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Q. Who needs a home inspection?
A. Buyers and sellers. If you're buying a home, pre-owned or new, an inspection tells you the condition of the property. That way, there are no surprises after you already own the home.
If you purchased a new home and it still has a warranty from the builder, it's a good idea to have a home inspection before it expires. It's a rare case that even a new home doesn't have some problems that were overlooked by the builder. Those repairs or corrections easily exceed the cost of an inspection. If you catch them prior to warranty expiration, your warranty should cover them.
Sellers benefit by knowing the condition of their home before they place it on the market. Then, any needed repairs can be made prior to listing. A sellers inspection can also be used as a comparison to what the buyer's inspector finds.
Q. How long does a inspection take?
A. Anywhere from three to five hours depending on the condition of the property, the number of services you've requested and the size of the home.
Q. What type of report do I receive?
A. You'll receive your report right on the premises! You'll receive a high quality bound book containing the full inspection report, indexed for each section of the house. The report contains many illustrations and explanations as to what is being inspected as well as explanations on how the systems of the house operate. The report also contains the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics for your easy reference.
Q. Should my Realtor receive a copy of your report?
A. Yes. Your realtor can assist you in determining if any items in the report are significant enough to warrant re-negotiation with the seller. Having your realtor review the report also insures that you both are "on the same page" at the closing.
Q. Should I be present for the home inspection?
A. Yes, I encourage you to plan to attend the entire inspection. There are always items in the inspection that can best be explained on-site. I will include them in the report of course, but your presence at the property always makes it easier for you to understand important information about the property.
Q. Are you available to answer questions about the property or report after I close and move into the home?
A. Yes, I will be happy to assist you any way I can in clarifying the information I present in the report even after you've moved in and settled down to enjoy your new home.
Q. Does a newly constructed home need an inspection?
A. Absolutely. A professional inspection of a new home is important. I can spot potential problems early, while they are still easy to correct. It’s especially valuable to arrange an inspection before the interior walls are finished. I may find problem areas where the builder has taken shortcuts or not done quality work.
Q. Do I really need to have the home tested for Radon gas?
A. Yes. Our government is sometimes a bit wasteful and overly aggressive in their recommendations. But when it comes to Radon, they are absolutely valid in their recommendations. Here's what they say:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) strongly recommend that ALL home buyers test for the presence of elevated Radon gas. Radon, a Class A carcinogen, is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Based on recent reports from the National Academy of Sciences, the EPA estimates 21,000 Americans die of Radon induced lung cancer every year. The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technology (AARST) estimate 10 million homes and 38 million Americans are at risk from dangerous Radon exposure. Families may be at even higher risk if there is a smoker in the home. The EPA recommends remediation if Radon levels are 4 picoCuries (pCI/l) or higher.
It's also important to realize that there are two ways to test for Radon. One is subject to tampering while the test is being conducted and the other is not because the technology records any movement to the testing device. This is extremely important in any real estate transaction. I test for Radon using the current, tamper-evident, technology. Testing this way assures you that the reading is accurate and that the reading is for the air in which the device was placed.
Q. But the house has a walkout basement. I heard there is no risk of radon in homes with walkout basements or crawlspaces.
A. Radon does not discriminate between buildings of any type of construction, and can be a problem on any level of the residence. The lowest living space should always be checked.
Q. Should I have a warranty inspection after being in my house for 11 months?
A. Yes. A warranty inspection will identify future problems while they are still under the builder's warranty. Problems can be discovered before your warranty expires and you'll avoid having to pay for the repairs.
Q. Why can’t I do the inspection myself?
A. Chances are that even if you are very familiar with home construction, you still don’t have the knowledge, training and experience of a professional Home Inspector. I'm not only familiar with all the systems of a home-and how they work and need to be maintained-but we also know what to look for to determine if they're about to fail. Also consider this-when you are involved in buying or selling a house, it’s impossible for you to remain completely unemotional about the house, and this may cloud your judgment. Your professional inspector will provide an objective, unbiased view of the property.
Q. Will you fix the problems you find during the inspection?
A. No. The code of ethics of The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) prohibits its members from soliciting repair work on properties they inspect. This assures that there will never be any conflict of interest on the part of the inspector. My purpose is to provide an unbiased, objective report on the condition of the home.