Home Inspection Information
What you should know and Questions you should ask.
Today many home buyers in Macomb County hire a home inspection company prior to purchasing a home. Typically in the Macomb County, Michigan area home inspections take 1 -3 hours to complete and range in price from $150 - $450, depending on the inspector and the size of the home. It is a buyer
cost and it is done once the offer is actually accepted by the seller. Home inspection contingencies are typically 5-10 days. This gives the buyer time to hire an inspector and receive the inspection report.
Currently in Michigan there are no laws requiring a license or certification.However, many of the inspectors are certified through a home inspection organization and many do have a builders license.
Get you Free Handout 10 Questions to Ask a Home Inspector.
What Your Home Inspection Should Cover
- Siding: Look for dents or buckling
- Foundations: Look for cracks or water seepage
- Exterior Brick: Look for cracked bricks or mortar pulling away from bricks
- Insulation: Look for condition, adequate rating for climate (the higher the R value, the more effective the insulation is)
- Doors and Windows: Look for loose or tight fits, condition of locks, condition of weatherstripping
- Roof: Look for age, conditions of flashing, pooling water, buckled shingles, or loose gutters and
downspouts
- Ceilings, walls, and moldings: Look for loose pieces, dry wall that is pulling away.
- Porch/Deck: Loose railings or step, rotten wood
- Electrical: Look for condition of fuse box/circuit breakers, number of outlets in each room
- Plumbing: Look for poor water pressure, banging pipes, rust spots or corrosion that indicate leaks, sufficient
insulation
- Water Heater: Look for age, size adequate for house, speed of recovery, energy rating.
- Furnace/Air Conditioning: Look for age, energy rating. Furnaces are rated by annual fuel utilization
efficiency; the higher the rating, the lower your fuel costs. However, other factors such as payback period and other operating costs, such as electricity to operate motors.
- Garage: Look for exterior in good repair; condition of floor cracks, stains, etc.; condition of door
mechanism.
- Basement: Look for water leakage, musty smell.
- Attic: Look for adequate ventilation, water leaks from roof.
- Septic Tanks (if applicable): Adequate absorption field capacity for the percolation rate in your area and the size of your family.
- Driveways/Sidewalks: Look for cracks, heaving pavement, crumbling near edges, stains.
HUD has put together some great information on Home Inspections
For Your Protection Get a Home Inspection
