Licensed, professional home inspectors serving the Unionport (Bronx) neighborhood, offering a broad range of services for our residential customers.
If you have been around for a while, then you’ll understand the need for home inspections. A detailed 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 weight will be able to identify the primary components that could be ready to become a problem for you as a new home owner. A decent inspector will narrow down the probabilities of system failure considerably.
Simply put, a home inspection is an evaluation of the visible and accessible systems and components of a house (plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical, structure, roof, etc.) and should give the client a clearer understanding of the home’s overall state. Call today to book a home inspection in Unionport at 332-334-7701 or Request a Quote. You’ll be glad you made the call.
Typically, the inspection is a buyer who asks for an inspection of the home he or she is serious about purchasing. A home inspection provides data so that decisions about the purchase can be confirmed or questioned, and can uncover expensive and serious defects that the homeseller may not be aware of. It is not an appraisal of the property’s value. The inspection does not address the cost of repairs 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 client in the event something inspected fails in the future.
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. A home inspection can also include for a little extra of course, energy audits, Radon gas testing, water testing, pool inspections, pest inspections, and other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also conducted (less often) by a homeseller before listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems that they are unaware of, and also by homeowners simply wishing 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 home:
1. Major flaws, such as large differential cracks in the home’s foundation; structure out of level or plumb; decks not installed or supported correctly, and others. These are items that are costly to fix, which are items requiring over 2% of the buy price to repair.
2. Items that could lead to major flaws – i.e., damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, a roof leak that could get bigger, or a support beam that was not tied in to the structure properly.
3. Safety hazards, such as lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), exposed wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, lack of safety railing on decks above 30 inches, etc.
Your property inspector will counsel you about what to do about these areas of concern. She may recommend an evaluation on matters – by certified and/or licensed professionals who specialize in the defect areas. For example, your inspector will advise you call a licensed structural or building engineer if he/she finds areas of the home that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a major structural problem and one that would cost thousands to repair.
Home inspections are just paid for by a buyer once they sign a formal contract, right?
This is patently false! As you will see when you keep reading, a home inspection can be used for interim inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool by a current home owner, a proactive technique by home owners to create their home more sellable, and by buyers wanting to ascertain the situation of the potential home.
Sellers, in particular, can take advantage of obtaining 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 be able to get answers to his/her questions on the history of any problems they find.
· A home inspection will help the seller be much more objective in regards to setting a good price on the home.
· The seller usually takes the report and allow it to be into an advertising piece for the home.
· The seller will soon be alerted to any safety issues found in the house before they open it up for open house tours.
· The seller could make repairs leisurely instead of being in a hurry after the contract is signed.
Most homebuyers lack the data, skill, and objectivity needed to inspect a property themselves. In other words, they think they know their homes, but they really don’t. When you use services of an expert home inspector, they gain a much better comprehension of the situation of the property; especially whether any items do not “abjectly affect the home’s living space” or “function as intended” or “warrant more detailed attention” by a qualified specialist. Remember that the home inspector is a generalist and is broadly been trained in every home system.
It’s recommended for you to personally be present during the inspection – whether you are a homebuyer, seller, or homeowner. With you there, the inspector can point out any defects and explain their importance along with mention maintenance features which will be helpful in the future. If you can’t be there, it is not a problem considering that the report you receive will soon be very detailed. If you’re not present, then you ought to be sure to ask your inspector to spell out anything that’s not clear in the report. Also browse the inspection agreement carefully which means you know what is covered and what’s not covered in the inspection. When there is a problem with the inspection or the report, you need to raise the issues quickly by calling the inspector, usually within 24 hours. If you want the inspector to go back after the inspection to show you things, this can be arranged and is a good idea, however, you could be charged extra since it’s not part of the inspection, unless, of course, you make that a part of your home inspection contract
However, it’s very important to let the inspector do the job you’re paying for. We love our clients, but we also know that constant interference and interruptions (some might even call it nagging) make the process unnecessarily 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 approximate 1.3 hours for every thousand sq. ft. For example, a 2,600 sq.ft. house would take approx. 3 hours. If the company also produces the report while in your home, factor in an extra 30-40. These numbers are not set in stone because you really want them to do a thorough job without being rushed.
