Columbia SC Home Inspections

5 Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector

So you’ve found a home and need to take the next big step, seeing if there is anything hidden you need to know about.

Many home inspectors seem to be speaking a different language when using terms like "serviceable condition" and "conducive to deterioration." Here are 5 things you need to ask and understand about your new home so you can make a smart decision whether to go forward or not.

1-How bad is it – really?

Sometimes it’s hard to know whether something a home inspector finds is a big deal or not. This is information you really need to know so you can decide whether to move forward with the deal, whether to renegotiate, and what to plan ahead for if you do go through with your purchase.

If you attend the inspection, simply ask whether or not something they say needs fixing is a big deal. Nine times out of ten they will verbally give you the information you need to understand the seriousness of something they found.

2-Who should I have fix that?

Many things a home inspector finds and lists on his report can be fixed by a do-it-yourselfer. even on the larger repairs, your home inspector might be able to give you a few referrals to the plumbers, electricians or roofers you’ll need to get bids from during your contingency period, which you may be able to use to negotiate with your home’s seller, and to get the work done after you own the place.

The same goes for any further inspections they may recommend – if neither you nor your agent knows a specialist, ask the general home inspector for a few referrals. They usually know experts they can refer you to.

3- If this was your house, what would you fix, and when?

Your home inspector’s job is to point out everything, within the scope of the inspection, that might need repair, replacement, maintenance or further inspection. But they are also experienced enough to know that no home is perfect, and can tell you what you should fix, versus just what you need to be aware of watch it.

This question positions your home inspector to help you:

  • understand what does and doesn’t need to be repaired,
  • prioritize the work you plan to do to your home (and budget or negotiate with the seller accordingly),
  • get used to the constant maintenance that is part and parcel of homeownership, and
  • understand the importance of having a home warranty plan

4-Can you point that out to me?

At the end of the inspection, while you’re all still in the property, just ask the inspector to take 10 or 15 minutes and walk you through the place, pointing out all the items they’ve noted need repair, maintenance or further inspection. When you get the report, then, you’ll know what and where the various items belong.

5-Can you show me how to work that?

Many home inspectors are delighted to show you how to operate various mechanical or other systems in your home, and will walk you through the steps of operating everything from your thermostat, to your water heater, to your stove and dishwasher – and especially the emergency shutoffs for your gas, water and electrical utilities. This one question alone can be worth the cost of your home inspection.

Buying a home is stressful enough. Take advantage of your home inspectors’ knowledge to lessen the fears you may have when you read his/her report by making sure you ask these questions. You’ll be glad you did.

Tags: , ,

Home and Commercial Inspections in the Columbia SC area is our specialty! Every year we help hundreds of clients save tens of thousands of dollars, by responsibly finding and exposing conditions that threaten property, value and safety. To learn how we may be able to serve you, please click and read, or call 803-261-5810.

Home Inspections on a Foreclosure

Inspections of foreclosed homes present a particular challenge. Often, there is no source of water, no source of electricity, and no source of heat or air-conditioning. These conditions inhibit a full and comprehensive inspection of the home. Of course, the primary aspect of the home inspection is still the verification of the structural integrity.

Typically, bank owned properties are sold as is and the bank is typically unwilling to have non-functional systems made functional for the home inspection. Therefore, buying a home in foreclosure under these conditions is similar to buying a used car without the opportunity to drive the car.

Typically, foreclosed homes as well as homes sold in a short sale have deferred maintenance resulting in degraded conditions in the home. Foreclosed homes often have defects not typically found during a typical home inspection. These defects include pipe leaks which may result in the growth of mold/mildew, cracked, broken and clogged pipes, non-functioning water heaters, non-functioning heating systems, and non-functioning air-conditioning systems. Other problems more likely to be found are do it yourself expedient repairs which can sometimes result in hazardous conditions such as electrical hazards.

Finally, in foreclosed homes there may be removed components or even intentionally damaged components. Therefore, the inspection of a foreclosed home, or a home being sold in a short sale, is even more important than the inspection of a home under normal conditions. The fact that bank owned properties are not typically open for price renegotiation based upon issues found during the home inspection is not a wise reason for relinquishing your right to have a home inspection.

