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Buyers home inspection checklist | How to prepare a home buyer's inspection in Scottsdale Arizona

All buyers unless flipping a house should do a home inspection before buying a home in Arizona. This checklist will give you a few tips on what to look for.
1. Before you start the home inspection. The timing is the most important factor. If you only have a 10 day inspection period and your inspector can’t make it out for 3 days you are losing valuable time should you need another look. Don’t fear but be aware of the timeline. If you go over the timeline you are basically accepting the home as-is with no repairs. Worst case you can always ask for the inspection period to be extended but it only happens when there is a good reason. It’s important to order the inspection the day you get the home under contract.
2. The most important things in a home inspection very from home to home. Older homes have different issues than newer but in Arizona, the key points are normally the most expensive things to replace
a. Roofing. There are different types of roofs and in Arizona, the primary types are flat/foam, shingles, and tile. I won’t go into a long explanation here but flat roofs do require maintenance every few years and the useful life of shingles is about 15-20 years if installed properly. Tile roofs have an underlayment that goes bad and if tiles break you need to fix them immediately. Tile roofs are a bit trickier and a professional roofer may be needed. All roofs need to be cleaned for debris periodically.
b. Air conditioning. It’s a must-have in Arizona
I always recommend an AC inspection outside of the normal home inspection. This takes a little planning so it’s performed within the inspection period. Common repairs on AC units are capacitors, fan motors, and the compressor. The compressor is the engine of the unit. If the compressor is shot it’s up to the pros to recommend a fix or replacement. Freon is another common element. It’s now more costly to replace it and it’s like the oil to the engine.
c. Plumbing lines to the sewer. This is normally not a concern unless the home is older. This is more common in South Scottsdale. This is a costly expense that can be checked with a camera inspection. General plumbing leaks can normally be fixed and don’t affect all rooms in the house. Plugged drains inside can be a problem and should be checked. Normally snaking them out will fix most problems.
d. Foundation. Overall we don’t see too many problems with this. We don’t have basements and we don’t have really bad weather. Cracking is common from the settlement. If a serious issue is found it will take time and a professional. The inspection period should be extended and buyer should be on alert.
e. Termites. Just about every home has them at some point. Severe damage can be a problem but minor issues are solved with a treatment and a termite warranty normally paid for by the sellers. Rarely do we have to do major repairs unless the home has not been maintained. Severe damage may require framing repairs.
f. Water heater. Arizona has hard water so the units don’t last as long. We have gas and electric. Electric tend to go before the gas because the heating elements get calcification and blow inside the water heater. I always recommend a new water heater every 7 or so years. A broken water heater can cause a huge amount of damage in a short amount of time.
Most other things don’t have to be replaced and no don’t think you can ask for a new roof or new ac when you are buying. They have a useful life. Both items last a pretty long time if maintained. Every homeowner should budget for repairs and replacement of key things just like they would on a car.
Many of the other items found during an inspection can normally be repaired or replaced by a handyman or licensed plumber/electrician.
Often older homes have smaller electrical panels that need replacement to allow more items to be added to the home such as a pool or hot tub. But if the electrical is working and the breakers are working. Most likely the seller won’t help.


How long is an inspection period in Arizona? The standard in the contract is 10 days. If there appears to be issues during the viewing, you can ask for more and the seller can decide if they want to give it to you or not.
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Michael Smitty Smith
Scottsdale Realtor
www.scottsdalearizona.realestate
602-363-0470

#homeinspection #buyersinspection #Scottsdale