Don’t consider an inspection of the home as an exhaustive evaluation, but rather property evaluation at this point in time, considering normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. An inspection of the home can also include for extra, 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 conducted (less often) by a homeseller prior to listing the property to see if there are any hidden problems that they are unaware of, and also by homeowners simply wanting to care for their homes, prevent surprises, and keep the home investment value as high as possible
The following are areas that inspectors pay close attention to when inspecting your home:
1. Safety hazards, such as no safety railing on decks more than 30 inches off the ground, lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), exposed electrical wiring in bathrooms and kitchens, etc.
2. Serious defects, such as large differential cracks in the home’s foundation; building out of level or plumb; decks not installed or supported properly, etc. These are items that are expensive to fix, which we classify as items requiring more than 2% 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 flashing leak that could grow, or a beam that was not tied in to the structure properly.
Your property inspector should advise you on what you should do about these problems. He/she may recommend an evaluation on more 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 they find areas of the home that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a serious structural deficiency and one that might cost thousands to fix
Home inspections are merely performed by a buyer after he or she signs a formal agreement, right?
This is not true! As you will see once you read on, a home inspection can be used for interim inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool by a current home owner, a proactive technique by homeowners to produce their house more sellable, and by buyers wanting to determine the situation of the potential home.
Sellers, particularly, can benefit from finding a home inspection before listing the home. Here are simply a several advantages for the home owner:
· The home owner may make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush after the contract is signed.
· The home owner is likely to be alerted to any safety issues found in your home before they open it up for open house tours.
· The home owner usually takes the report and ensure it is into an advertising piece for the home.
· A home inspection will help the home owner be more objective in regards to setting a good price on the home.