Don’t consider an inspection of the home as an exhaustive evaluation, but rather property evaluation 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, energy audits, Radon gas testing, water testing, pool inspections, pest inspections, and many other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are also done (less often) by a home seller before putting the property on the market to see if there are any hidden problems, and also by home owners simply wishing to care for their homes, prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value as high as possible
The following are aspects that inspectors pay attention to during an inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as lack of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), exposed wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, no safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, etc.
2. Serious defects, such as large differential cracks in the home’s foundation; structure out of plumb or level; decks not installed or supported properly, and others. These are items that are pricey to fix, which are systems requiring more than 2% of the purchase price to fix.
3. Items that could lead to major defects – i.e. damaged downspouts that could cause backup and water intrusion, a roof leak that could grow larger, or a beam that was not tied to the structure properly.
Your home inspector should advise you on what you should do about these areas of concern. He may recommend a formal evaluation on more issues – by certified and/or licensed professionals who specialize in the problem areas. For instance, your inspector may advise you call a licensed building engineer if they find areas of the home that are misaligned, as this could indicate a major structural deficiency and one that would cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Home Inspections are only conducted by a buyer once they sign an agreement, right?
This is not true! As you will see whenever you keep reading, a home inspection can be used for ad hoc inspections in new construction, as a maintenance tool by way of a current homeowner, a proactive technique by sellers to produce their home more sellable, and by buyers wanting to determine the situation of the potential home.
Home owners, in particular, can take advantage of getting a home inspection before listing the home. Here are simply a several advantages for the home owner:
· The home owner will 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 home owner be much more objective as it pertains to setting a reasonable price on the home.
· The home owner could make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.
· The home owner can take the report and make it into an advertising piece for the home.