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What
is a home inspection and what does it include?
A home
inspection is an objective unbiased examination of the building and
systems of a home, from roof to foundation. It is designed to give the
client a clear indication of the condition of the home by
a licensed professional real
estate inspector who has been trained by education and experience in a
working knowledge of the basic components and systems of a home.
For complete details about what an inspection includes, review our
Home Inspection Details page.
Is a
home inspection the same as a code inspection?
No.
The report is not a code
compliance inspection or certification for past or present governmental
codes or regulations of any kind. Although code compliance and engineering
evaluation are specifically excluded from the inspection, some codes may be
used as a basis for the opinion of the inspector. If you wish a code
inspection, you would need to hire a city, county, or state licensed
building code inspector. You cannot rely on the report as the basis for the
establishment of property values, insurance underwriting purposes, or for
obtaining any type of financial arrangements.
Is a
home inspection the same as an appraisal?
No. An
appraiser does inspections for lenders or financial institutions. A home
inspection is done for the consumer as a guide for making decisions about
the condition of the home. See the full
article by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Do I
really need a home inspection? Why can't I do it myself?
No home is
perfect. A home inspection will educate you and identify areas of the home
that need attention or repair. As a home buyer, the inspection will assist
you in making intelligent decisions about your potential purchase. As a home
seller, an inspection done prior to placing your home on the market provides
you an opportunity to make repairs that will make your home more desirable
to potential buyers or find conditions which may be discovered by the
buyer's inspector. Most people find it difficult to do a home inspection
themselves due to a lack of knowledge about the home's components and
systems or they cannot remain objective and unemotional about the home. For
the most accurate information about the condition of a home, always obtain
an objective, impartial, and unbiased opinion from a third party such as a
licensed professional real estate inspector.
Are
there limitations to a home inspection?
Yes. The
inspection is a starting point for understanding the condition of the home
and it is not all comprehensive. There are several limitations as outlined
in the Standards of Practice that Texas
real estate inspectors must follow. Some conditions that are not considered
part of a home inspection include: underground pipes, radon, mold, codes,
asbestos, solar systems, fire sprinkler systems, and security systems to
name a few. The
inspection and report does not address and is not intended to address the
possible presence or danger from any potentially harmful substances and
environmental hazards.
As a
home buyer in negotiations, when do I schedule a home inspection?
Before you
sign the contract, make your purchase obligation contingent upon the
findings of a professional home inspection. This clause should specify the
terms to which both the buyer and seller are obligated. Your realtor should
be familiar with this clause. Contact us as soon as possible after the
contract has been signed. We are aware of the time constraints involved and
hope to accommodate your needs.
What
if the inspection report reveals problems? Can the home fail an inspection?
You need to
consider the report's findings very carefully and sometimes you will need
more information from a specialist such as a licensed engineer or licensed
electrician. If you can get an estimate on the cost of repairs, you can take
that information and then decide if you want to attempt further negotiation
with the seller, accept the property as is, or terminate the contract and go
on to another home. A professional real estate inspector cannot pass or fail
a home. The home inspection just objectively reports the condition of home,
good or bad. The information collected is given to you and you determine
whether the home passes or fails by your own decision about buying the home.
A
friend of mine recently hired a home inspector to inspect a 2500 sq ft home
and it took the inspector only about one hour to review the property. After
talking to neighbors, he learned that their home inspections took three to
four hours each. Should he be concerned about his inspection?
Definitely
yes! The best home inspector in the world cannot perform an adequate
inspection in only one hour on such a large home. It would be a physical
impossibility for anyone. Any home inspector who performs one hour
inspections is misrepresenting the services offered, and abandoning the
interest of his client. At this moment, there are problems in his home that
remain hidden. If he hires a truly qualified home inspector to re-evaluate
the property, additional defects will be found and the inspection will take
approximately three to four hours. For your friend's peace of mind, as well
as financial prudence and his sake of safety, we strongly recommend that
this be done. Also for reference, see our article: "Don't
Get Scammed"
Will I get my written inspection report as
soon as the inspection is completed?
No, we will need to take our field notes back to
our office to put the report in the format that the state of Texas and the Texas Real Estate
Commission requires. We will also put in the report any digital pictures
that are needed in the report. Your final written inspection report will be
emailed to you within 2 working days (Monday – Friday) after the day
that payment was received or if inspection fee was prepaid, after the
inspection day. We can
provide reports by email in pdf format (Adobe Acrobat) for quick delivery.
We can
also provide reports by USPS Mail®,
fully printed or
on Compact Disc within 2 to 4
working days (Monday - Friday).
I know some other home inspectors that use
a PDA to input their data and print a report onsite. Why don't you use this
method?
We prefer to take written notes that are more
flexible than trying to program data into a PDA. We feel that inspectors who
use this method are actually focusing more on the machine by trying to make
the data fit in whatever program they are using. We believe in focusing all
our attention on doing a quality inspection and on our client's needs during
the inspection. That way our clients are assured that they will receive a
high quality report with all the details that are important to them. |
