If you’ve sold or purchased a home in the past, you may have had to deal with a home inspection. These inspections are supposed to help provide critical information regarding the health of a home including the plumbing, electricals, roof, etc. These inspections are detailed and provide a lot of information. They aren’t compulsory, but they can certainly help prevent buyers from investing in a home that needs a lot of work.

But there are some misconceptions that people have formed about home inspectors. It is important for you not to get influenced by these opinions since home inspectors can actually end up saving you a lot of money. Here are a few of the most common myths:

Myth: Home inspectors will check for termites.

Home inspectors do not check for termites or other insects. They aren’t qualified to identify them. So if you are worried about termite infestations, hire a pest control expert to check the home.

Myth: Don’t attend home inspections as it will disturb the inspector.

This is absolutely false. In fact, inspectors appreciate it when clients attend inspections since they can show them any potential issues first hand. Written reports might not always be able to explain everything properly. If you aren’t available and can’t be there for the inspection, you should at least hold a conference call to find out about any problems right away.

Myth: The seller will fix all problems found during the inspection.

Repairs, even the most serious ones, are always negotiable. It also gives buyers an option to back out from a deal if there are too many serious defects with a home.

Myth: New constructions require independent home inspections.

A new construction does call for progressive inspections by a municipal building inspector for code and safety enforcement. If you’re moving to a newly built home, you should go in for an independent inspection though since it will be able to identify multiple loose ends.

Myth: Well appraised homes don’t need inspections.

Just because a home has been appraised well doesn’t not mean there is nothing wrong with it. There are a lot of factors which go into the appraisal of a home like location, market conditions, construction materials, etc. Don’t waste your time inspecting systems which are working properly.

Myth: Home inspections don’t need more than half an hour.

A proper home inspection can take anything from two to five hours based on the size and complexity of a home. There are tons of inspection points for home inspections, including the roof and crawlspaces.

Conclusion

Don’t ever believe in any of these myths. As long as you don’t fall for any of them, you should be just fine.