Licensed, professional home inspectors serving the Elmhurst Queens neighborhood, offering a broad range of services for our residential customers.
If you’ve been around for a while, then you’ll know all about home inspections in Elmhurst. A detailed home inspection protects you the prospective home owner against the obvious problems that every home has. While the inspection is not fool proof, an inspector worth his or her weight will be able to identify the major systems that could be ready to break down on you as a new buyer. A great inspector will narrow down the possibilities of system failure greatly.
Typically and simply put, a home inspection is a formal professional evaluation of the visible and accessible systems and components of a home (plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical, structure, roof, etc.) and should give the customer a clearer understanding of the home’s general state. Call today to schedule an appointment at 332-334-7701 or Request a Quote. You’ll be glad you made the call.
Most often, it is a homebuyer who asks for a formal evaluation of the home’s condition she or he is serious about purchasing. An inspection of the home delivers data points so that decisions about the purchase can be questioned or confirmed, and can uncover expensive and serious defects that the seller/owner may not be aware of. A home inspection is not an appraisal of the property’s value. The inspection does not point out the cost of repairs for defects the inspector finds. Similarly, an inspection of the home makes not claim that the home and its systems complies with local building codes or protects a customer in the event an item inspected fails in the future.
Note: You can purchase warranties to cover several key items in the house.
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.
Who says you can’t? Of course you can. Unfortunately, most buyers lack the skill, knowledge, and objectivity necessary to inspect a property themselves. In other words, they think they know their homes, but they really don’t. By using the services of a qualified home inspector, they gain a better knowledge of the situation of the property; especially whether any items don’t “abjectly affect the home’s living space” or “work as intended” or “warrant more attention” by a qualified specialist. Remember that the home inspector is just a generalist and has broad experience in most of the major home systems.
It’s a great idea for you to personally be present throughout the inspection – whether you are a home buyer, seller, or homeowner. With you there, the inspector can show you any defects and explain their importance in addition to explain maintenance features that’ll be helpful in the future. If you can’t be there, it is no problem because the report you obtain will be very detailed. If you’re not present, then you should be sure to ask your inspector to explain anything that is unclear in the report. Also see the inspection agreement carefully which means you understand what is covered and what’s not covered in the inspection. If you have a problem with the inspection or the report, you must raise the difficulties quickly by calling the inspector, usually within 24 hours. If you’d like the inspector to go back following the inspection to show you things, this is often arranged and is recommended, however, the inspector could charge you extra since it’s 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 clients, but we also know that constant interruptions and interference make the inspection unnecessarily slow. Jot down your questions and ask them after the inspector has presented you with a report.
Since condominiums are individual units within a building, homeowners pay a monthly assessment fee to a also is responsible for maintaining the community boiler system or HVAC. In smaller condo buildings, many home owners have their own boiler that suffices for the HVAC that a building would normally provide. Owners are responsible for everything inside the condo including walls, appliances, balconies, porches, plumbing, and electrical. There are fewer items to inspect, but getting an inspection from someone qualified is still important. As you well know, HOAs are a fickled lot, to be honest. And they’re all very different, even within a city. Ask us about it and we’ll be honest with you. If we can inspect your unit, 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 may be in the inspection you receive, but the inspector will be following a standard checklist for the home:
· Distribution systems and ducts
· Fire places
· Air Conditioning and controls
· Heat controls and pumps
· Safety items such as egress, TPRV valves, railings, etc.
· Walls, floors, ceilings
· Window systems
· Doors, walls, patios, walkways, windows
· Basement, foundation, and crawl spaces
· Garages, garage walls, floors, and doors
· Plumbing systems and fixtures
· Electrical panels, electrical system
· Smoke (fire) detectors
· Interior doors and hardware
· Kitchen appliances (microwave, trash compactor, range/oven, dishwasher, disposal)
· Laundry appliances (dryer and washer) if being sold with the house
· Insulation and ventilation systems
· Drainage and grading
· Driveway
· Handrails, entry stairs
· Decks
· Masonry
· Grass, bushes, trees, shrubs
· Retaining walls
· Soffits, eaves, and fascias
Some tests which aren’t part of the original inspection usually require an additional fee.
· Alarm System
· Swimming Pool and Spa Inspection
· Mold Screening
· Termites
· Sprinkler System Test
· Radon Gas Test
· Water Quality Test
· Septic systems
Your home has a large number of systems and about 9900 parts – from heating and cooling to ventilation systems and to appliances. When appliances and systems work together, you have peace of mind. Weak links in the machinery, however, can produce a myriad of problems ultimately causing a loss in value and shortened system lifecycle. Would you buy a used car with out a qualified mechanic taking a look under its hood? Your property is far more complicated, and to really have a thorough inspection that is documented in a report arms you with substantial information which to create informed decisions.
Many people imagine that everything is inspected in depth on inspection day. This misunderstanding is mainly responsible for many a homebuyer for being upset with their inspector. The inspections we do will not be exhaustive and there is a great reason for this.
