1. Why have a home
inspection? Home inspections are now the rule and
no longer the exception with wise homebuyers, and are almost 100%
required by Realtor, Mortgage, and Insurance Companies.
2. Who is a home inspector? A Home Inspector is trained,
knowledgeable and experienced on how a home is constructed, the condition
of its present environment, and performs test on its appliances and
supporting equipment.
The Home Inspector is not Superman (with
x-ray vision), or a soothsayer looking into a crystal ball, but a
modern day home detective who evaluates the clues and conditions made
much more obvious to him from his training, knowledge, and the day-to-day
inspections conducted on a variety of homes, town homes, condos’,
and mobile homes.
The Home Inspector will note many subtle signs
within a home that may suggest potential problems or hazards, and
just as importantly note the many good aspects of construction and
mechanical systems in operation, to help establish that there is value
to the prospective new home. Water stains, curled roof shingles,
termite and wood fungus, peeling paint, testing cracked bath / shower
tiles with a moisture meter, testing electrical components with a
circuit tester, and other clues missed or not performed by a homebuyer
can add thousands of dollars to the cost of the home. Only Home
Inspectors have the necessary testing tools and are trained to focus
on these types of details.
3. Is the home inspection a
guarantee or warranty? No. While the Inspector
is not performing the service to provide a guarantee or warranty,
his intent is to establish the visible conditions of the home at the
time of the inspection. The careful step by step procedure,
often taking two and a half hours or more at the site, is the best
protection a buyer can have. In addition, the Inspector should
be able to discuss with the client maintenance needs, be willing to
explain how the home systems operate, show where the safety equipment
and emergency shut-offs are located, and how to use them.