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Frequently
Asked Questions
When deciding
to have a home inspection on your property, there are always
going to be the inevitable questions which will leave you
wondering as to what the answers will be. In order to try answer
some of your questions, we have taken some of the most common
ones and answered them accordingly.
If you do have a specific question and its not listed here,
please feel free to
contact me and I'll do my best to
address any concerns that you may have.
The first question that 99% of clients tend to ask first, is;
"How much will a Home Inspection cost"?
This will very much depend on the Sq footage of the home.
However, $399.00 would cover an Inspection up to a 2,500 Sq-ft
property.
"Do
I need to be in attendance during an Inspection"?
No. You do not need to be present during the inspection.
However, if your schedule allows - I would highly recommend that
you are present, as it is a valuable learning curve and lots of
clients feel they have benefited from being present during the
Home Inspection. The benefits are endless, as you can ask as
many questions as you feel necessary, I can also explain current
or future maintenance requirements which will you give you a
better understanding when consulting your completed Home
Inspection Report.
"What will you inspect"?
The Inspection will consist of a visual observation and adhering
to Internachi's Standards Of Practice, which can be found by
clicking here:
Internachi's SOP
"What does a Home Inspection include"?
Home Inspections reports cover all the major systems and
structural elements of the house. This includes the condition of
the property - including, heating and air conditioning systems,
electrical & plumbing systems, attic, roof, visible insulation,
walls, foundation, doors, windows together with all structures
that are visible.
"What is a Home Inspection"?
A Home Inspection, is a professional and visual examination of
the accessible systems and physical structural elements of a
property. The idea of a home inspection, is to identify existing
or potential future problems - that could/would affect a
prospective purchasers decision.
"Do
I really need a Home Inspection"?
For most people, to purchase a home is probably the largest and
most single investment they will ever make. Based on this, it
makes sense to try and establish as much as you can about your
proposed purchase before you decide to buy - remember, a small
investment now in order to protect your largest investment!
"A Home Inspection - a wise investment"?
If you were to consider the average person's next largest
purchase - a car, it would be fair to say that 95% of people
would obtain a Carfax or Carproof report when purchasing a
second hand car.
The idea of this, is to obtain as much about the cars history
prior to purchase, and at an average price - of say $10,000.00
that is 1/40th of the cost of an average home price - remember -
your 'largest investment' yet many people question whether a
home inspection is necessary.
By giving the example of the car purchase, and making a
relatively small investment in a Home Inspection Report, you
have the assurance that any unwanted surprises and issues, once
having purchased your new home have been brought to your
attention with regards to your 'largest investment'.
"Do I really need a Pre-listing Inspection"?
If you are selling your home,
a Pre-listing inspection will highlight any potential problems
that might be discovered later by the buyers inspector. Once the
issues are brought to your attention, this will then give you
the opportunity to address them prior to listing your home -
which in turn will make a swift & smoother sale for all
concerned.
"Why use a Thermal
Imaging Camera"?
By using a Thermal Imaging Camera, this can highlight many
hidden issues within a home that would not be visible to the
naked eye.
A Thermal Camera can be used to detect hidden water leaks,
problem in the water coils in under-floor heating systems,
missing insulation, energy loss in various areas of the home,
and much more.
A Sherlock Homes Inspectors report, will enable you to make an
educated decision about the condition, pre-listing or purchase
of your home and its integral systems.
"How long will the
Inspection take"?
This will depend on the size and condition of the property in
question. The average inspection is around 3 hours for up to -
and including a 2,500 Sq ft home. Obviously a larger home, or a
home which has been subjected to lack of maintenance over a vast
period of time, will take longer to inspect. Either way, there
is no set time limit, our home inspections take as long as they
take -
But the cost to our client remains the same!
"When will I get my
report"?
Your inspection report will
available for your perusal at the date outlined in section 1 of
your contract - normally within 24 hours of the inspection.
This can be in one of two formats; a hard copy or an electronic
copy in PDF format.
The Sherlock Homes Inspectors Report will contain high
resolution colour photographs together with any deficiencies
discovered within the property.
"Can I obtain further copies of my Home Inspection Report"?
Yes, your Home Inspection Report
will be held on our secure and dedicated servers for a period of
5 years. You will be able to access and download your report at
anytime using your unique username and password.
"Will you carry out
any remedial repairs to problems discovered during the
inspection"?
Unfortunately, no! The
InterNACHI code of ethics that we are governed by does not allow
its members to carry out repairs to a property that we have
inspected, within a 12 month period of discovery, relating to
deficiencies listed within the report.
This code of ethic assures the client, and reduces the risk of
any conflict of interest by the inspector. The purpose is to
provide an unbiased & visual report on the current condition of
the home at the time of the inspection.
"Would
a newly
constructed home require an Inspection"?
Yes, a home inspection of a
new home is just as important as a home that is several years
old. In fact, this is probably the best time to have an
inspection, so any deficiencies, shortcuts or potential issues
can be brought to the attention of the builder/construction
company whilst the walls are open - which can then be addressed
whilst still at the construction stage - and more importantly -
before you have parted with your money.
Experience has shown, that it's far easier to get a builder or
construction company, to co-operate & address issues and
deficiencies before payment, than it is when they've been paid.
Yours faithfully
G Rose - CMI
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