Why do I need a home or building Inspection? Real Estate is one of the largest investments an individual or company will make, and no property is without some concerns, nor will it be perfect. Looks can be deceptive. A savvy buyer chooses to be professionally informed by documenting issues and concerns which ultimately can reduce costs and ensure a safer living environment and protect a significant investment. Accurate documentation of the property's condition can help the buyer in transaction negotiations or prepare the buyer to budget for any needed repairs and improvements. Most of all, an informed buyer can proceed with more confidence having a much clearer picture of the condition of the property.
How much does an Inspection cost? Whether you choose to have a professional inspection or not, there is a price to pay. The value of having a professional inspection cannot be stressed enough. Not all properties are the same in size or complexity. Price will vary accordingly. Our home inspection prices are based on a range of square footage. For example, a home inspection for a property under 1500 square feet is $300. This is a very small percentage of the investment dollars at risk. You can call or message us with the information on the property and we will give you an exact price for your particular property.
Why do I need an Inspection on a brand new building? There is a very long punch list of items in a new home that must coordinate together. These items will not be fully tested until occupancy. There is a big difference in a pre-closing defect repair list and a post closing warranty request. Your closing agent and construction supervisor should work together to assure all the items on the pre-closing defect repair list are corrected BEFORE closing.
This is because they must transfer a completed building to your satisfaction, or else the closing agent can hold back funds for the correction of defects. After closing all sub-contractors have been paid and are gone. Now defects are added to a long warranty request list, along with other properties. Warranty repairs are performed by the contractors warranty repair department at a direct cost to the contractor. There is little incentive for a speedy repair after closing.
How long does it take to do an Inspection? A good inspector spends time assessing your property and conveying its condition to you. Not all properties are the same in size, age or complexity. Inspection time will vary accordingly. Typically the time we spend inspecting a property averages about 1-1.5 hours per 1,000 square feet - on site, and then additional time completing the report at the office. Age, property condition, vacant or occupied can increase or decrease this estimated time frame. The client is welcome to be present for the entire inspection, or we can call an estimated 30 minutes out from completion so the client can be present for a walk-through with the inspector. Many times the client is out of state or even out of the country and cannot be present for a walk-through. We are happy to do a walk-through over the phone. This is usually best done after the inspection report is in hand, so that during the phone walk-through it is easy to see what the concerns are. Payment is usually made at the walk-through.
When do I get the inspection report results? We perform a walk-through of the property at the end of our inspection - in person if you are able to be present, or over the phone if not. At that time we will point out any issues and concerns, and answer any questions and point out any some systems and functions of the property. Our completed reports are e-mailed to the client no later than 8:00 a.m. the morning following the inspection. Once the report is sent out, and the client has had an opportunity to review it, we are happy to visit with you again and answer any further questions or concerns.
Who orders the Inspection and how, when? The Buyers are ultimately responsible to order a property inspection, although most realtors will assist to help assure this is accomplished in a timely manner that meets contractual obligations. Typically a buyer will have a ten (10) business days right to inspect the property, sometimes less (for example - a bank owned or foreclosure property may only allow for seven (7) calendar days). At the expiration of this "right to inspect" time limit, the buyer must proceed with the contract to purchase without an inspection. Most experienced inspectors are busy and are booked out at least a week. It is seldom a Buyer will find an experienced inspector sitting by the phone ready to come out that day or the next to perform your inspection. Don't wait until the last minute to interview, select and schedule the inspector of your choice.
Who repairs the defects if any are found? Most real estate contracts are pretty similar forms that meet state requirements, however all will have different conditions and restrictions based on what the Buyer and Buyer's Agent add to the standard contract. Some contracts specify the seller is responsible for repairs and can also specify a dollar limit of that responsibility. Some "as is" contracts release the seller from repair responsibility. Sometimes a buyer can negotiate receiving dollars towards repairs allowing the buyer to control the quality of the repair. Your real estate professional likely has discussed the repair clauses in your contract and helped you determine what you are willing to be contractually obligated to.
Why should I get a Pre-Listing Inspection Report? It can be very discouraging to put a property up for sale and get an accepted offer from a qualified buyer and then have it fall apart because of some issues or concerns the Seller may not even know existed. Typical purchase contracts give the buyer a "Right to Inspect" the property and can allow the buyer to cancel the purchase contract within the "Right to Inspect" time window.
A Pre-Listing Property Inspection can expose contract challenging deficiencies and give the Seller the opportunity to correct them before a qualified buyer comes along. By pre-inspecting and correcting issues with the property the Seller is proactively preventing the loss of a qualified buyer and/or the loss of time the buyer spends challenging the condition of the property. A Pre-Listing Inspection can be presented to your Real Estate Agent and sometimes included in the MLS Listing or provided to a potential buyer. By inspecting the property and correcting any deficiencies before it goes on the market, the Seller is demonstrating good faith to provide a quality property. This can position the property well ahead of any other like it for sale in the area.
Can you provide references? Our past clients are our best reference and we have included a few in this website. In nearly two decades of inspections, we have collected a very long list of professional real estate clients including property investors and individuals that use our services regularly. We have performed literally thousands of property inspections.
View some of our satisfied clients under our web page called Reviews.
Our business has steadily increased over the years by word of mouth from satisfied clients and repeat business. Even individual home buyers have used us for repeat business, because years later, they still remember how detailed and informative our inspections and reports are.
Why should I Inspect before renting property? Why pay for problems you are not responsible for? Many lease contracts hold the renter liable for the property condition including maintenance and repairs. This means the day you sign the lease you could be responsible to fix or replace a faulty system you presumed was fine. Furthermore at the end of a lease agreement the renter can be held responsible for the wear, tear and damage to the property. Unless the condition of the property at the time of the lease agreement is recorded,the renter may have no proof the property is being returned in the same condition as when received. This can leave a person paying to restore a property to a condition better than received. The price of a professional witness recording a property's pre-lease condition can save hundreds to thousands of dollars.
