Don’t consider a home inspection as a final evaluation, but rather property evaluation on the day it is inspected, considering normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. A home inspection can also include pest inspections, pool inspections, energy audits, Radon testing, water testing, energy audits, and several other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are paid for (less often) by a homeseller before listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by home owners simply wishing to prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value high, and care for their homes.
The following are aspects that inspectors pay attention to during a property inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as bare electrical wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, lack of safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), etc.
2. Things that could lead to major flaws – i.e., damaged downspouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, a roof leak that could grow larger, or a support beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
3. Serious flaws, such as large cracks in the home’s foundation; structure out of level or plumb; decks not installed or supported properly, and others. These items are pricey to fix, which we classify as items needing over 2% of the purchase price to repair.
Your property inspector should be able to counsel you on what you should do about these issues. He/she may recommend an evaluation on more matters – by licensed or certified professionals who specialize in the problem areas. For example, your inspector will recommend you call a licensed structural or building engineer if he/she finds areas of the property that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a serious structural deficiency.
Home inspections are just conducted by a buyer when he or she signs a formal agreement, right?
This is patently false! As you will see when you keep reading, a home inspection can be used for interim inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool by a current home owner, a proactive technique by home owners to make their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to find out the problem of the potential home.
Home owners, in particular, can benefit from obtaining a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a several advantages for the seller:
· The seller knows the house! The home inspector will be able to get answers to his/her questions on the real history of any problems they find.
· A home inspection can help the seller be more objective as it pertains to setting a fair price on the home.
· The seller may take the report and ensure it is into an advertising piece for the home.
· The seller is going to be alerted to any safety issues found in your home before they open it down for open house tours.
· The seller can make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.