Don’t consider an inspection of the home and property as an exhaustive evaluation, but rather an evaluation of the property at this point in time, considering normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. An inspection of the home can also include for extra of course 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 home seller before putting the property on the market to see if there are any hidden problems that they are unaware of, and also by owners simply wanting to care for their homes, prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value as high as possible
The following are aspects that inspectors pay close attention to during a property inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as no safety railing on decks above 30 inches, lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), exposed wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, etc.
2. Major defects, such as large cracks in the home’s foundation; structure out of plumb or level; decks not supported or installed properly, etc. These items are pricey to repair, which are entire systems requiring more than two percent of the purchase price to fix.
3. Things that could lead to serious defects – i.e., a beam that was not tied in to the structure properly, a roof flashing leak that could get bigger, or damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion.
Your home inspector should be able to counsel you about what to do about these areas of concern. He/she may recommend a formal evaluation on serious matters – by certified and/or licensed professionals who specialize in the defect areas. For instance, your inspector may advise you phone a licensed building engineer if he/she finds areas of the property that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a major structural deficiency.
Home inspections are just performed by a buyer after he or she signs a formal agreement, right?
This is not true! As you will discover whenever you continue reading, a home inspection can be used for ad hoc inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool by a current homeowner, a proactive technique by homeowners to make their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to ascertain the problem of the potential home.
Homeowners, specifically, can benefit from obtaining a home inspection before listing the home. Here are only a few of the advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner knows your home! The home inspector will have the ability to have answers to his/her questions on the history of any problems they find.
· A home inspection will 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 is going to be alerted to any safety issues found in the home before they open it up for open house tours.
· The homeowner could make repairs leisurely instead of being in a hurry after the contract is signed.