Don’t consider an inspection of the home and property as an exhaustive evaluation, but rather property evaluation on the day it is inspected, taking into account normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. An inspection of the property can also include for extra, Radon testing, pest inspections, pool inspections, water testing, energy audits, and several other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are paid for (less often) by a seller before listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems that they are unaware of, 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 an inspection:
1. Major defects, such as large differential cracks in the home’s foundation; building out of level or plumb; decks not supported or installed properly, and others. These items are expensive to fix, which are entire systems needing over two percent of the purchase price to fix.
2. Things 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 support beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
3. Safety hazards, such as no safety railing on decks above 30 inches, lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), exposed wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, etc.
Your property inspector should advise you about what you should do about these areas of concern. He/she may recommend an evaluation on serious matters – by certified and/or licensed professionals who specialize in the defect areas. For instance, your inspector will advise you phone a licensed building engineer if he/she finds sections of the property that are misaligned, as this could indicate a serious structural problem.
Home Inspections are only conducted by a buyer once they sign a formal contract, right?
This isn’t true! As you might find once you continue reading, a home inspection may be used for ad hoc inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool by a current home owner, a proactive technique by homeowners to create their house more sellable, and by buyers wanting to ascertain the problem of the potential home.
Home owners, particularly, can benefit from finding a home inspection before listing the home. Here are simply a several advantages for the seller:
· The seller knows the home! The home inspector will have the ability to get answers to his/her questions on the real history of any problems they find.
· A home inspection may help the seller be much more objective in regards to setting a reasonable price on the home.
· The seller usually takes the report and ensure it is into a marketing piece for the home.
· The seller will be alerted to any safety issues found in the home before they open it up for open house tours.
· The seller may make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.