Don’t consider an inspection of the home as an exhaustive 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 Radon gas testing, water testing, energy audits, pest inspections, pool inspections and several other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also paid for (less often) by a home 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 keep the home investment value as high as possible, care for their homes, and prevent surprises.
The following are aspects that inspectors pay close attention to during an inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as lack of safety railing on decks above 30 inches, lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), bare electrical wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, etc.
2. Major defects, such as large cracks in the foundation; structure out of level or plumb; decks not installed or supported properly, and others. These items are expensive to repair, which are entire systems needing more than 2% of the purchase price to fix.
3. Items that could lead to serious defects – damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, a roof flashing leak that could grow, or a beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
Your inspector should counsel you on what to do about these problems. She may recommend a formal evaluation on more matters – by certified and/or licensed professionals who are specialists in the problem areas. For example, your inspector may recommend you call a licensed building engineer if he/she finds areas of the property that are misaligned, as this could indicate a major structural problem.
Home inspections are merely performed by a buyer once they sign a formal agreement, right?
This is simply not true! As you might find once you keep reading, a home inspection can be utilized for ad hoc inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool by a current home owner, a proactive technique by sellers to produce their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to find out the situation of the potential home.
Home owners, specifically, can benefit from obtaining a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a some of the advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner will make repairs leisurely instead of being in a hurry following the contract is signed.
· The homeowner is going to be alerted to any safety issues found in the house before they open it up for open house tours.
· The homeowner will take the report and make it into a marketing piece for the home.
· A home inspection may help the homeowner be more objective as it pertains to setting a reasonable price on the home.