Don’t consider an inspection of the home and property as a complete evaluation, but rather property evaluation 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 a little extra of course, energy audits, Radon gas testing, water testing, pool inspections, pest inspections, and several other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also used (less often) by a homeseller before listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by home owners simply wanting to keep the home investment value as high as possible, care for their homes, and prevent surprises.
The following are aspects that inspectors pay attention to during a home inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as bare electrical wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, lack of safety railing on decks above 30 inches, lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), etc.
2. Major flaws, such as large cracks in the home’s foundation; building out of level or plumb; decks not supported or installed properly, etc. These items are costly to fix, which are systems needing more than two percent of the buy price to fix.
3. Things that could lead to major flaws – damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, a roof leak that could grow, or a beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
Your home inspector will counsel you on what you should do about these problems. She may recommend a formal evaluation on more issues – by licensed or certified professionals who specialize in the defect areas. For example, your inspector may advise you phone a licensed building engineer if they find areas of the home that are misaligned, as this could indicate a serious structural deficiency.
Home Inspections are merely done by a buyer once they sign an agreement, right?
This is simply not true! As you might find when you read on, a home inspection may be used for interim inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool with a current home owner, a proactive technique by homeowners to make their home more sellable, and by buyers wanting to find out the condition of the potential home.
Homeowners, in particular, can take advantage of obtaining a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a some of the advantages for the home owner:
· The home owner can make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.
· The home owner is going to be alerted to any safety issues found in the home before they open it down for open house tours.
· The home owner usually takes the report and make it into a marketing piece for the home.
· A home inspection can help the home owner be more objective when it comes to setting a fair price on the home.