mind, the buyer should create a list of the repairs they think are most important, and focus on those during the negotiations. The seller should be willing to deal with the damage themselves, or to lower their asking price to reflect the cost of the repairs. 

Can seller refuse to make repairs?

Unless a legally binding agreement has been signed by the two parties, both the seller and the buyer are free to refuse any requests and walk away from the deal at any time. In fact, many deals tend to fail due to one or both parties refusing to accept the other’s demands.

The sellers may refuse to make repairs because:

  • The buyer’s demands are unrealistic. Some buyers compile a huge list of repairs, many of which have no impact on the value of the home and only serve to bog down the deal. Can seller refuse to make repairs
  • They can’t afford to. People often sell off their properties because they lack the funds to properly maintain them. The required repairs may simply exceed the seller’s budget.
  • They have other options. The seller may have other interested buyers who aren’t as demanding when it comes to getting repairs done. 
  • They dislike the buyer. For most Americans, selling or purchasing real estate is one of the biggest and most stressful financial decisions they will ever make. As a result, many deals fall through as a result of emotional exchanges between the sellers and the buyers. 

But what if the seller failed to make the necessary repairs after entering a legal contract that requires them to conduct said repairs? In that case, they’ve breached the contract and can be penalized accordingly or even sued. 

Where can I schedule a first-rate San Marcos home inspection?

Are you a contractor who specializes in building and selling residential units in San Marcos? Or perhaps you’re a buyer interested in purchasing a property near the Palomar College? As different as these two situations may be, they have one thing in common: they can both benefit from having a dependable home inspector on their side.

That’s where Inspectors Company comes in. As the premier home inspection service in California, we can supply you with critical information about the property you’re thinking of buying or selling. Feel free to call us and make an appointment at any time.