Don’t consider an inspection of the home and property as an exhaustive evaluation, but rather property evaluation at this point in time, taking into account normal wear and tear of the home based on age and location. A home inspection can also include for extra, Radon testing, pest inspections, pool inspections, water testing, energy audits, and many other specific items that may be location-specific.
Home inspections are used (less often) by a seller prior to 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 attention to during a property inspection:
1. Safety hazards, such as lack of safety railing on decks above 30 inches, lack of GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters), bare electrical wiring in kitchens and bathrooms, etc.
2. Serious defects, such as large differential cracks in the foundation; structure out of plumb or level; decks not installed or supported correctly, etc. These are items that are costly to repair, which are systems requiring more than 2% of the purchase price to repair.
3. Items that could lead to major defects – a support beam that was not tied to the structure properly, a roof leak that could grow, or damaged down spouts that could cause backup and water intrusion.
Your home inspector will advise you on what to do about these issues. He may recommend a formal evaluation on matters – 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 areas of the home that are out of alignment, as this could indicate a serious structural deficiency.
Home Inspections are always paid for by a buyer after they sign an agreement, right?
This is not true! As you will see when you read on, a home inspection may be used for ad hoc inspections in new construction projects, as a maintenance tool by a current home owner, a proactive technique by home owners to make their house more sellable, and by buyers wanting to ascertain the condition of the potential home.
Home owners, specifically, can benefit from finding a home inspection before listing the home. Here are simply a several advantages for the homeowner:
· The homeowner knows your home! The home inspector will have a way to obtain answers to his/her questions on the history of any problems they find.
· A home inspection will help the homeowner be more objective when it comes to setting a fair price on the home.
· The homeowner may take the report and allow it to be into a marketing piece for the home.
· The homeowner will soon be alerted to any safety issues found in the home before they open it up for open house tours.
· The homeowner may make repairs leisurely instead of being in a rush following the contract is signed.