Our Home Inspection Services Help You to Avert Future Headaches
Suppose you bought a house and later discovered, to your dismay, that the stucco exterior concealed a nasty case of dry rot. Or suppose that when you fired up the furnace in the winter, you discovered a cracked heat exchanger leaking gas into your home. The best way to avoid unpleasant surprises like these is to arrange for a home inspection before you buy.
Home Inspections Help You Avoid Unpleasant Surprises
A good home inspection is an objective, top-to-bottom visual examination of a home and everything that comes with it by a qualified inspector. The standard written inspection report should include a review of the home's heating and air-conditioning systems; plumbing and wiring; roof, attic, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, foundation and basement including pictures of items that are called out in the report.
Getting a professional inspection is crucial for older homes because age often takes its toll on the roof and other hard-to-reach areas. Problems can also be the result of neglect or hazardous repair work, such as a past owner's failed attempt to install lights and an outlet in a linen closet. A qualified inspector should be your eyes and ears in areas of the home that you have not looked at.
A home inspection is also a wise investment when buying a new home. In fact, new homes frequently have defects, whether caused by an oversight during construction or simply human error.
Getting an Inspector
Home inspections cost about a few hundred dollars, depending on the size of the house and location. Inspection fees tend to be higher in urban areas than in rural areas. You may find the cost of inspection high, but it is money well spent. Think of it as an investment in your investment – your future home.
Some builders may try to dissuade you from getting a home inspection on a home they've built. They may not necessarily be trying to hide anything because most builders guarantee their work and will fix any problems in your new home before you move in. Some builders, in fact, will offer to do their own inspections. But it’s best to have an objective professional appraisal - insist on a third-party inspector.
An Inspection Will Educate You about Your House
Education is another good reason for getting an inspection. Most buyers want to learn as much as they can about their purchase so they can protect their investment. An examination by an impartial home inspector helps in this learning process.
You should ask if you can go through the report with the home inspector to look at the areas mentioned in the report. This walk through after the inspection is complete is very important, as this is when the client can ask questions about the details mentioned in the report. This will give you the opportunity to ask plenty of questions, and help you to understand the findings of the inspector mentioned in the report. You can also see in person the pictures noted in the report. You can find out why they are and issue, and if they are simply a maintenance issue or of a health and safety concern.
Inspection Timing and Results
Homebuyers usually arrange for an inspection after signing a contract or purchase agreement with the seller. The results may be available immediately or within a few days. The home inspector will review his or her findings with you and alert you to any costly or potentially hazardous conditions. In some cases, you may be advised not to buy the home unless such problems are remedied.
In the state of Texas, your TREC purchase agreement includes a clause that makes your purchase contingent upon satisfactory inspection results. If major problems are found, you can back out of the deal. If costly repairs are warranted, the seller may be willing to adjust the home's price or the contract's terms. But when only minor repairs are needed, the buyer and seller can usually work out an agreement that won't affect the sale price.
If your home appears to contain Polybutylene plumbing, we will note:
It appears that the home contains polybutylene plumbing. Some polybutylene plumbing systems are the subject of Class Action lawsuits and settlements funded by the manufacturers. This home inspection report may provide supporting documentation needed to file a claim. A home inspection cannot determine if polybutylene pipes are about to leak simply by looking at the outside of them. Pipes deteriorate from the inside and can split under pressure. They can leak anytime without warning destroying furniture, family heirlooms, and even causing structural damage. Leaks can go unnoticed and lead to mold.
The condition of the polybutylene pipes and fittings cannot be determined by any inspection method since there are no visible signs of deterioration until failure occurs. There is no single course of action that is recommended for consumers with polybutylene plumbing. Many recommend replacing the entire system even if there have not been any problems. This course of action should be considered taking into account your personal level of risk aversion, the types of materials used, the age of the system, as well as past performance.
I cannot determine if the type of polybutylene plumbing system discovered qualifies for polybutylene Class Action settlements, which are due to wrap up in 2009. However, you can find out more by contacting the Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center at (800) 356-3496 or visiting their website at www.pbpipe.com.
If your home appears to contain vermiculite insulation, we will note:
The attic contains what appears to be vermiculite insulation. Not all vermiculite insulation contains asbestos but prior to its close in 1990, much of the world’s supply of vermiculite came from a mine near Libby, Montana. This mine had a natural deposit of asbestos which resulted in the vermiculite being contaminated with asbestos. Attic insulation produced using vermiculite ore, particularly ore that originated from the Libby mine, may contain asbestos fibers. The EPA, ASTDR and InterNACHI recommend that I assume vermiculite insulation contains asbestos and so should you. EPA, ATSDR, IAC2 and InterNACHI strongly recommend that homeowners make every effort not to disturb vermiculite insulation in their attics. If you occasionally have to go into your attic, current best practices state you should:
1. Make every effort to stay on the floored part of your attic and to not disturb the insulation.
2. If you must perform activities that may disturb the attic insulation such as moving boxes (or other materials), do so as gently as possible to minimize the disturbance.
3. Leave the attic immediately after the disturbance.
4. If you need work done in your attic such as the installation of cable or utility lines, hire trained and certified professionals who can safely do the work.
5. It is possible that vermiculite attic insulation can sift through cracks in the ceiling, around light fixtures, or around ceiling fans. You can prevent this by sealing the cracks and holes that insulation could pass through.
6. Common dust masks are not effective against asbestos fibers.
Home Inspections - Pre-Sale, Pre-Purchase or Maintenance
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