Even when home sellers are 100% honest, our professional home inspectors almost always reveal defects that were not disclosed on property condition reports. Some of these items may have been unknown by the seller while others may have been deliberately concealed from you. The property condition reports supplied by sellers have marginal value and cannot be depended upon. For the protection of your investment and for your own personal education, you should hire a professional home inspector.

Newly constructed homes are equally as important to have inspected as old homes. Builders are subject to the workmanship of subcontractors who are often unsupervised and in a hurry. Corners are frequently cut and the average homebuyer will never recognize those defects until the contractors are long gone.

All home inspectors listed on this web site are required to be registered with the State of Wisconsin to ensure you professional competency. Occasionally items will be discovered by your home inspector that will reveal the need for further evaluation by licensed contractors or environmental inspectors. These inspections will be performed under separate contract, apart from your general home inspection agreement. You may need to write an addendum to the offer-to-purchase contract to allow the additional time required for further evaluation inspections.

Wisconsin State law was written to ensure that you will have all of the major structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical operating systems observed during your inspection. Other hazards, if known and observed by the inspector, will also be reported on. There are limitations, such as a home inspector is not required/allowed to cut holes in walls, pulling up flooring, remove blocked accesses, or enter unsafe areas during the inspection. Additionally, laboratory tests for hazardous substances are not automatically included. While inspectors are obligated by state law to stand behind their written opinions, they cannot predict the future performance of any home component, therefore, guarantees or warranties are not included with an inspection. Homeowner warranties are available for purchase through Realtors and are sometimes included by sellers as a purchasing incentive. The true purpose of an inspection is to significantly reduce the risk of your investment, not eliminate it altogether.

Offer-to-purchase contracts will contain a contingency stating how much time you have within which to have your home inspection performed. Typically, you'll have ten days to have your inspection performed. However, some contingencies may say 90 days while others may say 24 hours. No matter how long you have agreed to, it is recommended to schedule your inspection as soon as your offer is officially accepted.

A home inspection is one of the best bargains in the entire real-estate transaction. On average, home inspections will cost from $300.00 to $500.00. The inspection will yield so much information that the value of the inspection is often immeasurable. Some inspectors will also offer ancillary inspection services for mold contamination, lead paint, asbestos, radon gas, water contaminants, pet urine, and others, which can be performed for added fees during or after the home inspection.

You should unquestionably attend your inspection. The home inspection will be an invaluable experience for you. While the information regarding your real-estate transaction will be contained in your written inspection report, bringing along a note book is a good idea as well. Many home inspectors will share valuable information with you that may exceed the scope of the general inspection but could nonetheless save you money or inconvenience later on. You should plan on attending the entire inspection, but if you cannot, at least attend the last portion so your inspector can show you any significant items directly.

Defects are almost always discovered during inspections, even on brand new homes. Your real estate agent or attorney will help you to determine which items meet the legal definition of a defect. Defects can be accepted, negotiated, or rejected by a homebuyer. (See the article "What is a Defect?") Most often defects are negotiated with the selling party. Any defects discovered during the inspection and subsequently revealed to the seller must legally be disclosed by the seller to any other future buyers. Hence, it is in the best interest of the selling party to work something out with a buyer. Ultimately, you are the final judge as to what adverse conditions you will or will not agree to accept. Your home inspector cannot make these decisions for you.

A home inspection is not a pass or fail test. The inspection report documents the current conditions of the property in writing. Home inspection reports are to contain all of the information required by Wisconsin inspection statutes. Inspection reports are not required to state the costs or methods of repairs. To obtain estimates for costs and/or to have a specific component further evaluated, it is necessary to contact professional service companies or contractors.