Tags: , , ,

Home and Commercial Inspections in the Columbia SC area is our specialty! Every year we help hundreds of clients save tens of thousands of dollars, by responsibly finding and exposing conditions that threaten property, value and safety. To learn how we may be able to serve you, please click and read, or call 803-261-5810.

Home Inspections: Never Buy Without One

As soon as you have found a home and are ready to make an offer, you have to make sure the property does not involve structural and mechanical repair problems. Usually, home buyers can use a home inspection to secure interests and deals attributed to a home purchase. Sometimes, smart buyers make use of a home inspection to unbind them from an unsatisfactory real estate transaction.

However, some home buyers skip the whole home inspection process because of the extra costs. While this may be true, using an experienced professional in inspecting your home of choice is an advantage. You might want to spare yourself the future expenses that go with major repairs and maintenance in the upcoming years. Besides, there are many beneficial uses of a home inspection.

Home inspectors will inform you of a detailed walk-through of a home. They will observe and check indicators that may pose problems for you in the near future. More like a visual examination, a home inspection can help you spot hidden items such as plumbing problems which are also tested for functionality.

The use of home inspections not only shows you how to handle controls and the various components of operating equipment in your new home, but helps you test their operability. Property defects such as roof leaks, mold, water stains, or mildew are also foreseen. By the time a home inspector provides you a home inspection report, you will be able to identify which of the permanent components in the house are in good order.

Another use of obtaining a home inspection is that it gives you bargaining power in regards to negotiating transactions with the seller. With a home inspection report on hand, you may check for possible signs of property deficiencies. When you have identified the need for major repairs, you can ask for a lower purchase price or ask the seller to cover these repairs. A home inspection report is a valid basis for reducing the purchase price.

You can also use home inspection to set up contingencies in your home purchase transaction. If a seller refuses to meet your requests, you can make use of contingency plans to legally remove yourself from a contract, providing your original purchase agreement included the contingency of a satisfactory home inspection. Results of a home inspection report can create a leeway for you in terms of lowering prices and letting the seller make repairs.

Buying a home is definitely a serious investment and it is essential that a well qualified home inspector have your prospective new home checked. The best use of home inspections is that it assesses the condition of the property on your behalf.

Never buy a home without a home inspection!

Tags: , ,

Home and Commercial Inspections in the Columbia SC area is our specialty! Every year we help hundreds of clients save tens of thousands of dollars, by responsibly finding and exposing conditions that threaten property, value and safety. To learn how we may be able to serve you, please click and read, or call 803-261-5810.

Home Defects – Every Home Has Them

We’d all like to buy the perfect home. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t exist. Even new homes have defects. That’s why it’s important to have any home you buy inspected by qualified professionals-even if it’s brand new.

You’ll undoubtedly discover defects during your inspections.  In fact, you should hope that any significant defects are uncovered before you remove your inspection contingency from the purchase agreement. It’s far worse to be surprised after closing by unanticipated repair expenses.

Armed with a complete assessment of the current condition of the property, you can make an informed decision about whether to purchase the property in its present condition. Or, you may want to renegotiate the terms of your purchase agreement with the seller. If defects are incurable, you may want to withdraw from the agreement altogether.

Your purchase agreement should set guidelines for how inspection defects are to be handled. For example, the seller may have had a “termite” inspection completed before marketing the property. If so, the contract might specify which party-buyer or seller-will pay for the required corrective work.

Not all inspection contingencies are the same. Some specify the buyers have the unilateral right to approve or disapprove inspections. In this case, if the buyers disapprove the inspections, the agreement may be cancelable at the buyer’s option.

Even if your agreement allows you to withdraw due to inspections, carefully consider before electing this option. You will already have spent considerable time, effort and money finding and inspecting the property. If the defects are correctable, it’s usually worthwhile to try negotiating an agreement with the sellers rather than starting the process all over again.

Some inspection contingencies provide for buyers to give the sellers the opportunity to correct defects, rather than just walk away from the deal. In this case, the terms of the agreement often become subject to further negotiation.

In this real estate market, sellers are wise to consider any reasonable proposal from a well-qualified buyer. If the inspection-related defects are significant, they are likely to be a concern to other buyers too. Depending on the law in your state regarding seller disclosures, you may have to provide copies of the buyer’s reports to future buyers who are interested in the property.

