Are you gearing up for a home inspection?
If yes, you’re probably looking to buy or sell a home. Here’s the deal: Home inspections can make or break your real estate transaction, but you have to pay for them anyway.
Curious about how much a home inspection costs? Take a look at the average home inspection cost below!
What Exactly Is a Home Inspection?
If you’re looking to move into a new house, it’s more than likely that your real estate agent will recommend you to add “an inspection contingency.” While your potential home is being inspected, the inspection professional will look at things like:
- The age and condition of the foundation and the roof
- The quality of the water pressure and the plumbing
- The functioning of the electrical system and the HVAC
The environment where you currently live will have an impact on where your inspector will focus their inspection.
For instance, if you live in a place with cold weather, the focus may be on your roof. However, if you live in hot weather, the inspector will most likely examine your AC system. Once the inspection is finished, you’ll receive an official report as well.
Pro tip: This can be used to get a better deal on the price!
How Much Should I Spend on a Home Inspection?
It’s important to know that the cost of home inspections depends on several factors. These include market conditions, consumer demand, and the supply of home inspectors in your town.
You should expect to pay more if you’d like to add some special inspections to your home estimate. This includes common tests like load testing, mold testing, and radon testing. Not to mention sewer scopes and asbestos testing.
To be specific, here are a few ballpark figures you should know about:
- $250-$350 for lead testing
- $600-$800 for mold testing
- $90-$200 for radon testing
- $75-$300 for a sewer scope
- $250-$800 for asbestos testing
That’s because a professional estimate for home inspections will vary depending on the age, price, and size of the home too. At the end of the day, it’s the inspector’s job to decide how much they’d like to set their price at. While some provide a flat fee for their services, others preferred to charge per square foot.
Others include the condition and age of the home before the quote is provided. In case you didn’t know, old houses have more problems, such as electrical systems or plumbing systems that aren’t “up to code.”
This means that you may expect to pay more money for a home that’s at least 100 years old than you would for a new build. This makes up for the additional amount of time that the inspector must spend in vintage homes.
Home Inspection Cost Varies
A home inspection is an important step in the home buying or selling process, so it’s understandable if you’re already thinking about what it will cost you. As we have demonstrated, there are several factors that influence the home inspection cost, including your location and the size of the property.
Looking for more real estate tips? Check out the rest of our blog today!
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