Licensed, professional home inspectors serving the Locust Point (Bronx) neighborhood, offering a broad range of services for our residential customers.
If you have been around, then you’ll already understand the value of home inspections. A quality home inspection protects you the prospective home owner against those obvious problems that every home has. While the inspection is not fool proof, an inspector worth his or her weight will be able to identify the primary components and systems that could be ready to break on you as a new homeowner. A competent inspector will narrow down the possibilities of system failure greatly.
Typically and simply put, a home inspection is a formal detailed evaluation of the accessible and visible components and systems within a house (cooling and heating, plumbing, roofing, electrical, structure, etc. and is intended to give the customer a better understanding of the house’s overall state. Phone today to book an appointment at 332-334-7701 or Request a Quote. You’ll be glad you made the call.
More often than not, it is a homebuyer who requests an evaluation of the home she or he is serious about purchasing. A home inspection provides data points so that decision makers can question or confirm details about the home confirmed or questioned, and can uncover expensive-to-repair and serious defects that the homeseller may not be aware of. It is not a property’s appraisal value. The inspection does not address repair costs for defects the inspector finds. Similarly, an inspection of the property makes not claim that the home and its systems complies with local code or protects a customer in the event an item inspected fails.
[Side note]: You can buy warranties to cover a multitude of items in the home.
Don’t consider a home inspection as a complete evaluation, but rather an evaluation of the property at this point in time, taking into account normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. An inspection of the property can also include pool inspections, water testing, Radon gas testing, pest inspections, energy audits, and other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also used (less often) by a home seller prior to putting the property on the market to see if there are any hidden problems that they are unaware of, and also by homeowners simply wanting to care for their homes, prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value as high as possible
The following are areas that inspectors pay close attention to when inspecting your property:
1. Safety hazards, such as lack of safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), bare wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, etc.
2. Items that could lead to serious defects – damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, a roof flashing leak that could grow larger, or a beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
3. Serious defects, such as large cracks in the foundation; building out of plumb or level; decks not installed or supported properly, etc. These are items that are costly to fix, which are items requiring more than two percent of the buy price to fix.
Your home inspector should counsel you on what to do about these issues. He may recommend an evaluation on more issues – by licensed or certified professionals who are specialists in the defect areas. For instance, your inspector may recommend 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.
Home inspections are only done by a buyer once they sign a contract, right?
This is false! As you will discover when you keep reading, a home inspection may be used for interim inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool with a current homeowner, a proactive technique by sellers to produce their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to ascertain the condition of the potential home.
Homeowners, specifically, can take advantage of finding a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a few of the advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner could 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 your home before they open it up for open house tours.
· The homeowner will take the report and ensure it is into a marketing piece for the home.
· A home inspection can help the homeowner become more objective when it comes to setting a good price on the home.
Most homebuyers lack the information, skill, and objectivity needed seriously to inspect a home themselves. In other words, they think they know their homes, but they really don’t. By using the services of a qualified home inspector, they gain a better comprehension of the condition of the property; especially whether any items don’t “abjectly affect the home’s living space” or “function as intended” or “warrant more detailed attention” with a qualified specialist. Understand that the home inspector is a generalist and is broadly been trained in every home system.
It’s a good idea for you to personally be present through the inspection – whether you are a home buyer, seller, or homeowner. With you there, the inspector can show you any defects and explain their importance as well as point out maintenance features that would be helpful in the future. If you can’t be there, it’s not a problem because the report you get will undoubtedly be very detailed. If you’re not present, then you need to be sure to ask your inspector to explain anything that’s unclear in the report. Also see the inspection agreement carefully so you know what is covered and what’s not covered in the inspection. When there is a trouble with the inspection or the report, you need to raise the difficulties quickly by calling the inspector, usually within 24 hours. If you’d like the inspector to go back following the inspection to show you things, this is often arranged and is advisable, however, you could be charged extra since a second walk through not part of the inspection, unless, of course, you make that a part of your home inspection contract
However, it’s important for you to let the inspector do the work you’re paying for. We love our customers, but we also know that constant interruptions and interference (some might even call it nagging) make the inspection painfully slow. Write down your questions and ask them after the inspector has presented you with a detailed report.
This depends upon the condition and size of the home. You can usually figure 1.1 hours for every thousand sq. ft. For instance, a 2,400 sq.ft. unit would take around 3 hours. If the inspector also produces the report while in your home, that will take an extra 30-40. These figures are not set in stone because you really want them to do a complete inspection without being rushed.