There are several ways in which sellers can participate in buyers’ repair requests. They can have the work done by closing, if time permits. Often contractors will accept payment at closing.

Or they can credit money to buyers as long as the credit is called a credit for buyers’ non-recurring closing costs. Lenders usually limit the amount of such a credit to 3 percent of the purchase price or equal to the actual amount of the non-recurring closing costs, whichever is less.

If you have questions about home inspections and how they can affect buying or selling a property, use the comment link below to contact us. We’ll get back to you right here with answers.

Tags: , ,

Home and Commercial Inspections in the Columbia SC area is our specialty! Every year we help hundreds of clients save tens of thousands of dollars, by responsibly finding and exposing conditions that threaten property, value and safety. To learn how we may be able to serve you, please click and read, or call 803-261-5810.

Home Inspections: The 5 Most Overlooked Problems

After you find a that “perfect home”, the next step is to ensure the house is in top condition with a home inspection. Once the buyer and seller have settled on price, it’s the last safeguard for the buyer to know the soon-to-be-purchased home is really worth the money. But a home inspection is never a guarantee that your new home is going to be in perfect working order.

There are certain things a home inspector will check, and some things he/she won’t. For some things, you need to hire an expert to check out those parts of the home that may not be covererd by a home inspection report.

  1. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
    Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) are one of the top problems home inspectors can miss because the technicians may be reluctant to run the air conditioning in extreme cold, or to check the heat in blistering heat. The inspectors do this because they do not want to do damage by running the unit too long in adverse conditions or they do not want to be held responsible for repairs if it breaks a few days after the new homeowner moves in.
    .
    When the home inspection report is issued, it usually contains a disclaimer that relieves inspectors of this liability. To cover any glitches with your heating and cooling systems down the road, it is recommended that you have the system checked by a licensed specialist separate from the home inspection.
    .
    .
  2. Roof Leaks
    The number-one culprit to slip through a home inspection is roof leaks. That’s because most home inspectors don’t physically access the roof to check on its condition. Instead, inspectors generally examine the roof from ground level with binoculars, or when possible, they’ll look out higher level windows to get a view of roofing below. Inspectors will note torn or missing shingles and nail pops that may or may not be indicative of a full-fledged problem. To guarantee that you are buying a house with a durable roof, you should consider hiring a licensed roofing contractor to provide a full evaluation of its condition.
    .
    .
  3. Faulty Appliances
    Part of a home inspection is checking that all major appliances are functioning properly. This is the second most likely flaw to be overlooked in a home inspection. To confirm that all appliances are in working order, a technician will run them through one or two cycles to make sure there’s no trouble, such as a leaking refrigerator or a smoking dryer.
    .
    However, the check is only a neutral source confirming that the appliances work, not an internal or technical diagnostic of the appliance. That means an appliance could work fine the day the inspector tests it, and flare-up on move-in day when the seller has already been absolved of any responsibility.
    .
    .
  4. Damaged Siding and Windows
    Many real estate contracts are structured so that major systems, such as electric and plumbing, are reviewed and obligate the seller to fix any deficiencies to complete the sale. But other imperfections that fall outside of the contract’s purview may go unrepaired. For example, damaged siding or old windows that the seller is not required to fix, but that could develop into a much bigger problem later.
    .
    .
  5. Under the Carpet
    Inspectors look for evidence of significant wear that are in plain view, but the things that can’t be seen pose a risk. It is recommended that you shadow an inspector to have them look at concerns you have about the house and probing what is under some moldy carpet or is lurking behind paneling. Buyers can seek sellers’ permission to remove superficial facades for the inspector to take a deeper look.

If the home inspection report indicates there may be a problem with your dream home, the process doesn’t end there. Next, it’s up to you to hire specialists – whether it’s a roofing contractor or an air conditioning technician – to fully investigate the problem at hand. It may run you a few hundred dollars upfront, but that could be peanuts compared to the thousands of dollars unreported or unresolved problems could costs after the sale has been finalized.

Tags: , ,

Home and Commercial Inspections in the Columbia SC area is our specialty! Every year we help hundreds of clients save tens of thousands of dollars, by responsibly finding and exposing conditions that threaten property, value and safety. To learn how we may be able to serve you, please click and read, or call 803-261-5810.

« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next »