31190 HILLIARD BLVD.
WESTLAKE, OHIO 44145 PHONE 440.808.3811
|
31190 HILLIARD BLVD. WESTLAKE, OHIO 44145 PHONE 440.808.3811 |
|
|
WHAT IS A REAL ESTATE INSPECTION? (Please Read) As a consumer and homebuyer you have a right to know exactly what a typical real estate (home) inspection is. The following information should give you a better understanding of exactly what your inspector will and will not do for you during the course of his/her inspection, First and foremost an inspection is a visual survey of those easily accessible areas that an inspector can clearly see. No destructive testing or dismantling is done during the course of an inspection, hence an inspector can only tell a client exactly what was clearly in evidence at the time and date of the inspection. The Inspectors eyes are not any better than the buyers, except that the inspector is trained to look for specific tell-tale signs and clues that may lead to the discovery of actual or potential defects or deficiencies. Inspectors base their inspections on the current Industry Standards provided to them by their professional societies. These Standards tell what the inspector will and can do as well as what the inspector will not do. Many inspectors give a copy of the Standards to their clients If your inspector has not given you a copy, ask for one. The Industry Standards clearly spell out specific areas in which the inspector must identify various defects and deficiencies, as well as identifying the specific systems, components and items that are being inspected. There are many excluded areas noted in the Standards that the inspector does not have to report on, for example; private water and sewer systems, solar systems, security systems, etc. The inspector is not limited by the Standards and if the inspector wishes to include additional inspection services (typically for an extra fee) then he/she may perform as many specific inspection procedures as the client may request. Some of these additional services may include; a wood boring insect inspection, radon testing, or a variety of environmental testing etc. Many inspectors do not test or inspect appliances, for many good reasons. Appliances can breakdown almost immediately after the inspection and the buyer may hold the inspector liable. There also have been cases where homeowners have switched appliances with lesser quality units after the inspection. If your inspector does test and inspect appliances you should keep in mind that any appliance can fail at anytime, particularly if the units are several years old or older. Most inspectors will not give definitive cost estimates for repairs and replacements since the costs can vary greatly from one contractor to another. Inspectors typically will tell clients to secure three reliable quotes from those contractors performing the type of repairs in question. Life expectancies are another area that most inspectors try not to get involved in. Every system and component in a building will have a typical life expectancy. Some items and units may well exceed those expected life spans, while others may fail much sooner than anticipated. An inspector may indicate to a client, general life expectancies, but should never give exact time spans for the above noted reasons, The average time for an inspection on atypical 3 bedroom home usually takes 2½ to over 3½ hours, depending upon the number of bathrooms, kitchens, fireplaces, attics, etc., that have to be inspected. Inspections that take less than two hours typically are considered strictly cursory walk- through inspections and provide the client with less information than a full inspection. All Property Home Inspection L.L.C. Home Inspector Dan Ricci 440-808-3811 |
|
Send mail to
dr252@aphionline.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
