Don’t consider an inspection of the home and property as a final 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 extra, pool inspections, water testing, Radon gas testing, pest inspections, energy audits, and many other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are paid for (less often) by a home seller before listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by home owners simply wishing 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. Safety hazards, such as exposed wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, lack of safety railing on decks above 30 inches, lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), etc.
2. Things that could lead to serious defects – a support beam that was not tied in to the structure properly, a roof leak that could get bigger, or damaged downspouts that could cause backup and water intrusion.
3. Serious defects, such as large differential cracks in the foundation; structure out of plumb or level; decks not installed or supported properly, and others. These are items that are costly to fix, which we classify as entire systems needing more than two percent of the buy price to fix.
Your inspector should be able to counsel you about what you should do about these problems. He may recommend an evaluation on serious issues – by certified and/or licensed professionals who specialize in the defect areas. For instance, your inspector will recommend you call a licensed building engineer if they find sections of the property that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a major structural deficiency.
Home inspections are merely done by a buyer when they sign a formal contract, right?
This is patently false! As you will see when you read on, a home inspection can be utilized for ad hoc inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool with a current homeowner, a proactive technique by sellers to create their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to ascertain the situation of the potential home.
Home owners, in particular, can take advantage of getting a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a several advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner is likely to be alerted to any safety issues found in the home before they open it down for open house tours.
· A home inspection will help the homeowner be much more objective in regards to setting a reasonable price on the home.
· The homeowner may make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.
· The homeowner may take the report and allow it to be into a marketing piece for the home.