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, taking into account normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. A home inspection can also include for extra, Radon gas testing, water testing, energy audits, pest inspections, pool inspections and other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also conducted (less often) by a seller prior to listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems that they are unaware of, 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 areas that inspectors pay close attention to when inspecting your property:
1. Major defects, such as large cracks in the foundation; building out of plumb or level; decks not installed or supported correctly, etc. These are items that are costly to repair, which are items needing more than 2% of the buy price to fix.
2. Things that could lead to major defects – i.e. a roof leak that could grow larger, damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, or a beam that was not tied in to the structure properly.
3. Safety hazards, such as exposed electrical wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, no safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), etc.
Your property inspector will counsel you on what to do about these problems. He/she may recommend a formal evaluation on matters – by certified and/or licensed professionals who are specialists in the defect areas. For example, your inspector may recommend you call a licensed structural or building engineer if he/she finds sections of the property that are misaligned, as this could indicate a major structural deficiency and one that might cost thousands to repair.
Home inspections are merely conducted by a buyer after they sign a formal agreement, right?
This is not true! As you will discover once you read on, a home inspection can be utilized for interim inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool by a current homeowner, a proactive technique by homeowners to produce their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to determine the condition of the potential home.
Home owners, specifically, can take advantage of finding a home inspection before listing the home. Here are simply a several advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner knows your home! The home inspector will be able to get answers to his/her questions on the history of any problems they find.
· A home inspection can help the homeowner be much more objective as it pertains to setting a fair price on the home.
· The homeowner can take the report and make it into an advertising piece for the home.
· The homeowner will be alerted to any safety issues found in your home before they open it down for open house tours.
· The homeowner could make repairs leisurely instead of being in a hurry after the contract is signed.