Don’t consider an inspection of the home 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 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 putting the property on the market to see if there are any hidden problems, 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 areas that inspectors pay close attention to when inspecting your home:
1. Safety hazards, such as lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), bare electrical wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, lack of safety railing on decks above 30 inches, etc.
2. Major defects, such as large differential cracks in the foundation; structure out of plumb or level; decks not installed or supported properly, and others. These items are costly to repair, which we classify as entire systems requiring more than two percent of the purchase price to fix.
3. Things that could lead to major defects – i.e. a beam that was not tied to the structure properly, a roof leak that could grow, or damaged downspouts that could cause backup and water intrusion.
Your property inspector should advise you about what to do about these problems. She may recommend a formal evaluation on more matters – by licensed or certified professionals who are specialists in the defect areas. For instance, your inspector will advise you phone a licensed building engineer if they find sections 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 merely performed by a buyer after he or she signs a formal agreement, right?
This is not true! As you will discover when you read on, a home inspection may be used for ad hoc inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool with a current home owner, a proactive technique by homeowners to make their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to find out the situation of the potential home.
Home owners, in particular, can take advantage of getting a home inspection before listing the home. Here are only a several advantages for the seller:
· The seller knows your home! The home inspector will have the ability to obtain answers to his/her questions on the real history of any problems they find.
· A home inspection may help the seller be more objective in regards to setting a fair price on the home.
· The seller usually takes the report and ensure it is into an advertising piece for the home.
· The seller will undoubtedly be alerted to any safety issues found in your home 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.