What's In A Home Inspection Article
Final Home Inspection Advice:
Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during a home inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the home inspection report. No home is perfect. Keep things in perspective. Don't kill your deal over things that don't matter.
What REALLY Matters in the Home Inspection Process
Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite affect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. This often includes a home inspection written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports, and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming.
What should you do? ... Relax. Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:
- Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure.
- Things that lead to major defects. For example, a small roof-flashing leak.
- Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy, or insure the home or real estate property.
- Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electric panel.
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and your real estate property investment.
Q: What is our home inspection like?
A: Our home inspection is a comprehensive, unbiased analysis of the condition of the home's major components, systems and construction by a certified, experienced professional inspector. A computer generated report detailing the inspector's findings is reviewed with you and eoften -mailed or printed for you on the spot.
Q: What does a home inspection include?
A: Our inspections is a complete visual inspection of the home including:
| Items that are included in the Inspection are as follows: | |
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Q: Why do I need a home inspection?
A: Our inspection summarizes the condition of a property, points out the need for repairs and identifies areas that may need attention in the near future. Buyers and sellers depend on an accurate home inspection to provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions. We help to limit your risk, eliminate surprises, and provide you peace of mind. Our inspection may point out the positive aspects of a home, as well as the maintenance that will be necessary to keep it in good shape. After an inspection, both parties have a much clearer understanding of the value and needs of the property. For homeowners, our inspection report may be used to identify problems in the making and to learn about preventive measures, which might avoid costly future repairs. We can alert you to potential hazards. If you are planning to sell your home, an inspection prior to placing your home on the market provides a better understanding of conditions which may be discovered by the buyer's inspector and gives you an opportunity to make repairs. We can facilitate the sales process by helping you remove obstacles and make your home more desirable to prospective buyers.
Q: Can't I do it myself?
A: It has been said that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client. This may also pertain to home inspections. As a New York State licensed and ASHI Certified inspector, I have the experience, depth of knowledge and training to make an unbiased and informed report of the condition of a property. Our inspectors are familiar with the many elements of home construction, their proper installation and maintenance. They understand how the home's systems and components are intended to function together, as well as how and why they fail. They have both training and experience in recognizing potential problems and are uniquely suited to interpret what their findings reveal about the condition of the property. The results are documented in a report that will be easily understood by all concerned parties. Most buyers find it difficult to remain objective and unemotional about the house they really want, and this may affect their judgment. For the most accurate information about the condition of a home, always obtain an impartial third-party opinion by an expert in the field of home inspection
Q: Can a house fail a home inspection?
A: No. Our inspection is an examination of the current condition of your home. It is not an appraisal, which determines market value, or a municipal inspection, which verifies compliance to local codes and standards. Our inspectors will not pass or fail a house. Our inspectors describe the physical condition of a property and indicate what may need repair or replacement.
Q: How long will the inspection take?
A: Most of our inspections take about two hours. These times may vary depending on the size, age, and condition of the home.
Q: Do I have to be there?
A: While it is not necessary for you to be present, we highly encourage you to join the inspector for at least a portion of the time. This allows you to observe the inspector, ask questions as you learn about the condition of the home, how its systems work, and how to maintain them. After you have seen the property with the inspector, you will find the written report easier to understand
Q: What if the report reveals problems?
A: No house is perfect. When the inspector identifies problems, it does not indicate you should not buy the house. His findings serve to educate you in advance of the purchase about the condition of the property. A seller may adjust the purchase price or contract terms if major problems are discovered during an inspection. If your budget is tight, or if you do not want to be involved in future repair work, this information will be extremely valuable.
Q: What if I have questions after the inspection?
A: Please feel free to call us and discuss any questions you might have. We aim to provide you with excellent customer service, before, during and after the inspection.
