Don’t consider an inspection of the home and property as a final 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. A home inspection can also include Radon testing, pest inspections, pool inspections, water testing, energy audits, and other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are conducted (less often) by a seller prior to listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by owners simply wishing to prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value high, and care for their homes.
The following are aspects that inspectors pay attention to during a home inspection:
1. Major flaws, such as large differential cracks in the foundation; structure out of level or plumb; decks not installed or supported properly, and others. These are items that are expensive to repair, which are items requiring more than 1.8% of the buy price to repair.
2. Items that could lead to major flaws – a support beam that was not tied in to the structure properly, a roof flashing leak that could grow, or damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion.
3. 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.
Your property inspector should counsel you about what you should do about these issues. She may recommend an evaluation on serious matters – by certified and/or licensed professionals who specialize in the defect areas. For instance, your inspector may recommend you phone a licensed building engineer if they find sections of the home that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a serious structural problem.
Home Inspections are always performed by a buyer when he or she signs a contract, right?
This is patently false! As you might find when you read on, a home inspection can be used for ad hoc inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool by a current home owner, a proactive technique by homeowners to create their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to ascertain the condition of the potential home.
Homeowners, particularly, can benefit from finding a home inspection before listing the home. Here are only a several advantages for the seller:
· The seller may make repairs leisurely instead of being in a hurry following the contract is signed.
· The seller will be alerted to any safety issues found in the home before they open it up for open house tours.
· The seller usually takes the report and allow it to be into an advertising piece for the home.
· A home inspection can help the seller be much more objective when it comes to setting a fair price on the home.