Licensed, professional home inspectors serving the College Point Queens neighborhood, offering a broad range of services for our residential customers.
If you have been around, then you’ll recognize the need for home inspections in College Point. A quality home inspection protects you the buyer against those obvious problems that every home has. While the inspection is not fool proof, an inspector worth his weight in gold will be able to pinpoint the primary components that could be ready to break down on you as a new homeowner. A great inspector will narrow down the possibilities of system failure considerably.
Typically and simply put, a home inspection is a formal professional evaluation of the accessible and visible components and systems within a home (structure, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, roof, etc.) and is meant to give the client a better understanding of the unit’s overall condition. Phone today to schedule an inspection at 332-334-7701 or Request a Quote. You’ll be glad you made the call.
Typically, it is a homebuyer who requests an evaluation of the home they are serious about purchasing. A home inspection provides data points so that decision makers can question or confirm details about the home questioned or confirmed, and can uncover expensive-to-repair and serious defects that the homeseller may not be aware of. A home inspection is not an appraisal of the property’s value. The inspection does not address any repair costs for defects the inspector finds. Similarly, an inspection of the property makes not claim that the home and its systems complies with building codes or protects a client in the event an item inspected fails in the future.
Note: You can purchase warranties to cover several key items in the home.
Don’t consider a home inspection as a complete evaluation, but rather an evaluation of the property on the day it is inspected, considering normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. A home inspection can also include, for extra fees, pool inspections, water testing, Radon gas testing, pest inspections, energy audits, and other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also conducted (less often) by a home seller prior to putting the property on the market to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by home owners simply wanting to prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value high, and care for their homes.
The following are aspects that inspectors pay close attention to during a home inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), exposed wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, lack of safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, etc.
2. Serious flaws, such as large cracks in the foundation; building out of plumb or level; decks not supported or installed properly, and others. These are items that are costly to fix, which are systems needing over 2% of the purchase price to repair.
3. Items that could lead to major flaws – a roof leak that could grow, damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, or a beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
Your home inspector will advise you on what to do about these issues. She may recommend an evaluation on serious matters – by licensed or certified professionals who specialize in the problem areas. For instance, your inspector will advise you phone a licensed building engineer if he/she finds sections of the property that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a major structural deficiency.
Home Inspections are always done by a buyer when they sign a formal agreement, right?
This is false! As you will see when you continue reading, a home inspection can be utilized for ad hoc inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool with a current home owner, a proactive technique by homeowners to create their house more sellable, and by buyers wanting to find out the problem of the potential home.
Home owners, specifically, can benefit from finding a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a several advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner will soon be alerted to any safety issues found in the house before they open it down for open house tours.
· A home inspection may help the homeowner be much more objective in regards to setting a fair price on the home.
· The homeowner could make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush after the contract is signed.
· The homeowner can take the report and make it into a marketing piece for the home.
You most certainly can. Unfortunately, most home buyers lack the skill, knowledge, and objectivity needed to skillfully inspect a house themselves. In other words, they think they know their homes inside and out, but they really don’t. By using the services of a qualified home inspector, they gain an improved knowledge of the problem of the property; especially whether any items do not “abjectly affect the home’s living space” or “function as intended” or “warrant more attention” with a qualified specialist. Remember that the home inspector is really a generalist and has broad training in most home systems.
It’s a good idea for you to be present through the inspection – whether you’re a buyer, seller, or home owner. With you there, the inspector can show you any defects and explain their importance along with point out maintenance features that would be helpful in the future. If you can’t be there, it’s no problem since the report you obtain will soon be very detailed. If you are not present, then you should be sure to ask your inspector to explain anything that’s not clear in the report. Also see the inspection agreement carefully so you know what is covered and what is not covered in the inspection. If there is a trouble with the inspection or the report, you need to raise the problems quickly by calling the inspector, usually within 24 hours. If you want the inspector to return after the inspection to show you things, this can be arranged and is a good idea, however, the inspector could charge you extra since a second walkthrough not part of the inspection, unless, of course, you make that a part of your initial agreement
However, it’s important to let the inspector do the job you’re paying for. We love our customers, but we also know that constant interruptions and interference (some might even call it nagging) make the inspection painfully slow. Write down your questions and ask them after the inspector has presented you with a detailed report.
