What’s The Difference Between An Appraisal And A Home Inspection?

Buying a home can be confusing. Even after you’ve found what you think is your “dream home” you still have a ton of work to do crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s. Ideally, you’d also get an independent home inspection before you finalize the deal. One thing that can mix up some first time home buyers is the difference between an inspection and an appraisal. You shouldn’t get these two confused — they’re very different things with different purposes.

What Is A Home Appraisal?
A home appraisal will determine the fair market value of the home. An appraisal is often initiated by your financial lender in order to make sure that everyone is getting the best deal possible. In order to determine the value of the home, the appraiser will look at a number of things including the square footage, the condition of the appliances, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. They will then check to make sure the price lines up with similar homes on the market.

What Is A Home Inspection?
Home inspections are an in-depth physical evaluation of the property. They include an evaluation of both the cosmetic condition of various aspects of the home as well as their functionality. Here’s an example of what your home inspector will be looking at:

  • The roofing
  • The plumbing
  • The foundation
  • HVAC systems
  • The electrical system
  • The flooring
  • The ceilings
  • Grading and drainage

A home inspection won’t tell you anything about the market value of a home, but it will tell you some essential things about whether a home is safe and structurally sound. This helps homeowners avoid running into any nasty surprises after they’ve already purchased the house.

Sellers will often get an inspection before they list a house on the market, but you should make sure to get your own independent home inspection as well. This ensures you get an unbiased and up to date account of the condition of the home.

Other Types Of Inspections
In addition to home inspections and home appraisals, there are also wind mitigation inspections, four-point inspections, and infrared inspections. Each of these serve a distinct purpose and no one is a substitute for the other. This may seem like a lot of information to take in, but as long as you take things one step at a time you’ll be moving into that dream home — with the added certainty that it won’t turn into a nightmare — in no time.

To summarize, a home appraisal is meant to determine the market value of a home. This ensures that both parties are getting a fair deal. What it doesn’t do is determine whether or not a home is completely free from issue. In order to confirm the structural integrity of the home, you need a home inspection. It’s also best to go with a home inspector who you hire independently of the seller in order to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

Looking for a qualified home inspector? Super Inspection Pros is an InterNACHI certified inspector with decades of experience serving central Florida with efficient yet thorough home inspections. Please, contact us today for more information or to schedule an inspection of your home.

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