In this episode, I meet up with Mark Kilian, owner of Guardian Home Inspections, LLC* in order to go through what you can expect from your home inspector! Watch this episode to get the skinny on his process, and so you know what questions you should be asking about a home!

What happens during the home inspection process?

“We do a full visual inspection of the home. We check the water pressure coming in, the electrical box, the roof and the structure of the home. We will come into the interior of the home and we will run the appliances such as the dishwasher, the microwave and the cooking appliances. We don’t typically check the refrigerator or the washer and dryer, as buyers will typically take those things with them. We will check the air conditioner by doing something called a temperature split which measures the temperature of the supplier versus the return air. We like to see a temperature split between 14-24 degrees. We will also check the windows and the polarity of the receptacles, such as the safety return on a garage door, the water heater and temperature of the water heater to make sure everything is working properly.”

During the inspection process the inspector is in the home alone so they can really focus. No matter how professional an inspector is, they really need this alone time to make sure they don’t miss anything. Your realtor should plan to meet you for the review after the inspection to go over everything that was found during the inspection and explain everything to you.

What does an inspection report look like?

“Inspection reports are typically between 45-50 pages in length and usually have about 50-75 pictures incorporated into a report and then condensed down to a summary report page.”

What should people pay closest attention to on the report?

Anything safety related! As a home inspector, we have to call attention to any safety issue -- and I always strongly suggest buyers address those issues with their agents.

Now, just for fun, what is the most absurd thing you’ve ever found during a home inspection?

Probably the most absurd thing that has ever caught me by surprise was during an attic inspection I look over and see a blow-up doll. So, that was something I got some laughter out of.  I did tell the buyer it was up there!

After the report your realtor should let you know what to expect out of your BINSR (Buyers Inspection Notice and Sellers Response).  In filling out this document, your Realtor should go over with the inspection and explain how to select the things most important to you to expect the seller to fix. Once this is completed your Realtor will send it to your seller’s agent and the seller has 5 days to respond. The seller can decide to fix everything, some things, or nothing. In the state of Arizona, if they decide to only fix some things or nothing, you can cancel your contract.

Special thanks to Mark Killian of Guardian Home Inspections, LLC for answering all our questions on what to expect during a home inspection.

The market is "springing" forward, now is the perfect time to buy with interest rates still low, and appraisers holding pricing steady. Message me today for more information on the home buying process and programs that will save you money!

*Please note, Guardian Home Inspections is no longer a preferred vendor of Julie Calza. For current preferred vendors please visit vendors page