Don’t consider an inspection of the home and property 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. A home inspection can also include for a little extra of course, 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 prior to listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by owners simply wanting to care for their homes, prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value as high as possible
The following are areas that inspectors pay close attention to when inspecting your property:
1. Safety hazards, such as bare wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, lack of safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), etc.
2. Things that could lead to major flaws – i.e., a roof leak that could grow larger, damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, or a support beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
3. Serious flaws, such as large cracks in the foundation; structure out of plumb or level; decks not supported or installed properly, and others. These items are expensive to fix, which we classify as systems needing over two percent of the buy price to repair.
Your property inspector should counsel you on what to do about these areas of concern. She may recommend a formal evaluation on matters – by licensed or certified professionals who are specialists in the problem areas. For example, your inspector may recommend you phone a licensed building engineer if he/she finds areas of the property that are misaligned, as this could indicate a major structural problem and one that would cost thousands of dollars to fix
Home inspections are performed by a buyer after they sign an agreement, right?
This is simply not true! As you will see whenever you read on, a home inspection can be utilized for interim inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool by way of a current home owner, a proactive technique by sellers to produce their property more sellable, and by buyers wanting to find out the condition of the potential home.
Homeowners, specifically, can take advantage of finding a home inspection before listing the home. Here are only a several advantages for the seller:
· The seller can make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.
· The seller will be alerted to any safety issues found in your home before they open it down for open house tours.
· The seller will take the report and make it into a marketing piece for the home.
· A home inspection will help the seller become more objective in regards to setting a reasonable price on the home.