Since condominiums are units within a building, homeowners pay a monthly assessment fee to a also is responsible for maintaining the community boilder or HVAC. In smaller condo buildings, many home owners have their own mini-boiler that acts as the HVAC that a building would normally provide. Owners are responsible for everything inside the unit including porches, electrical, balconies, walls, and appliances. There are fewer items to inspect, but getting an inspection from someone who knows what they’re doing is still important. As you know well, Home Owners Associations are a fickled bunch, to be honest. And they’re all so very different, even within a city. Ask us about our policy and we’ll be blunt with you. If we can inspect your condo, we’ll do it; if we can’t, we’ll also let you know. We believe honesty is always the best policy and we live by it.
The following list (of systems and inspection items) is not exhaustive. Not all of these items may be in the inspection you receive, but the inspector will be following a standardized checklist for the property:
· Air Conditioning and controls
· Heat controls and pumps
· Kitchen appliances (stove top, oven, disposal, trash compactor, dishwasher, microwave)
· Laundry appliances (washer and dryer) if being sold with the house
· Walls, patios, doors, walkways, windows
· Window systems
· Eaves, soffits, and fascias
· Grading and site drainage
· Landscape
· Retaining walls
· Heating equipment and controls
· Ducts and distribution systems
· Driveways
· Indoor doors and hardware
· Roofing, flashings, chimneys, and attic
· Safety items such as TPRV valves, railings, egress etc.
· Floors, walls, ceilings
· Handrails, entry stairs
· Decks
· Masonry
· Basement, crawlspaces, and foundation
· Garage, garage walls, floor, and door operation
· Plumbing systems and fixtures
· Electrical system and panels
· GFCI, outlets, electrical grounding
· Fire detectors
Other tests that aren’t a part of the standard inspection may incur an extra charge.
· Gas Line Leak Test
· Swimming Pool and Spa Inspection
· Water Quality Test
· Mold Screening
· Sprinkler System Test
· Septic System Inspection
· Radon Gas Test
· Termite Inspection
Your new home has a large number of systems and about 9900 moving parts – from heating and cooling to ventilation and to appliances. When they work together, all is right with the world. Weak links in the machinery, however, can produce problems resulting in a loss in value and shortened component lifecycle. Would you purchase a used car without a qualified mechanic taking a look under its hood? Your house is far more complicated, and to have a thorough inspection that’s documented in a written report arms you with substantial information to make informed decisions.
Plenty of people assume that everything is inspected detailed on inspection day. This misunderstanding has caused many a homebuyer to generally be upset using their inspector. The inspections we perform aren’t exhaustive and there’s a great reason for this.
When you hire separate licensed experts in cooling and heating, electrical, plumbing, engineering, etc. to examine your property, it’d take about fourteen hours and run you around two grand! It is much more practical (and affordable) to rent an established inspector that has a general information about home systems, knows what to consider, and can suggest further inspection by an authority if needed. Your inspector can be following very specific guidelines issued by state or national organizations as he/she inspects your home. The guidelines are meticulously written to safeguard both your house and the inspector.
Here are some examples, we’re instructed to not turn systems on if these were off at the time of the inspection (for safety reasons); we are really not permitted to move furniture (might harm something); banned to turn on water if it’s off (possible flooding), and banned to kick by using a sealed attic hatch (possible damage). The down-side of the practice is by not operating a control, by not seeing beneath the furniture, and not receiving to the crawlspace or attic, we are going to might miss identifying a problem. However, used in perspective, the probability of missing something serious for that reason is quite low. There are many things that 94% of inspectors consider outside a standard inspection, for example inspecting most things aren’t bolted down (installed while in the home) like electronics, low voltage lighting, space heaters, portable ac units, or specialized systems like water purifiers, security systems, etc.
