What is a home inspection? It is basically a process which involves inviting a home inspector at your house to check if there is any problem present in the house that may be hidden to the naked eye and for a normal human, it may appear that the house is in good condition, there is a chance that the health of the residents might be in danger or the structure of the house might be facing a safety hazard or a bigger expense if neglected for a longer period of time. Now the main difference that makes it a home or residential inspection is that in a residential inspection, building codes are not meant to be followed as each home has its own complex structure which will only be inspected in a way where some hidden health or safety hazards could be detected.
What is included in a home inspection?
It includes a thorough and non-invasive evaluation of all the areas of the house to see if there is something abnormal happening hidden to the eyes that may affect the health of the residents or cause any safety hazard. The structural condition of the house could also be at stake. Our inspectors are going to be examining the major components of the home, as outlined by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) and State Licensing Board standards of practice. Following are the details of the parts of the house that are going to be inspected during a residential/home inspection:
- l Exterior of the house.
- l Interior of the house.
The exterior of the house includes the inspection of the driveway, patios, decks, sidings, chimneys, attics and most importantly the roof of the house. The structure, insulation and ventilation check of these points is confirmed in order to make sure these and the HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) system and their air handler and fireplaces are working properly and not consuming extra energy than they should. This further includes water heaters, plumbing drains, supply pipes, fixtures etc. Representative numbers of outlets of light switches, branch wiring and electrical panels. To check if all the primary appliances are working or not is also included in a preliminary inspection. In addition to it, the basic foundation functions are also included.
What is not going to be involved in a preliminary home inspection?
Although many aspects are included in a preliminary inspection which are pretty much enough to see if all the prominent features of the house are working properly, it is very important to mention the problems in the house that require more expertise than a basic home inspector. For example:
- For appliances, only the basic functions will be tested and for more complex problems, an electrician or concerned person is recommended. -Low voltage systems such as the internet and cable etc are not included.
- Swimming pools are obviously a great addition to the house but they also need a certain type of expertise to be inspected properly hence additional fee and sometimes an extra inspector will be required for the job.
- Sewer lines are present in every house but they are as big as the house and to inspect them, special equipment is needed hence it is not included in a standard home inspection.
- Any other component that is not usually included in a preliminary standard home inspection will be excluded and if you wish to get it done, a separate request has to be mentioned in order to be included in the complete package with some additional fee.
This is all for a home inspection but if you do have any other queries, our team is always here to help and guide you about what is best for your house.
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