So, why a Home Inspection and what is it?
You don't buy a used car without checking under the hood, right? Your home is a HUGE investment, yet many people know less about their home than their cell phone. Think about it--you have all these systems that can fail, under perform, rot, explode, ignite, break, annoy, leak, contaminate, hurt and just plain wear out. A house needs regular maintenance just like anything else, yet is so often neglected. A home inspection will point out many of these problem areas while educating you about preserving your investment. It is a process of discovery as well as a process of learning.
As a prospective buyer you want to know you are making a good investment and/or you are prepared to accept the house "as is", or perhaps to negotiate with the seller to fix some of the defects. As a seller you may want to know what doesn't quite measure up in your home before you market it--there's a lot less stress knowing beforehand what might hold up a deal. Or as an owner you may have lost your home's "Owner's Manual" and want to learn about your home's systems, proper maintenance and the importance of such, along with an inspection of all systems and the structure. Perhaps, before you decide whether to sell or invest in upgrading your house, you'd like to know just where your home stands relative to current standards. Whatever the specific reason, all my inspections include (where applicable and accessible):
- Moisture Management Issues (grading, drainage, discharges, roof & gutters)
- Exterior Shell (foundation, walls, siding, trim, windows, garage doors, roof)
- Shell Penetrations (vents, flues, chimneys, utilities, discharges, intakes, skylights)
- Attached Structures (decks, porches, balconies, breezeways, garages, stairs, railings)
- "Hostile Environments" (crawlspaces, cellars, attics)
- Structure (moisture control, ventilation, insulation, movement, framing, basement)
- Interior Components (floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows, heat, plumbing & electrical fixtures, laundry, kitchen & permanent appliances)
- HVAC (heating, ventilation & cooling, combustion/supply/return air, filtration)
- Plumbing (drain, waste, vent, supply, pressure tanks, sumps, water heaters, fuel system)
- Electrical (service, grounding, bonding, panels, subpanels, fixtures, outlets, GFCI, AFCI)
- Fireplaces (combustion issues, firebox, damper, flue, chimney)
- Health, Safety, & Welfare Issues (fire & egress, indoor air quality, injury prevention)
- A written bindered report delivered on site, a customized CD with all the pictures (most annotated) I take of your home along with other educational information and photos, and "Home Systems Guide--How to Operate Your Home" (a 128 page booklet by Tom Feiza, "Mr. Fix-It")
- Lifetime "technical support" for your home (questions on operation / maintenance / components)
A Home Inspection is a non-invasive visual examination--an observation of the visible and apparent condition of the structure and its components on the date of the inspection. It, unfortunately, cannot and does not predict future conditions, is not a warranty, nor an insurance policy, nor is it technically exhaustive. It also does not identify latent or concealed defects.
Look over the Standards of Practice for complete details. There is a lot that is looked at. There is also a lot that is not and you must understand that before signing the Inspection Agreement. Most of it is just common sense.