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Buying a Home?

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Home Inspector with INDOOR MICROBIAL SPECIALIST HI-80 & MRSA1895

Why you need a Comprehensive Home Inspection?

The inspection is a visual analysis to detect major defects and deficiencies associated with the property on the time and day of the inspection. The process can be stressful. A Comprehensive visual Home Inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short period of time. This often includes a comprehensive written Home Inspection report, punch list, digital photographs, environmental reports, and what the Home Inspector himself says during the Home Inspection. All this combined with the sellers disclosure, county records, utility companies, appraisers, mortgage companies and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?  

 Relax: Most of your Home Inspection will be maintenance recommendations and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:

  • 1. Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure.
  • 2. Things that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for example.
  • 3. Things that may hinder your ability to insure or occupy the home.
  • 4. Safety hazards, such as an exposed live buss bar in the electric panel.
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 4). Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during the inspection. Realize that the sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the Home Inspection report. The home inspection process is non-destructive, and is generally non-invasive. It is performed in this manner because, at the time we inspect the dwelling, you do not own the property. You cannot authorize the disassembly or destruction of what does not belong to you.
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