Home Inspection Articles | House Inspection News

For many homes, a general professional home inspection is enough. Especially for homes built within the last two or three decades, the house inspection standards developed by the American Society of Home Inspectors for general home inspection is enough to uncover defects that need to be discussed with the seller.

But for many other homes, such as old homes, homes with in-ground swimming pools and homes with older septic systems, a regular home inspection conducted by a general house inspector, although professional and certified, is not enough. A specialized house inspection is essential.

Take the case of a couple who thought they have bought their dream home for a bargain price, as their general home inspection went well and their house was certified as a good buy. But several months later, the swimming pool gave out and the trees surrounding the property were dying from disease. The couple reluctantly spent almost $10,000 to restore the pool and to bring some of the trees back to life and to remove the most diseased among them.

The problems related to the swimming pool and the trees illustrate the importance of specialized home inspection. The costs you will spend for special house inspectors will give you priceless benefits in the long run.

If you are buying an old home, such as homes built in the 1920s or prior years, you must hire a special house inspector experienced in conducting home inspection for older homes. Older homes can bring about problems such as drainage problems due to packed coals and gas leaks due to abandoned pipes.

Homes built before 1980 can also cause problems related to septic systems. A HouseMaster house inspection specialist is advising prospective homebuyers to spend up to $500 to have the septic system dug up and pumped out for evaluation.

For houses with swimming pools, prospective homebuyers should hire home inspection specialists who have received training or certification from the National Spa and Pool Institute. The inspector should examine the pool’s ladders, expansion joints, diving equipment, pool covers, pumps and filters.

If you are buying a home advertised with a heated swimming pool, your home inspection specialist should make sure the pool’s heating system is working.

Home Inspection

It pays to know more about house inspection than what is generally known. As a smart prospective homebuyer or investor, you should know what things are really involved in a house inspection and what are not.

A house inspection is an actual examination of a house to see if the structure and parts of the house are functioning properly and to check if there are defective parts that need to be repaired.

Every home buyer needs to have a house inspection performed on the property targeted for purchase to prevent future problems related to defective parts and to prevent costly repairs. Usually home buyers become so attached to homes they are viewing they fail to see defective parts that would need very costly repairs.

You need to have a house inspection performed by an impartial party, so you should hire a professional house inspector, and not the house inspector referred by your real estate agent. Anyone who has interest in the sale of the particular house being inspected should not be involved in the house inspection, as concerned parties will be biased towards the sale of the house.

In some states, sellers also need house inspection to comply with home sale regulations.

A professional house inspector evaluates all the major and minor parts and systems of the house, including the air conditioning, heating, insulation, plumbing, electrical and water systems. It also includes inspection of the roof, ceilings, attic, walls, floors, basement, foundation, doors, and windows.

Special inspection procedures, such as inspection for the presence of radon, mold, heat loss and termites are sometimes done by general house inspectors, although some homeowners who are particularly concerned about things such as septic systems hire inspectors specialized in septic systems.

There are things that professional house inspectors do not do: they do not make any recommendation about buying or not buying the house; they do not appraise the value of the house; and they do not take the place of local government building inspectors. The house inspection results into a report that lists what functions well and what does not and makes repair recommendations and safety hazards.

If you are in doubt about a certain part or equipment of the house after house inspection, such as a furnace, you might want to buy a home warranty from a home warranty firm that will perform repairs in case the furnace breaks down or will correct defective components of the house within the warranty period.

Home Inspection

If you are selling your house, home inspection is something that you need to complete, whether or not your state require you to undertake it to complete a house sale. All smart buyers require a home inspection, whether it is done by the seller’s inspector or done by the buyer’s inspector.

To complete the home inspection process on the day the inspection is scheduled, you need to prepare the house for inspection. This way, the house inspector does not need to go back to the house another day to complete inspection details missed during the scheduled inspection day.

The first thing you need to do is to make your own informal home inspection. You can download and print a free but satisfactory house inspection checklist from a home maintenance web site. With your informal inspection, you can see minor defects that you can correct before the professional home inspection is conducted.

Your informal home inspection will also open your eyes to things that you need to do so that the professional inspector can proceed with his home inspection process smoothly, facilitating the completion of the house sale.

As you check major house systems, such as plumbing, heating, ventilation, walls, foundations and roofing systems, check also small things such as light switches, door knobs and bathroom fixtures. Visualize what things the prospective buyer will check and try during the house inspection, and ensure that they are working.

Another important thing is the cleanliness of the house. If the house appears generally clean and orderly, it gives the impression that the house is well-maintained and therefore, in good condition and long-lasting.

Set aside about two to three hours for the house inspection. If you are currently occupying the house, you need to be out of the house at least 30 minutes before the scheduled inspection, as many house inspectors start early. Put your pets in their cages and schedule activities for your young children in another place.

Provide the keys to rooms and utility boxes. Make sure the house inspector is able to test all utilities by seeing to it that all connections are working. Keep pilot lights on so that the inspector can try the furnace, stove and water heater systems.

If you had been packing, put your large boxes in storage, or place them away from where the inspector and prospective buyer will pass to access the attic, crawlspaces, water meters and bathtubs.

Finally, remind the home inspector and the prospective buyer that you are open to negotiation in case they find something that needs repair or that affects the price.

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