Don’t consider an inspection of the home and property as a complete evaluation, but rather property evaluation on the day it is inspected, considering normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. An inspection of the property can also include for extra, Radon testing, pest inspections, pool inspections, water testing, energy audits, and several other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are conducted (less often) by a homeseller before putting the property on the market to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by home owners simply wanting to care for their homes, prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value as high as possible
The following are aspects that inspectors pay close attention to during a home inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as bare wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, no safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), etc.
2. Major defects, such as large differential cracks in the home’s foundation; building out of plumb or level; decks not installed or supported properly, and others. These items are costly to repair, which are systems requiring over two percent of the purchase price to fix.
3. Things that could lead to serious defects – i.e., a support beam that was not tied to the structure properly, a roof flashing leak that could grow larger, or damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion.
Your property inspector should be able to advise you on what you should do about these areas of concern. She may recommend an evaluation on issues – by certified and/or licensed professionals who are specialists in the problem areas. For example, your inspector will recommend you call a licensed building engineer if he/she finds sections of the home that are misaligned, as this could indicate a serious structural deficiency.
Home inspections are always paid for by a buyer after he or she signs a formal contract, right?
This isn’t true! As you will see once you continue reading, a home inspection may be used for interim inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool with a current homeowner, a proactive technique by homeowners to make their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to find out the problem of the potential home.
Home owners, in particular, can take advantage of finding a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a few of the advantages for the home owner:
· The home owner knows your home! The home inspector will have a way to obtain answers to his/her questions on the history of any problems they find.
· A home inspection may help the home owner become more objective when it comes to setting a reasonable price on the home.
· The home owner will take the report and make it into a marketing piece for the home.
· The home owner will soon be alerted to any safety issues found in the home before they open it down for open house tours.
· The home owner could make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.