Don’t consider a home inspection as a complete evaluation, but rather property evaluation at this point in time, taking into account normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. An inspection of the home can also include for a little extra of course, Radon gas testing, water testing, energy audits, pest inspections, pool inspections and other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also done (less often) by a homeseller prior to listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems that they are unaware of, and also by home owners simply wishing to keep the home investment value as high as possible, care for their homes, and prevent surprises.
The following are areas that inspectors pay close attention to when inspecting your property:
1. Safety hazards, such as lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), bare electrical wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, lack of safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, etc.
2. Things that could lead to major defects – i.e. damaged downspouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, a roof leak that could get bigger, or a support beam that was not tied in to the structure properly.
3. Major defects, such as large cracks in the foundation; building out of plumb or level; decks not installed or supported properly, and others. These items are costly to repair, which are systems needing over 2% of the buy price to repair.
Your inspector will advise you on what to do about these problems. He/she may recommend an evaluation on more matters – by certified and/or licensed professionals who specialize in the problem areas. For example, your inspector will advise you phone a licensed structural or building engineer if they find sections of the property that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a serious structural problem and one that might cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Home Inspections are just done by a buyer after he or she signs a formal contract, right?
This is simply not true! As you might find once you keep reading, a home inspection can be used for interim inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool with a current home owner, a proactive technique by sellers to make their home more sellable, and by buyers wanting to determine the situation of the potential home.
Home owners, specifically, can benefit from obtaining a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a some of the advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner knows your home! The home inspector will have a way to have answers to his/her questions on the annals of any problems they find.
· A home inspection may help the homeowner be much more objective as it pertains to setting a fair price on the home.
· The homeowner usually takes the report and allow it to be into an advertising piece for the home.
· The homeowner will soon be alerted to any safety issues found in the house before they open it up for open house tours.
· The homeowner could make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.