Home Inspections
It’s Brand New…What Could be Wrong?It is not good business to fore go a home inspection on a newly constructed house, regardless of how conscientious and reputable your home builder. No home, regardless of how well it is constructed, is totally free of defects. The construction of a house involves thousands of details, performed at the hands of scores of individuals. No general contractor can possibly oversee every one of these elements, and the very nature of human fallibility dictates that some mistakes and oversights will occur, even when the most talented and best-intentioned trades people are involved. It is also an unfortunate aspect of modern times that some builders/developers do not stand behind their workmanship and may not return to fix or replace defective components installed after the sale is complete. If you are having a home built never pay the last payment until you have it inspected by a third party.
Inspection when Selling your Home?
There are plenty of reasons to consider going ahead and hiring a home inspector, particularly if your home has been on the market for awhile and you still have not received any offers. Hiring a home inspector helps to establish confidence in any buyer that is considering purchasing your home because they will know right away that they are dealing with an honest and upfront seller, which can certainly be a persuasive incentive given the number of home sellers that are currently trying to sell their homes. Surprisingly, many buyers are actually more willing to accept problems with a home if they know about them upfront rather than if they find out about them as the end of the transaction nears. If you wait until escrow for the buyers to find out about possible defects from their own home inspection report, the chances of the buyer demanding repairs or a lower sales price increases dramatically. When you choose to have an inspection of the property performed in advance you also gain the chance to take care of repairs in advance.
New Home Construction Inspection?There is no inspection by the local municipality or government during construction. That is left up to your architect, contractor or responsible party usually the engineer. A major conflict of interest.
What Is A New Home Construction Inspection?
A new home construction inspection (or “in-progress” inspection) is an independent, third party inspection to ensure that the work completed is in compliance with plans, specifications, and the construction schedule. Once a home is built, many conditions that could have been observed during construction are now covered and are no longer visible for inspection. Often a potential financial burden for the property owner for future corrective action. For these reasons, it is important that a home be inspected during construction by the buyer’s representative whenever possible so that any reportable defects can be corrected before completion and transfer of title.
Home Inspection’s
From Buysell.com
What to look for in a Professional Home Inspection
A competent and professional inspection will include a minimum of the following:
Foundation: How is the structural integrity of the foundation? Is there any evidence of cracks, shifting, or moisture problems?
General Construction: How is the quality of the general construction?
Exterior:Is the house in need of exterior repairs or maintenance?
Plumbing: How is the condition of the overall plumbing system? Any evidence of leaks or water pressure problems?
Electrical:Do any dangerous electrical situations exist? Are there apparent code violations in the electrical system?
Heating and Cooling Systems:What are the ages of the systems? Are the systems adequate for the size of the house? Have they been maintained properly?
Interior: Do doors and windows open and close properly? Are floors firm and level?
Kitchen: Are appliances functioning properly? Is the plumbing, including the dishwasher connection, in good repair?
Baths:Is the floor solid? Are there any evidence of previous or current water leaks? Is the plumbing in good repair?
Attached structures: What is the condition of any attached structure (sheds, decks, garages, etc.)
Roof:What is the approximate age of the roof? What is the estimated remaining life of the roof? What is the condition of the roofing structure as well as the shingles?
Pool: What is the condition of the pool , pool equipment and pool tile.
Heating and Cooling Systems: What are the ages of the systems? Are the systems adequate for the size of the house? Have they been maintained properly?
Electrical: Do any dangerous electrical situations exist? Are there apparent code violations in the electrical system?
Electrical: Do any dangerous electrical situations exist? Are there apparent code violations in the electrical system?
lumbing: How is the condition of the overall plumbing system? Any evidence of leaks or water pressure problems?
Foundation: How is the structural integrity of the foundation? Is there any evidence of cracks, shifting, or moisture problems?
Project Management.
The idea behind project management is to help keep an experienced eye on a home construction project acting as the go between the client and the architect and contractor. In many cases the client is in the US or Canada making it hard to know if the work is being done correctly or if it is being done in a timely manner. A typical daily inspection consists of making sure all the things like foundation, electrical, plumbing and more are done right. Pictures are taken and a full report with pictures are emailed on a regular basis. The fees are very reasonable usually saving more money than what is billed. Keep in mind that the city or municipality does not do these inspections. Usually the architect or engineer inspects their own work. A major conflict of interest. A third party is your best insurance and guarantee of a quality and timely home construction project. We also check construction progress or % of work done when a request is made for a draw
or more funds.