As the name suggests, College Point is one of the oldest in New York City and one that has not existed since the 19th century. I grew up saying there’s no college in college, there’s no points, but I’m grown up enough now to say there’s a college, it’s at College Point.
College Point was named after the seminary founded by the Rev. William Augustus Muhlenberg in 1835 and the Divine School of St. Paul. While the school was only short-lived, the name of the town lived on, and the college was closed in 1850. The name, however, remains, as it is the only one of its kind in New York City, according to the College Point website.
Then I went to high school, went to college in Boston and then back to college, but I hated College Point. I tried to live in different parts of the city and I felt like I was back where I grew up, and that was at 14 anyway, because that’s where you go to high school with a scholarship in a district called Manhattan. When I came back from College Point, I didn’t hate it as much as I used to, so I had to try to behave back in college.
What struck me early on was that people were leaving College Point and going to other parts of the city, like the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island. This neighborhood in Queens is very close to the stops of the Long Island Rail Road, not to mention the Long Island Railroad. There is no subway, although there was once an additional public transportation system that served College Point, the subway.
I find myself increasingly romantic about the look and feel of such neighborhoods, but there are others that are just as beautiful, if not more so, than the College Point neighborhood.
If you live in College Point, there are many things to do, including visiting the New York City Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and even the Library of Congress. In 2000, I was named the “College Point Little League Building” on the city’s 100 Most Beautiful Buildings list.
College Point Boulevard took its name in 1969 when three more streets merged into one: College Point Causeway, built by Poppenhusen over the swamp in the late 19th century; Lawrence Street, named after a colonial family; and College Avenue, a stretch of street in front of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Flessel’s was built in 1872, when Queens was twice the size of today’s (including Nassau County) and part of New York City. At the time of its construction, there were 16th and 17th avenues, 15th, 18th and 20th avenues and so on.
Commuters living in College Point apartments will not have such an easy time getting to Manhattan, but if you move from one city to another, the changing cost of living will have a big impact on the quality of life of those moving there. However, there are few options, and the district is home to some of the most expensive apartments in New York City. After moving to Queens, you’ll find yourself in an area where life isn’t as slow as Manhattan.
College Point is a very nautical district, as it is a coastal area, which is why it hosts many of the city’s most popular beaches. It is densely populated, has a more suburban feel and there are no subway lines, but it is coastal.
No matter what neighborhood you imagine living in, you will inevitably move to Queens. As in every other neighborhood in Queens, “Living in College Point” does not mean that it is considered an ideal place to live, but rather a place to think about. If you are thinking of moving to this family-friendly and unique neighborhood, you should know the following before calling it your home.
It was first proposed for College Point in the 1960s and first featured the College Park neighborhood in its property. The following year, I visited a place called Little Pepper, which had moved north from Flushing to the college point.
The old Haefele Hotel is seen above in the 1880s, and Flessel knew the hotel’s owner, the late John F. Haegel, who moved to Queens in 1993. He described the old hotel on College Point Blvd., which is still standing, as well as other buildings on the east side.
College Point is one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in Queens. In 2016, the crime rate was 4.1 per 1,000 residents, compared to the national average of 3.6. According to data from the city’s Department of Health and Human Services, one in 17 residents, or 6%, is unemployed. The crime rate in 2016 was 8.29 per 1,000 residents, the second highest in the district, behind only the Bronx. An estimated 25% of residents who earn below the state’s poverty line live in College Point, compared with the national average of 15% and 16% for the same age group.
If you’re looking for a reliable, professional, and affordable townhome in College Point, condo, or home inspection, your search is over. We get that you have choices and we’d be happy to send one of our inspectors out to inspect your property. We are committed to getting the job done right and making you a satisfied customer. Call or email one of our staff today (332-334-7701 or Request a Quote) to book an appointment.
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