Don’t consider an inspection of the home as an exhaustive evaluation, but rather an evaluation of the property 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 fees, pool inspections, water testing, Radon gas testing, pest inspections, 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 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 lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), bare wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, no safety railing on decks above 30 inches, etc.
2. Major flaws, such as large cracks in the home’s foundation; structure out of level or plumb; decks not supported or installed correctly, and others. These are items that are costly to fix, which we classify as items needing over 2% of the purchase price to fix.
3. Things that could lead to major flaws – i.e., a roof flashing leak that could get bigger, damaged downspouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, or a support beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
Your home inspector will counsel you about what to do about these issues. She may recommend an evaluation on more matters – by certified and/or licensed professionals who are specialists in the defect areas. For instance, your inspector will recommend you phone a licensed structural or building engineer if he/she finds areas of the property that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a major structural deficiency and one that would cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Home Inspections are merely paid for by a buyer after he or she signs a formal contract, right?
This is simply not true! As you will discover when you continue reading, a home inspection can be used for interim inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool by way of a current home owner, a proactive technique by sellers to produce their home more sellable, and by buyers wanting to find out the condition of the potential home.
Home owners, in particular, can benefit from obtaining a home inspection before listing the home. Here are only a some of the advantages for the home owner:
· The home owner will make repairs leisurely instead of being in a hurry after the contract is signed.
· The home owner is likely to be alerted to any safety issues found in the house before they open it up for open house tours.
· The home owner usually takes the report and allow it to be into a marketing piece for the home.
· A home inspection will help the home owner be more objective when it comes to setting a good price on the home.