There are many times when home inspections can give you an advantage. If you are buying a home, getting a home inspection means you know about any problems and their solutions before you move in. If you are selling a home, getting a home inspection means you know you are complying with full disclosure laws, and means you can consider selecting contractors rather than waiting for the buyer to do so.
If you have recently purchased a new home from a builder and the one-year “builder warranty” is about to expire, our home inspection services can let you know whether the builder/contractor did the job correctly. If you’ve owned your home for several years, a home inspection can provide you with valuable information about needed repairs and necessary maintenance.
Pre-Sale Home Inspections
Before you sell, a thorough professional inspection for your home, whether you use a real estate agent or go for-sale-by-owner, is always a good idea. All homes have both positives and negatives: we help you answer “how serious are my the problems,” using up to date inspection methods for the most accurate assessment of your property.
We also offer Radon Gas testing. Radon is the second leading cause of cancer in the U.S., so we want to ensure that it is not a problem in any dwelling. We help you find out what problems are critical, which problems are serious, which problems are minor, so you can make necessary repairs right away. The more you know about your home, and what to fix, the more prepared you will be for any negotiation.
Pre-Purchase Inspections
The best way to ensure that you are well informed about the strengths and weaknesses of a property is to have a professional home inspection. As licensed, certified, and experienced home inspectors, we are trained to identify problem areas both large and small that may be overlooked by the previous owners and to identify those issues that require immediate attention.
1-Year Warranty Inspections
Most builders provide a one year warranty for new construction. Generally, during this period of time, the buyer develops a “punch list” of corrections for the contractor to repair under the warranty coverage. Some defects will not be obvious to the untrained eye. It is prudent to obtain a home inspector’s list of items that will most likely be repaired by your builder at no cost to you. You will be reassured knowing that potential problems were addressed before they grew into something that could cost you a great deal down the road.
Maintenance Inspections
All homes need regular maintenance. A thorough inspection can help protect the value of one of your largest investments. If no problems are found, you will have peace of mind in knowing that you are keeping up with the maintenance needs of your home.
Let us find the problems (new and old) before you commit to a major investment and or decision. As an experienced professional home inspector, I’ve seen it all and will provide invaluable help in turning you into a knowledgeable consumer. Homeowners can identify problems and take preventive measures to avoid costly repairs. Sellers can understand conditions that we may point out and put the property in better selling condition by making repairs.
Inspection Overview
A home cannot fail an inspection. A professional home inspection gives you an independent, unbiased view of any problems and their solutions so that you will have all the facts you need to make a sound, informed decision.
Depending on the size and condition of the home, a thorough home inspection will take no more than four hours, usually between an hour and a half and three hours. Ideally, you will accompany us during the consultation, so that you will have visual reinforcement of your written report.
We take our inspection reports seriously. Every inspection is a complete and thorough analysis of all the major systems and components in the home. The report includes a clear description of what we have found with any problem areas noted, so you can easily identify them. We provide a free telephone consultation after your inspection.
A Thorough Home Inspection Will Include:
- Roof (shingles, flashings, chimneys, vents, trim and gutters, drip edges, skylights, downspouts, and other visible roof related items
- Attics (insulation, ventilation, rafters, joists and collar ties, trusses, wiring attachments, and other visible related items)
- Exterior (siding materials, attachments, windows, doors, sashes and lintels, vents, entryways, and other visible exterior related components)
- Plumbing and Fixtures (water pressure, water distribution system, hose bibs, sinks and faucets, bath/showers and toilets, sanitary system, and other plumbing system components)
- Interior (floors and ceilings, walls, stairs (if applicable) and banisters, finishes, sinks, cabinets, shelving, built-in appliances, smoke detectors, and safety-related items, and other visible interior-related components)
- Basements, Crawl Spaces, and Foundation (insulation, ventilation, posts, vapor barriers, utility attachment, visual structural items, floors, walls, and columns)
- Wood Destroying Pests & Rot Inspection (conducive conditions, visible signs, past & present infestations, and visible damage)
- Drainage (visible past signs, present moisture issues & conducive conditions.)