Why have a home inspection

Why Have a Home Inspection?

A home purchase is a large investment. Before you purchase the property you should learn as much as you can about it, including what may need to be repaired. Your home inspection will be performed by a qualified home inspector, with attention to detail, who will provide an easy to read and understand report, with digital photos of major concerns.

Buyers are encouraged to attend their inspection, as valuable information about the property can be learned, and the buyer will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the house. A home inspection will look beyond the curb appeal of a house, and inspect all of the items that apply from the list below. The inspector will not only inspect easily accessible items such as the plumbing fixtures, electrical wall switches, light fixtures, receptacles, and mechanical components, but will also inspect the difficult or objectionable to access areas such as the attic and crawl spaces if possible. The buyer will receive a thorough and detailed report documenting any safety concerns, items that are not functioning as intended, and serious repairs that are necessary at the time of the inspection, which will enable the buyer to make an informed decision about purchasing the property.

There are two types of inspections offered while your house is being built: the pre-sheetrock inspection, and the final construction inspection. The details of each are listed below:

1. The pre-sheetrock inspection takes place when the house is framed, and all mechanical (ex: electrical, plumbing, and HVAC) systems have been roughed in, and before the wall insulation and sheetrock have been installed. The inspector looks for damaged components and incomplete installation of many construction details. This inspection does not replace the construction inspections required by and carried out by the town building department. Many things tend to be found at this time in the construction process that should be repaired, that would not be visible after the wall insulation, ceiling insulation, and sheetrock have been installed. After completion of the pre-sheetrock inspection, the inspector will return to the office, type up the report, and email the client the electronic copy of the pre-sheetrock inspection report including photos by the next morning, and with the client's authorization this report can also be emailed to the client's building superintendent to expedite the repairs.

2. The final construction inspection takes place when the house is finished, approximately one week prior to closing. Items that are regularly found are damaged roofing shingles, damaged or missing roof flashing, plumbing leaks, missing or non-functioning electrical receptacles, Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protected receptacles, and Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) protected receptacles, damaged framing members, and incomplete installation of components. This inspection gives the builder an opportunity to repair items prior to the client's move-in date. Many things tend to be found at this time that need to be repaired. After completion of the final construction inspection the inspector will return to the office, type up a thorough and detailed report. Once the report is completed, the inspector will email the client the electronic copy of the final construction inspection report summary including photos by the next morning, and with the client's authorization, the electronic copy of the report can also be emailed to the client's building superintendent to expedite the repairs. The client will also receive a hard copy of the home inspection report that is protected in a green binder that can be mailed to any address the client wishes.

A pre-listing home inspection can give the sellers an over view of the current condition of their house, especially if the owners are aware that regular maintenance has not been performed or they do not regularly enter the attic and crawl spaces. The seller will receive a thorough and detailed report documenting any safety concerns, items that do not function as intended, and serious defects. This information gives the sellers the opportunity to repair or eliminate current and potential problems prior to listing the property, which may prevent delays to the real estate closing if repairs are attempted on the normally tight schedule after a buyer's inspection and before the real estate closing.

Owners that need a maintenance or a warranty inspection performed may wish to have a home inspection done to point out what repairs are necessary before they become major problems. Common concerns found are moisture infiltration such as roof leaks, plumbing leaks, deck and door flashing leaks, moisture in the crawl space, and electrical concerns such as reversed polarity, un-grounded wall receptacles, non-functioning Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) and exposed electrical connections. The owner will receive a thorough and detailed report documenting any concerns and defects that can be used as a check list for repairs.

Click on "Essential Areas" for a list of items that
will be covered in your home inspection.