The Costs of Honolulu Home Inspections (and Why they are Worth Every Penny)

An important step to buying a Honolulu house is ordering a home inspection.  When using a mortgage to buy a house the lender may require a home inspection before they will provide a loan.  Besides stipulations from a lender, a home buyer should always opt for the inspection. Inspections help home buyers find problems that could be deal-breakers before it is too late.

What Honolulu Home Buyers Will Pay

There are different factors that go into how much a Honolulu home buyer will pay for a home inspection.  On average, a Honolulu home buyer should expect to pay anywhere from three hundred to five hundred dollars if inspecting a single-family house.  This price can be less or more if the size of the house is smaller or larger. The area and who is performing the inspection can also influence the price.

Another aspect to consider when looking at Honolulu homes is how long ago the home was built.  An older home will be more expensive as there are likely more problems with the home. The inspector will need to take more time exploring problem areas.

Even though people look at inspections as a waste of money they can potentially be a financial lifesaver.  When looking at this way, spending five hundred dollars is better than getting trapped in a $350,000 mortgage on a house that is falling apart at the seams.  This is why Investing in a good inspection is not just a motion to go through in order to get a mortgage; it is a safety net for buyers.

Inspector’s Priorities

An inspector that has been certified will have set criteria they are following to ensure they are not missing out on any major problems.  Their inspection checklist will have over one thousand six hundred items to examine. With this many items to explore it is understandable that homeowners and buyers feel overwhelmed with the list of problems inspectors provide.

There are certain areas and items that an inspector will always check.  Obvious items are the general structure of the home including the doors, windows, and foundation.  Any exterior items that can degrade need to be checked, as well as, the ground to make sure there are no issues with the septic system. 

Inspectors also look at the roof of the home for any leaks or problems.  Inside of the home the inner structure, plumbing, electrical, HVAC systems, and insulation will be checked if there are any breaks or problems.  All of these items are important to check because they are big-ticket items that can cost a Honolulu home buyer a lot once they move in.

How Long to Plan For

Inspections do not have a standard amount of time that they will take.  Each home will have different problem areas and each home is a different size.  As a result, inspecting different homes will take different amounts of time. However, an inspection will usually take under three hours for an average-sized home.

Extra Inspection Items

There are a variety of items that inspections cover.  However, they do not cover everything that a Honolulu homeowner should be worried about.  This is why there are items that can be added on to inspections. These items can add twenty-five to two hundred dollars to the inspection costs.  

Having the inspector look into extra items can cost more money but it can save time and money later if the inspection discovers a problem.

Why Get an Inspection

It is important for a home buyer to get an inspection.  Even if they think the Honolulu house they are looking to buy is in perfect shape, there are likely problems lurking.  It is better to invest in an inspection and discover minimal problems versus choosing to forgo an inspection and find a structural issue that cannot be fixed.  Use an inspection to avoid major problems and to avoid throwing money at a house that is not worth the effort.