Don’t consider an inspection of the home as a complete 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. An inspection of the home can also include for a little extra of course, pest inspections, pool inspections, energy audits, Radon testing, water testing, energy audits, and several other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also conducted (less often) by a seller before putting the property on the market to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by home owners simply wanting 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 a property inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as lack of safety railing on decks above 30 inches, lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), exposed wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, etc.
2. Serious defects, such as large cracks in the foundation; structure out of level or plumb; decks not installed or supported correctly, and others. These items are pricey to repair, which we classify as systems requiring over two percent of the purchase price to repair.
3. Things that could lead to serious defects – damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, a roof leak that could grow, or a support beam that was not tied in to the structure properly.
Your property inspector should be able to advise you on what you should do about these issues. He may recommend an evaluation on more issues – by certified and/or licensed professionals who specialize in the problem areas. For example, your inspector will advise you call a licensed structural or building engineer if he/she finds sections of the home that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a serious structural deficiency.
Home Inspections are always done by a buyer when he or she signs a formal agreement, right?
This isn’t true! As you will discover whenever you keep reading, a home inspection can be utilized for interim inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool by a current homeowner, a proactive technique by home owners to create their house more sellable, and by buyers wanting to determine the condition of the potential home.
Homeowners, particularly, can take advantage of obtaining a home inspection before listing the home. Here are only a few of the advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner will make repairs leisurely instead of being in a hurry after the contract is signed.
· The homeowner is going to be alerted to any safety issues found in your home before they open it up for open house tours.
· The homeowner usually takes the report and make it into an advertising piece for the home.
· A home inspection will help the homeowner be much more objective when it comes to setting a reasonable price on the home.