Residential Inspections
Whether you’re buying or selling property, an inspection provides peace of mind as you make purchasing decisions. According to a recent study by the American Society of Home Inspectors and the National Association of Realtors, 8 out of 10 homebuyers order a home inspection as part of contract negotiations. They understand that having as much information as possible can reduce initial moving stress and provide direction on future maintenance plans.
The inspection process: When a buyer makes an offer on a home they are recommended to write the agreement to make it subject an acceptable home inspection. It is common practice to allow 5-10 days to have this performed. After acceptance of your offer, you should schedule your inspection to be completed. Buyers do not need to be present when the inspection is being conducted. The entire inspection will range from 2-3 hours depending on the size of the home. It is recommended to attend the walk through at the completion of the inspection to learn about the home and potential issues.
If it is not possible for the buyer to attend the walk through, we can e-mail the report and any photos to our client and then have a phone conversation to go over the findings of the inspection.
NPI inspections are unbiased. Even if you are familiar with the systems in a home and perform a thorough walk-through of your new property, it can be easy to see things through “rose-colored glasses.” After all, this may be the single largest investment of your life. An objective property inspection report not only saves you time, it gives you a clear, concise checklist of information regarding your home understanding of the current condition of all major systems. This is true on both existing and new housing stock.
A detailed home inspection is like a "snap shot" of your new home on the day of the inspection. We will test all accessible components and view all accessible ares keeping in mind the age of the home. This is important because a home built in 1940 will be much different with different expectations than that one built in 2003. Our job is to help a consumer to understand such things as windows in older homes versus windows in today's homes. When we test an item and it operates properly we will note it as "Acceptable". Acceptable indicates that an item operated properly for it's age and type. We mark items as: Acceptable, Marginal, or Defective. If we cannot see something or cannot test an item, we cannot report on it and it is indicated as "Not Inspected" on the inspection. When this conditions exist we inform the buyer and they should consult with the sellers regarding that area or item. Similar situations, such as determining roof leaks, is limited without it raining at the time of the inspection. Be sure to thoroughly review the sellers's disclosure statement regarding any known conditions that are important for potential buyers to be aware of.
A home inspection is NOT a home warranty, this is important for clients to understand. It's important for home buyers to understand the difference between home inspections and home warranties. A home inspection is designed to make you aware of existing issues with almost every area of your home from the foundation to the roof and home warranties are designed to protect you against future failures of the mechanical systems only. Note that warranties do not cover many areas, such as foundations, roofs, exterior components, safety issues, etc. Warranties only cover mechanical components, and will not cover issues that are in dis-repair or would be considered a pre-existing issue. A home inspection will make you aware of the current conditions of the mechanical systems.
After the inspection is complete we will put all of the information into our software system. You will receive the report findings in a detailed computerized report with digital photos that show potential issues and the areas of the home that are not easily accessible by home buyers such as the roof and attic.
For The Homeowner
View a Sample Report
Residential Categories