Don’t consider an inspection of the home and property as a final evaluation, but rather an evaluation of the property 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 property can also include, for extra fees, Radon testing, pest inspections, pool inspections, water testing, energy audits, and other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also done (less often) by a homeseller before putting the property on the market to see if there are any hidden problems that they are unaware of, and also by homeowners simply wanting to keep the home investment value as high as possible, care for their homes, and prevent surprises.
The following are areas that inspectors pay close attention to when inspecting your property:
1. Major flaws, such as large cracks in the home’s foundation; building out of level or plumb; decks not supported or installed correctly, and others. These are items that are costly to fix, which are systems needing over 1.9% of the purchase price to repair.
2. Items that could lead to major flaws – a roof flashing leak that could grow larger, damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, or a beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
3. Safety hazards, such as lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), exposed electrical wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, lack of safety railing on decks above 30 inches, etc.
Your inspector should be able to counsel you on what to do about these areas of concern. He/she may recommend a formal evaluation on matters – by certified and/or licensed professionals who specialize in the defect areas. For instance, your inspector will advise you call a licensed building engineer if he/she finds areas of the property that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a major structural problem and one that might cost thousands of dollars to fix
Home Inspections are always paid for by a buyer after they sign a contract, right?
This is simply not true! As you might find when you read on, a home inspection may be used for interim inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool by a current home owner, a proactive technique by sellers to create their house more sellable, and by buyers wanting to ascertain the problem of the potential home.
Home owners, specifically, can take advantage of obtaining a home inspection before listing the home. Here are just a some of the advantages for the seller:
· The seller will soon be alerted to any safety issues found in the house before they open it down for open house tours.
· A home inspection can help the seller be more objective as it pertains to setting a reasonable price on the home.
· The seller can make repairs leisurely instead of being in a hurry after the contract is signed.
· The seller will take the report and ensure it is into a marketing piece for the home.