What does a Home Inspector do?
For your own safety, and to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth in the home you choose, using a professional home inspector is highly recommended. A home inspector will check a variety of things such as your home’s plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical systems, and look for structural problems like a damp or leaky basement, etc. Usually, you call an inspector immediately after you’ve made an offer on a home. However, before you sign any written offer, make sure (or have your attorney make sure) that it includes an inspection clause, which says that your purchase obligation is contingent on the findings of a professional home inspector. Your inspector will not tell you whether he or she thinks the home is worth the money you are offering. Rather, the inspector’s job is to make you aware of repairs that are recommended or necessary. A seller may be willing to renegotiate a price to accommodate needed repairs, or you may decide that the home will take too much work and money.
You can expect all Home Inspectors to do certain basic evaluations. We all get the basic inspection protocol from the NC Home Inspector Licensure Board Standards of Practice. Beyond the basic things which all home inspectors must do, much of what we do is left for us to fashion as we chose. Frankly, I think you deserve a much better inspection than our Standards of Practice requires. Here is what makes our inspections much different than the average inspection. I worry about carbon monoxide. So I actually test for it at your furnace, water heater, gas logs, or gas range. That helps to understand how well the appliance is burning fuel, but more importantly: Are the exhaust gases entering the air you breathe? I check venting draft pressure, exhaust spillage, sucking garage air into your furnace system, and any other condition which could bring CO into the household air. Everyday safety concerns: Sharp edges on deck railings, countertops, and staircase handrails… loose blades on ceiling
Different Home, Commercial & Mold Inspectors have varying qualifications, equipment, experience, reporting methods, and yes different pricing. One thing for sure is that a comprehensive visual Home Inspection requires work, a lot of work. Ultimately a thorough Home, Commercial & Mold Inspection depends heavily on the individual Inspector’s qualifications and own effort. Our knowledge, experience, expertise, engineering background and construction (residential & commercial) set us apart from the average inspector. If you honor HOME INSPECTOR USA, LLC (HIUSA) by permitting us to inspect your prospective home or property, I guarantee that we will give you our very best effort.
In short, an inspector checks the safety and functionality of your potential home. He will focus primarily on the structural and mechanical aspects of the home (as opposed to cosmetic or aesthetic items). It’s a good idea to get a home inspection as soon as possible after the seller accepts your offer. This will help you determine if there are any major problems with the property — and sooner is better than later. You should also make the purchase agreement / contract contingent upon the home inspection. That way, if the inspection uncovers a major flaw that you’re unwilling to accept, you have a legal way out of the contract. Don’t confuse this process with the home appraisal process. The appraisal protects the lender’s financial interests in the property. The home inspection protects your interests, as the buyer. The appraisal is the bank’s way of determining whether or not the house is worth the price you’ve agreed to pay for it. The inspection is your way of identifying structural
An inspector checks the safety of your potential new home. Home Inspectors focus especially on the structure, construction, and mechanical systems of the house and will make you aware of only repairs, that are needed. The Inspector does not evaluate whether or not you’re getting good value for your money. Generally, an inspector checks the electrical system, plumbing and waste disposal, the water heater, insulation and Ventilation, the HVAC system, water source and quality, the potential presence of pests, the foundation, doors, windows, ceilings, walls, floors, and roof. Be sure to hire a home inspector that is qualified and experienced. It’s a good idea to have an inspection before you sign a written offer since, once the deal is closed, you’ve bought the house as is.” Or, you may want to include an inspection clause in the offer when negotiating for a home. An inspection t clause gives you an ‘out” on buying the house if serious problems are found, or gives you the ability to renego
