A home inspection is a comprehensive visual examination of a homes structure and working systems. It should cover the exterior of the building, all accessible structural components from the foundations, to the rooftop and include a basic testing of the bathrooms, plumbing, heating, electrical and ventilation systems. The purpose of a home inspection is to reduce the risk of having to deal with unexpected defects in a house and to be aware of any issues that may currently need to be addressed. You will gain knowledge and familiarity with the home and determine whether or not it meets your expectations for a purchase.
To have a home that you are about to purchase professionally inspected is a optional term in our Hawaii Association of Realtors Standard Forms Purchase Contract. You will have the option to inspect the home you are purchasing with in the first few weeks of a transaction process. Some purchasers opt to inspect the property themselves, however we at Koa Realty Inc always encourage our clients to hire a professional to perform a thorough inspection and provide an inspection report that highlights their findings.
An inspection should cover the following:
Foundations
Crawl space structure
Garage/carport
Exterior walls
Windows/doors
Porches/decks/lanais
Roofing
Gutters
Skylights
Chimneys
Masonry
Attic
Ventilation/insulation
Kitchen
Bathrooms
Plumbing/domestic hot water systems
Heating/AC
Electrical systems
Catchments system tanks & pumps
Abandoned fuel/oil tanks. A buyer should be present at least for a part of the home inspection to ask any questions or address any concerns you may have.
Click here to be directed to a list of Professional Home Inspectors that we recommend.
