What
is an Inspection?
A
typical home inspection is a limited, visual and non-invasive
inspection of the property. It is limited in that if
I can’t
see it I can’t inspect it. Furniture, stored items, carpeting,
soil, landscaping, or other items may conceal areas. The
inspection will not involve any destructive testing or dismantling
of any area or system in the house.
What
is an inspector looking for?
What
the inspector looks for will fall into one of four areas:
1.
Safety
- Can the house be occupied safely?
2.
Major Defects
– Such as structural failure.
3.
Potential
causes of major defects
– Such as small leaks.
4.
Basic
operation
of the mechanical systems.
What
an inspection is not:
1.
Code
compliance inspection
–
I do not identify violations of codes or ordinances. The
house was built to the codes and ordinances in place at the time
of construction.
2.
A warranty or
guarantee
–
I provide information as to the condition of the house on the
day of inspection.
3.
An appraisal
– A home inspector does not determine the market value of any
property.
4.
A required
list of repairs
– Items listed in the inspection report are for informational
purposes so the client can make an informed decision about the
property. No party is required to repair or replace any item
listed in an inspection report.
Types
of Inspections:
Pre-Purchase
Buying
a home can be extremely emotional and stressful. In a house you
love, this can make it difficult to notice the small things that
could lead to major problems down the road. It is important to
have the trained eye of a neutral third party inspect the home so
you can make an informed decision about the property.
Pre-Listing
Eventually
your buyers are going to conduct an inspection. You may as well
know what they are going to find by getting there first. Having an
inspection performed ahead of time allows you to see the home
through the eyes of a critical third-party. It helps you to price
the home realistically and it permits you to make repairs ahead of
time so that defects will not become negotiating stumbling blocks
later.
New
Homes
It
is important to realize that most new homes do have defects that
are not easily spotted. Many builders offer an inspection prior to
the closing of the property, but
it's their own personnel and not a
third party licensed inspector typically performing this inspection.
It is usually a quality control inspection concentrating on
the aesthetics of the house, not structural defects.
Warranty
Inspections
New
homes typically have a one-year builder’s warranty when you
purchase them. It is important to have an inspection around the
tenth month into the warranty period. Defects that were hidden
prior to the closing of the property may manifest themselves once
the home is exposed to climate changes over the course of a few
months.