Since condominiums are units within a single building, homeowners pay assessments to a also is on the hook for maintaining the HVAC. In smaller condo buildings, many owners have their own mini-boiler that suffices for the HVAC that a building would normally provide. Home owners are responsible for everything inside the unit including porches, electrical, balconies, walls, and appliances. There are less items to inspect, but getting an inspection from someone who knows what they’re doing is still critical. As you well know, HOAs are a fickled lot to be brutally honest. And they’re all very different, even within a city. Ask us about it and we’ll be honest with you. If we can inspect your condo, we’ll do it; if we can’t, we’ll also let you know. We believe honesty is always the best policy and we live by it.
The following list is not exhaustive, though compiling it was exhaustive! Not all of these items may be in the inspection you get, but the inspector will be following a standard checklist for the property:
* Heating and air conditioning
* Heat pumps and controls
* Kitchen appliances (stove top, oven, disposal, trash compactor, dishwasher, microwave)
* Laundry appliances (washer and dryer)
* Doors, walls, patios, walkways, windows
* Kitchen counters, floors, and cabinets
* Window systems
* Soffits, eaves, and fascias
* Site drainage and grading
* Insulation and ventilation systems
* Shrubs, trees, bushes, lawn
* Retaining walls
* Heating controls and equipment
* Fireplaces
* Driveways
* Roofing, flashings, chimneys, and attic
* Safety items such as TPRV valves, railings, egress etc.
* Walls, floors, ceilings
* Entry stairs, handrails
* Decks
* Masonry
* Crawlspaces, basement, and foundation
* Garages, garage walls, floors, and doors
* Plumbing systems and fixtures
* Electrical system, panels
* Electrical outlets, GFCI, and grounding
* Fire detectors
Other tests which are not part of the normal inspection may incur an extra charge.
· Sprinkler System Test
· Alarm System
· Water quality test
· Swimming Pool and Spa Inspection
· Septic systems
· Gas Line Leak Test
· Radon gas test
· Termites
· Mold Screening
Your home has a large number of systems and about 9900 moving parts – from heating and cooling to ventilation systems and to appliances. When these systems and appliances work together, all is well with the world. Weak links in the machinery, however, can produce a myriad of problems ultimately causing a loss in value and shortened component lifecycle. Would you buy a used car with out a qualified mechanic taking a look under its hood? Your property is far more complicated, and to really have a thorough inspection that’s documented in a report arms you with substantial information on which to make informed decisions.
That is usually the first question asked but the solution tells the smallest amount of about the quality of the inspection. Fees are based according to size, age and some other areas of the home. Inspection fees from a professional professional home inspector generally start over $350. A typical price for a 2000 sq. ft. unit around the country is approximately $300-$450 for just the initial inspection. In the Bronx neighborhoods, it’ll probably be an extra 25-35%. But think about what you are getting for that premium. Who can put a price tag on peace of mind?
Many people assume that everything is inspected thoroughly on inspection day. This misunderstanding has caused many a homebuyer to generally be upset with their inspector. The inspections we perform will not be exhaustive and there is a good reason for this.
If you hired separate licensed experts in heating, engineering, plumbing, electrical, etc to examine your home, it’d take about 15 hours and run you about $2000! It is a lot more practical (and affordable) to get a specialist inspector who may have a general comprehension of home systems, knows what to look for, and can suggest further inspection by an experienced if needed. Your inspector can also be following very specific guidelines issued by state or national organizations as he/she inspects your home. These guidelines are carefully written in order to protect both your house as well as the inspector.
Here are some examples, we have been instructed to NOT turn systems on if these were off at the time of the inspection (for safety reasons); we are really not able to move furniture (might harm something); prohibited to turn on water whether it is off (possible flooding), and prohibited to get rid of by way of a sealed attic hatch (possible damage). The down-side on this practice is the fact that by not operating a control, by not seeing beneath the furniture, and enough sleep. into your attic or crawlspace, we’re going to might miss identifying a problem. However, put into perspective, the prospect of missing something serious for that reason is very low. There are additional items that more than 95% of inspectors consider outside a normal inspection, for example inspecting most things who are not bolted down (installed from the home) for instance electronics, low voltage lighting, space heaters, portable air conditioning, or specialized systems for instance water purifiers, security alarms, etc.
If you are looking for a professional, reliable, and affordable town home, condo, or home inspection in Locus Point, look no further. We understand you have choices and we would be happy to send out one of our inspectors to inspect your property. We’re committed to getting the job done right and making you a satisfied customer. Call or email one of our staff now (332-334-7701 or Request a Quote) to book an appointment.
