So you are buying a house and you think you found the perfect one! Well to start, Congratulations! Although your Realtor will be guiding you through the process as well, we want to give you a quick rundown on when you should schedule your home inspection. The buying process seems like a long period of time, but with everything you need to do, it can fly by and there will likely be a ton of questions throughout the process.

When To Schedule Your Home Inspection:

Everything happens once your offer is accepted on a house. At this point, you are officially under contract and can start the inspection process. We typically do not perform inspections prior to a buyer being under contract. However, once you are under contract it is time to look at all your deadlines and get your inspection scheduled!

Often, one of the first deadlines is called the “inspection objection.” This is when you need to request the seller to remediate any items that come up in the inspection that you think are important. In a standard closing process, this can come up early, so it is important to get your inspection done prior to this deadline.

Leave Some Extra Time:

You need to schedule your inspection before the inspection objection, but we recommend you do it as early as possible for the following reasons:

1. You and your Realtor need some time to go over the inspection report and decide which items you want to provide to the seller. This is an important step, so we recommend giving yourself the time to thoroughly read the report and ask questions.
2. Occasionally something will come up in the inspection that requires further evaluation. Maybe you want a roofer to look at a problem or a structural engineer to evaluate something we found during the inspection. You want the time to schedule this out as well. Deadlines can be moved for these items, but if you give yourself extra time you can save the trouble.
3. Be aware of the time of year. If you are buying during the summer, chances are many other people are as well. During our summer months, inspection schedules fill up fast. Although we try to accommodate everyone, if you wait until the last minute we may not have a spot for you.

When to Call:

This being said, we recommend you call us as soon as you go under contract. This gives you and your agent the most time to get everything scheduled. Also, this gives us time to coordinate the inspection with the listing agents and sellers. You do not want to feel rushed during such an important process. And as always, you can rely on the experience of your Realtor to aid you in your closing timeline.

For the fastest service, you can also schedule your inspection online. You will be able to see our availability in your area, as well as the price of your inspection. If you have any other questions or comments about when to schedule your home inspection, please leave us a comment below.