A home inspection is a comprehensive visual examination of the physical structure and systems of a home, from the foundation to the roof. Some of the systems are; heating, cooling, roof, building envelope, cladding, HRV, plumbing, electrical and roofs. A home inspector is trained to be a detective in regard to the construction and working parts of homes.
Prior to hiring a home inspector there are some basic questions you should ask and expect to get a professional response to, which are: what training does he have; what was his previous background; is he registered with any professional organizations; how long has he been in business; how many home inspections has he done and ask for recommendations from a couple of people for the last couple of years.
The last thing you want is a brand new home inspector. A brand new inspection may be the most expensive thing you you'll ever buy, it may cost you thousands of dollars down the road because of missed or overlooked defects. In-experienced inspectors often know less and do less, which is one reason why they're cheap. There are even some inspectors who won't go into your crawl space or attic. With Certainty, you'll know what the condition of your attic and crawl space is because we will go into them unless for some reason we cannot access them.
In Barrie ON, most Realtors, are bound by ethics to recommend at least three home inspectors, some buyer prefer to arrange for their own home inspector. Most real estate agencies work on an average commission of 6% paid by the seller of the property. On a house selling for $350,000 there is a potential commission of $21,000. Sometimes a selling agent will recommend particular home inspectors to a prospective buyer, sometimes a list of three is given out. Who are these recommended inspectors? How did they "qualify" to get on the "approved" list of the agent? Is the agent recommending a thorough non-bias inspector or is the agent recommending someone who will help protect the potential $21,000 commission? Unfortunately, some real estate agents view a thorough and non-bias home inspection as a threat to their sales commission.
Many small and major problems can be found during a home inspection. Some of the issues are to do with the roof. As homes age, so does the material covering the roof. This is the component of the house that keeps us and the internal workings of the house dry. As the roofing material ages, it lends itself to water intrusion and can lead to expensive repairs or even replacement. If roofing material is improperly installed, it can lead to premature aging. There are many types of roofing materials used to protect us from the elements. The most common, starting with the most economical, are asphalt shingles, wood shakes/shingles, terra cotta tile, concrete tiles and slate, just to name a few. Another area of concern is typically grading and water issues. Poor grading could lead to damp or wet crawlspaces, foundation movement, cracking or settlement. Water wicking up the foundation could lead to rot in the walls, framing members and mold. Some indications of foundation movement include windows that are out of square; interior doors that have large, uneven gaps at the top when the door is closed; or floors visibly out of level. If you see this, know that the cost to correct this problem could add up quickly.
Generating home inspection reports is critical to the success of any inspector. It is very important to take advantage of technology and software, especially in this current economy. Also, nowadays everything is done at a faster pace than results are expected more quickly than ever. This makes using and choosing the right software and having a server available to put your report online. Most modern home inspectors have their own server and websites which allows you to always have access to your report. Most inspection reports are too big to print and can just as easily be viewed on line and saved as PDF file for future reference. The more detailed the report, the more protection for you if something goes wrong.
Prior to hiring a home inspector there are some basic questions you should ask and expect to get a professional response to, which are: what training does he have; what was his previous background; is he registered with any professional organizations; how long has he been in business; how many home inspections has he done and ask for recommendations from a couple of people for the last couple of years.
The last thing you want is a brand new home inspector. A brand new inspection may be the most expensive thing you you'll ever buy, it may cost you thousands of dollars down the road because of missed or overlooked defects. In-experienced inspectors often know less and do less, which is one reason why they're cheap. There are even some inspectors who won't go into your crawl space or attic. With Certainty, you'll know what the condition of your attic and crawl space is because we will go into them unless for some reason we cannot access them.
In Barrie ON, most Realtors, are bound by ethics to recommend at least three home inspectors, some buyer prefer to arrange for their own home inspector. Most real estate agencies work on an average commission of 6% paid by the seller of the property. On a house selling for $350,000 there is a potential commission of $21,000. Sometimes a selling agent will recommend particular home inspectors to a prospective buyer, sometimes a list of three is given out. Who are these recommended inspectors? How did they "qualify" to get on the "approved" list of the agent? Is the agent recommending a thorough non-bias inspector or is the agent recommending someone who will help protect the potential $21,000 commission? Unfortunately, some real estate agents view a thorough and non-bias home inspection as a threat to their sales commission.
Many small and major problems can be found during a home inspection. Some of the issues are to do with the roof. As homes age, so does the material covering the roof. This is the component of the house that keeps us and the internal workings of the house dry. As the roofing material ages, it lends itself to water intrusion and can lead to expensive repairs or even replacement. If roofing material is improperly installed, it can lead to premature aging. There are many types of roofing materials used to protect us from the elements. The most common, starting with the most economical, are asphalt shingles, wood shakes/shingles, terra cotta tile, concrete tiles and slate, just to name a few. Another area of concern is typically grading and water issues. Poor grading could lead to damp or wet crawlspaces, foundation movement, cracking or settlement. Water wicking up the foundation could lead to rot in the walls, framing members and mold. Some indications of foundation movement include windows that are out of square; interior doors that have large, uneven gaps at the top when the door is closed; or floors visibly out of level. If you see this, know that the cost to correct this problem could add up quickly.
Generating home inspection reports is critical to the success of any inspector. It is very important to take advantage of technology and software, especially in this current economy. Also, nowadays everything is done at a faster pace than results are expected more quickly than ever. This makes using and choosing the right software and having a server available to put your report online. Most modern home inspectors have their own server and websites which allows you to always have access to your report. Most inspection reports are too big to print and can just as easily be viewed on line and saved as PDF file for future reference. The more detailed the report, the more protection for you if something goes wrong.
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Learn more about Barrie's Best Home Inspections. Stop by www.infared-detection.com site. Looking at a new home then call Barrie's Best Home Inspector to protect your investment.
