Home Inspection

Home Inspection

How long does a home inspection take? Is it possible to close early?

Just bought a house...how long (in terms of hours) does a home inspection usually take? We are supposed to close in July. Is it possible to close earlier if I try my best to get everything turned in early??

When it comes to the phrase Home Inspection there are misconceptions as to "what kind of inspection" they are having.

When I (as a real estate agent) think of Home Inspection I think of 3 different kinds.

1. One done by a home inspection company that is paid a fee to give a report on the house.

2. The other kind of inspection is one done by the bank where they appraise it or, if it has already been appraised, sometimes a bank ask for things to be done and it needs a home inspection to see if the work, if any,has been done.

So that's another kind of inspection.

3. Then we have another kind of inspection called Termite inspection. And so that's another kind of inspection.

4. Also some folks call the "Walkthrough", traditionally done near the close of escrow where they buyers walk through the house one last time before they own it...a inspection.

So the longest a home inspection, even if its any of these here, should take the very very longest, 1 day.

What takes time is sometimes they schedule the inspection a week from today for example so even though it takes very little time, they schedule it a week away for example.

In closing this answer I would say, in todays market with all the financing involved there is no reason an escrow should go beyond 30 days unless either buyer or seller needs it to be because for example, they need time to move etc..

The Home Inspection Process