Does the idea of carrying out a home inspection scare you?
Well, it should, especially if you are the seller and not the buyer of a home. The whole idea of having a home inspection done is always driven by the motive of giving or finding a perfect home if you are selling or buying a house, respectively.
The process is somehow tedious and needs some time to be run to completion. However, if you have the right experts handling the whole process, you will have little to worry about.
So, how long does a home inspection take? Depending on the house’s size, inspecting a whole house may take between two to three hours. For larger houses, it may take longer than this.
Apart from the house’s size, many other factors determine the time you spend inspecting a house.
Below are some of the pointers that determine the time you take to inspect a house.
The Home Inspector’s Experience
The home inspector’s experience you choose to hire goes a long way into determining the duration he/she takes in inspecting your house.
Experienced inspectors won’t take a lot of time trying to figure out the problem when they encounter one in your house. Since they have met such challenges before, they will quickly point out the issues they spot them.
They will quickly advise you on what possible solutions you should take to counter such challenges.
On the other hand, inexperienced ones will have a hard time detecting problems, which will make them much more time to inspect your house.
You should know how to pick experienced inspectors before you decide to settle for one. Only go for the one you have researched and are sure will deliver what you need.
The Condition of the House
A house that is still new needs less time to inspect as it has little mistakes in it to be documented.
If you are selling such a house, you will have an easier time during the inspection. You can beneficially use the inspection process to gain advice on improving the house’s condition for the good of your customer.
But if you are buying, you should go into the inspection process with a home inspection checklist. In its new condition, check if the house has everything you expected your new home to have.
Older houses will take much more time to assess and inspect. You need to be more detailed when checking against your home inspection checklist during the inspection.
The Size of the House
As you already know, the bigger the house, the more time it takes to inspect. A normal-sized house will measure about 1,500 to 2,000 sq. feet. Every 500 sq. foot of the room takes approximately 30 minutes to inspect.
So you should easily calculate the number of hours your inspection will take approximately to inspect the house. You can divide your house’s total size by 500 sq. feet and then multiply the answer by 30 minutes to get the total time in minutes.
The Interactions Between Involved Parties
Commonly, most home inspectors like it when they review their findings and answer your questions at the end of the inspection. This procedure of inspection helps them to save on time and concentrate on the inspection to the end.
You can always ask your questions at the end of the inspection. But if the inspector is friendly enough to allow you to walk with them through the inspection, you can ask the questions as you chat along. This may further increase the time you take through the inspection.
The Age of the House
Inspecting an older house, say 50+ years old, you will need additional time to inspect it. This is because such houses contain unique conditions that will take more time to inspect thoroughly.
Thanks to the many years, many things in the house will require special and close study to ascertain their strength and condition. You should add one hour to your estimated time when dealing with such a house.
The Type of Foundation
The foundation needs to be inspected too. If the house you are selling, or you want to buy has a sophisticated foundation, say a basement, then it will need additional time to inspect.
You should squeeze in an additional 30 minutes or more if the house has a basement or a crawl space.
The Weather Condition
Harsh weather conditions affect almost every human activity. When the weather is unfavorable, then the inspection process may get slower or even be rescheduled.
If you plan for an inspection, you should try and fix it during the early hours of the day when it is very unlikely to rain or for the sun to scorch and burn.
The Additional Home Systems Available
Selling or buying a large house includes the supporting systems that are already installed in the house. These include the HVAC systems, the power backup systems, water heaters, etc.
The home inspector needs to inspect all these and give positive feedback on their working conditions in the report.
For this process to run even faster, you need to hire only experienced home inspectors who understand how to inspect these systems faster.
Still Wondering How Long Does a Home Inspection Take?
Despite the many other factors impacting the home inspection duration, you should know what to expect by now. The main determinant of the duration an inspection take remains the size of the house.
Wondering how long does a home inspection take? You can always try to minimize the time spent in an inspection by avoiding doing some things that consume more time.
At Class Home Inspections, we promise the best inspection services and deliver the best at an affordable cost. That is why you should schedule an inspection with us the next time you want to buy or sell a house.