The Purpose of a Home Inspection in Dana Point

The purpose of a home inspection is narrow and worth stating plainly: it tells a buyer the current condition of the property, in writing, while there is still time to act on it. Everything else the inspection is good for follows from that.

Ingraffia Home Inspections has been inspecting in Orange County since 2003. To book in Dana Point, call (714) 371-8422 or request an inspection.

What you do with the findings

Most purchase agreements make the sale contingent on the inspection, which is what gives the report its leverage. Once you have it, you generally have three moves: accept the property as it stands, ask the seller to repair or credit specific items, or step away inside the contingency period.

None of those require the house to be perfect, and no house is. A report full of findings is not a verdict against the property - it is the difference between choosing to take something on and discovering it in your second winter there.

When to call

Call as soon as the contract is signed, not when the contingency is nearly up. Purchase agreements run on short clocks, and the point of the inspection is to leave you room to negotiate on what it finds.

Choosing an inspector

Most people ask two questions when they hire an inspector: what does it cost, and how soon can you come. Both are reasonable and neither one tells you whether the inspection will be any good.

The lowest-priced inspector is not necessarily a bargain. What actually separates one inspection from another is the inspector's experience, training and professional standing - and whether they work for you rather than for the seller or the agents. Mark is a Certified Combination Building Inspector with ICC, and takes at least 20 hours of continuing education a year.

Ask any inspector you are considering the same questions, and compare the answers before you compare the fees. Our published pricing starts at $500 for a single family residence, and the FAQ answers most of what people ask before booking.