Don’t consider a home inspection as an exhaustive 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 Radon gas testing, water testing, energy audits, pest inspections, pool inspections and many other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also used (less often) by a homeseller prior to listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by home owners simply wanting to prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value high, and care for their homes.
The following are aspects that inspectors pay close attention to during an inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as no safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), exposed wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, etc.
2. Major defects, such as large cracks in the foundation; structure out of plumb or level; decks not supported or installed properly, etc. These items are costly to fix, which are entire systems requiring over two percent of the buy price to fix.
3. Items that could lead to serious defects – a roof leak that could get bigger, damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, or a support beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
Your home inspector should counsel you about what to do about these areas of concern. He/she may recommend a formal evaluation on more issues – by certified and/or licensed professionals who are specialists in the defect areas. For example, your inspector may advise you phone a licensed structural or building engineer if he/she finds sections of the property that are misaligned, as this could indicate a serious structural deficiency.
Home Inspections are just paid for by a buyer when they sign a contract, right?
This is simply not true! As you will discover whenever you read on, a home inspection can be used for ad hoc inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool by way of a current home owner, a proactive technique by home owners to make their home more sellable, and by buyers wanting to determine the situation of the potential home.
Home owners, specifically, can benefit from getting a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a some of the advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner will make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.
· The homeowner will undoubtedly be alerted to any safety issues found in the house before they open it down for open house tours.
· The homeowner can take the report and make it into an advertising piece for the home.
· A home inspection will help the homeowner be more objective when it comes to setting a reasonable price on the home.