For those who hire individual licensed experts in heating and cooling, plumbing, electrical, engineering, etc. to inspect your house, it might take about fourteen hours and run you about $2000! It is more practical to engage a reliable inspector who’s a general information about home systems, knows what to look for, and can suggest further inspection by a professional if needed. Your inspector is additionally following very specific guidelines issued by national or state organizations as he/she inspects your home. The guidelines are carefully written in order to protect both your house and the inspector.
Here are some examples, I am instructed to NOT turn systems on if they were off prior to the inspection (for safety reasons); we are really not ready to move furniture (might harm something); banned to turn on water whether it is off (possible flooding), and banned to get rid of by having a sealed attic hatch (possible damage). The down-side with this practice is by not operating a control, by not seeing beneath the furniture, and not getting into the crawlspace or attic, we might miss identifying a problem. However, placed into perspective, the prospect of missing something serious for this reason is fairly low. There are more things that 94% of inspectors consider outside a typical inspection, for example inspecting most things who are not bolted down (installed in the home) like electronics, reduced voltage lighting, space heaters, portable air conditioning units, or specialized systems like water purifiers, security alarms, etc.
An emerging hot spot in Queens has everything New York City needs, but you may never want to cross the river. Queens is one of the best places to live in the city, and offers a wide variety of neighborhoods, from the heart of Manhattan to the outer boroughs. It is also home to several colleges, including Columbia University, University of Queens, Queens College and Queens Community College.
Located in the heart of Queens, just blocks from Manhattan, the Astoria has become a popular destination for commuters to Manhattan. Ditmar’s Steinway also has plenty to offer in terms of bars, restaurants and cafes, but it has also become one of the most popular destinations in Queens with its neighboring Astoria, Queens Village.
It’s a great place to enjoy at the end of the month if you fancy a quiet evening with friends and family in Queens Village or Astoria. It’s quieter and more familiar – and tends to be cheaper than the rest of Queens, but not as expensive as some of its neighborhoods. As in all of New York City, costs are incurred in Queens, New York, whether in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens or other parts of Brooklyn and Queens. In the rest of New York City, apartments in older row houses in Ridgewood tend to be larger than the average Manhattan or Brooklyn resident and cost less, so be aware of that.
The Long Island City district is near Manhattan and takes only about ten minutes by train. If you need to commute into the city or are ready to take a break from the city pace, Sunnyside is a great place to live. It is also as close as possible to Midtown Manhattan without living there, making most commutes a breeze.
Most of Queens has all the amenities you would expect in New York, but the borough is very different from the rest of New York City in many ways. The neighborhoods in Queens are also different from family to family – they are suburban, and some tend to feel suburban. There are many high-rise buildings and a large number of restaurants and bars as well as a variety of shops and restaurants.
Walking down Queens Boulevard, you’ll find all kinds of cuisine that New York City has to offer. If you take a stroll along Steinway Street or Astoria Boulevard, you will see a wide variety of tempting restaurants, shops and shops in the neighborhood.
It is a fun neighborhood to base yourself in Manhattan, explore the Queens Night Market in the summer, or catch a train to Flushing and Citi Field for Mets games. If you just want a hamburger, you will find a wide range of restaurants and shops along Steinway Street and Astoria Boulevard. It is right next to a movie studio, and if you move to the area, here are ten parts of Queens that you will love to call home. The Astorian offers a great mix of shopping, dining and entertainment, as well as some of the best restaurants in New York.
Other hotspots include the New York City Museum of Modern Art, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and the Central Park Conservatory.
Generally, Queens is a gentrified Brooklyn, but it is home to some of the most expensive, competitive and gentrified beers in New York City. Much like Brooklyn, it tends to be a hotspot for hipsters who wander through the city’s hipster neighborhoods – such as Midtown, the Upper East Side and the South Bronx. But this is one of the most expensive and competitive neighborhoods in Queens, with a median household income of $60,000 a year. It tends to be the second most expensive neighborhood in the district, behind Manhattan.
But if you live with a family in Queens, it’s worth paying a premium price to get access to some of the most expensive and competitive beers in New York City and the best restaurants and bars in the neighborhood.
Queens is a huge city with several boroughs in this article that include sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation, so we have them for you. For more tips on moving to the Big Apple, see our guide on how to survive a move to New York by going crazy and finding an apartment in New York. Families are common and there are extensive suburban streets, but the area tends to have some of the cheapest apartments in New York City and the best restaurants and bars in the city. The area has a great mix of quality and affordable apartments and rentals as well as a wide selection of local restaurants.
If you plan to move to Queens from a state where the cost of living is lower than the national average, you may experience a sticker shock. I have a feeling that LeFrak City Elmhurst will see itself as the next up-and-coming place to live, which could soon be approaching cool places like Brooklyn and Harlem.
If you are searching for a affordable, reliable, and professional townhome, condo, or home inspection in Elmhurst, your search is over. We know you have choices and we’d be honored 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. E-mail or phone one of our staff (332-334-7701 or Request a Quote) to book an appointment.
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