A home maintenance inspection is similar to a standard home inspection, but the inspection is done for the current owner. Most of these homeowners have been in their homes for over five years, and they may or may not have had their home inspected at the time they purchased it. In addition, they may not have had the time or knowledge to deal with inspecting and correcting issues with the home. One small difference between a buyer’s inspection and a home maintenance inspection is that appliances are not tested during a maintenance inspection. Homeowners are already aware about their appliance conditions and they don’t need someone to test out the burners on their stove for them. However, proper installation of appliances is inspected.
Another difference between a buyers inspection and a homeowner maintenance inspection is that cutting into stuff or taking stuff apart may be permitted by the home owner that would not normally be allowed during a standard home inspection. While a standard buyer’s home inspection is subject to a purchase agreement with standard language saying it’s a non-invasive inspection, a maintenance inspection doesn’t have those kinds of limitations. If a homeowner wants to open up a wall to have me check something out, this can be done.
Inspectors enjoy getting to the bottom of stuff like this, and homeowners appreciate the extra work involved to get to the bottom of questions, so it’s a win-win.
Why get a Maintenance Inspection?
Think of a maintenance inspection as a checkup visit to the doctor or dentist that need only happen every five years or so. A maintenance inspection will help to prioritize a home improvement list and to hopefully find out about small problems before they turn into big ones. In some cases, a maintenance inspection may reveal that what was previously thought to be a small problem has now turned into a big one.
A maintenance inspection also gives homeowners a chance to have a professional home inspector answer questions with a completely unbiased viewpoint.
See the What to Expect page for details.