Since condominiums are units within a condo building, owners pay assessments to a also is responsible 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. Owners are responsible for everything inside the condo including walls, electrical, appliances, plumbing, balconies, and porches. There are fewer 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 fickle bunch. And they’re all very different, even within a neighborhood. Ask us about our policy and we’ll be blunt with you. If we can inspect your unit, 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. Not all of these may be in the inspection you get, but the inspector will follow a standard check list for the home:
· Air Conditioning and controls
· Heat controls and pumps
· Laundry appliances (dryer and washer)
· Walls, patios, doors, walkways, windows
· Windows
· Fascias, soffits, and eaves
· Site drainage and grading
· Insulation and ventilation systems
· Bushes, trees, shrubs, lawn
· Retaining walls
· Ducts and distribution systems
· Fire places
· Driveways
· Interior doors and hardware
· Roofing, flashings, chimneys, and attic
· Safety items such as egress, TPRV valves, railings, etc.
· Walls, floors, ceilings
· Entry stairs, handrails
· Bricks, masonry
· Foundation, basement, and crawlspaces
· Garage walls, doors, and door operation
· Plumbing systems and fixtures
· Electrical panels, electrical system
· Electrical outlets, GFCI, and grounding
· Smoke (fire) detectors
Some tests that are not a part of the initial inspection typically require an extra charge.
· Swimming Pool and Spa Inspection
· Mold Screening
· Gas Line Leak test
· Septic systems
· Alarm System
· Sprinkler System test
· Water quality test
· Termite Inspection
Your home has lots of systems and approximately 9900 moving pieces – from heating and cooling to ventilation and to appliances. When they work together, all is well with the world. Weak links in the device, however, can produce assorted problems resulting in a loss in value and shortened system/component lifecycle. Would you buy a used car without a reputable and qualified mechanic taking a look under its hood? Your home is far more complex, and to have a thorough inspection that’s documented in a report arms you with substantial information on which to create informed decisions.
That is often the first question asked but the answer tells minimal about the caliber of the inspection. Fees are based based on size, age and some other facets of the home. Inspection fees from an avowed professional home inspector generally start just over $350. A typical price for a 1,900 sq. ft. home around the country is about $325-$525 for just the inspection. In New York City, it will probably run you an extra 25-35% or more. But consider what you are getting for that price. Who can put a price on peace of mind?
Most of the people believe that all things are inspected complete on inspection day. This misunderstanding is mainly responsible for many a homebuyer being upset making use of their inspector. The inspections we perform are not exhaustive and there’s a great reason for this.
Should you hire individual licensed experts in cooling and heating, plumbing, electrical, engineering, etc. to inspect the home, it could take about 15 hours and run you around $2000! It is more practical to employ a reliable inspector that has a general understanding of home systems, knows things to look for, and can recommend further inspection by a specialist if needed. Your inspector is additionally following very specific guidelines issued by national or state organizations as he/she inspects your home. These guidelines are meticulously written to protect both your home as well as the inspector.
For example, we have been told to NOT turn systems on if these were off prior to the inspection (for safety reasons); we’re not allowed to move furniture (might harm something); unacceptable to turn on water should it be off (possible flooding), and unacceptable to kick via a sealed attic hatch (possible damage). Obviously on this practice is by not operating a control, by not seeing underneath the furniture, and failing to get enough into your attic or crawlspace, we are going to might miss identifying a problem. However, used in perspective, the probability of missing something serious therefore is fairly low. There are additional items which 96% of inspectors consider outside a standard inspection, including inspecting most things who are not bolted down (installed inside home) like electronics, low voltage lighting, space heaters, portable air conditioning units, or specialized systems like water purifiers, alarm systems, etc.
If you are searching for a professional, reliable, and affordable home, condo, or town home inspection in Unionport, your search is over. We understand you have choices and we’d be honored to send one of our inspectors out to inspect your home and property. We’re committed to getting the job done right and making you a satisfied customer. Call or email one of our staff (332-334-7701 or Request a Quote) to book an appointment.
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