Buying a home requires multiple steps, one of which is the home inspection, this is generally done after the seller has accepted your offer for their home as one of the contingencies. But, occasionally it is done before if there is time allowing your offer to be stronger waiving the inspection contingency and making your offer in light of what you have found or not.
There are several types of inspections which can be carried out under the term of a home inspection. These include a general home inspection, wood boring insect inspection often referred to as a Termite inspection although it always covers other boring insects as well such as carpenter bees, radon inspection, mold inspections, lead based paint inspection, if there is a swimming pool a pool inspection, water and septic inspection.
Each of these is different in their own right obviously so let's discuss what each is and is not.
The General Home Inspection
This is probably what everyone thinks of when they think of a home inspection. Most buyers will hire a home inspector, usually a member of a national association and who has a background in construction often and can check the systems in the house. Most home inspectors are generalists, like a primary care doctor, who if they see something might call for a specialist, such as a roofer, electrician, plumber or a chimney or HVAC contractor or even a structural engineer to check out a specific item. As I often tell my buyers walk with the inspector, ask questions because the inspection is not just trying to find things wrong with the house so you can negotiate repairs or a credit, but it is for you to understand how the house works. The inspector can tell you what sort of filter your heater uses and how to install it correctly. Each inspector has their own style or method of completing an inspection, many start von the roof and the outside, then move inside to a basement where most of the utilities are housed, then move to the top of the house and work their way down. They check windows, electrical sockets, the furnace, the electrical circuit breakers etc.
Termite inspection
Most general inspectors also do Termite inspections at the same time they do the general inspection, there are some specialist inspectors who focus just on this element. They are basically looking for evidence of termites or other wood boring insects, and also if there is a current infestation or just evidence of past activity. They are also looking for damage caused that might be hidden from sight but could be dangerous to the structure of the house.
Radon
Radon is a gas that is emitted from the ground, it has been shown to be carcinogenic at certain levels. There are different ways to test, and they generally require the house to be closed up and not ventilated whilst in operation. The Federal Government has set a level of 4.0 pl as a measure for remediation. If it measures 3.9 it is not required, over 4.0, even 4.1 remediation is recommended. I have seen homes with levels as high as 60-80 and remediation corrected them. The remediation requires drilling below the surface of the lowest level floor and installing piping and a pump to extract the gas and vent it outside at a level above the house. After remediation has been completed a further test kit is usually left and this is done three days or longer afterwards to confirm the home is now within acceptable levels.
Mold Inspection
Sometimes due to dampness or water there may be mold present which requires a full Mold Test to be completed. These take a few days as samples need to be collected and then analyzed at a laboratory. Basically what is tested is the level of spores in the house compared to outside the house. Not all spores are bad, but those that are can cause severe reactions and be dangerous as well.
Lead Based Paint
Any house built before 1978 has lead paint, it may have been painted over, but it may also due to wear and tear have the possibility of becoming airborne and causing issues. Most buyers do not test for lead paint unless there is a severe health issue with one of the buyers that requires them to know if lead paint is visible. It can be expensive to remediate lead paint as it either requires the lead paint be removed or encapsulated.
Swimming Pool Inspection
If the home has a swimming pool, above ground or in ground the buyer may want to carry out a pool inspection. This is usually done by a pool company to check that everything is in working order, that there are no leaks or cracks. It is also an opportunity for those who have never had a poll to get a lesson on the mechanics of running a pool, and what it might entail.
Water and Septic Tank Inspection
Many homes are on public water and sewer systems, but there are a good number of homes that use well water and have septic systems. Both of these require testing and septic systems usually take a longer period to test and get results and this is spelled out in the agreement of sale with an initial period of 25 days over 10 days for a general home inspection. Water testing requires samples to be taken and then for these to be analyzed at a laboratory. Septic systems are designed for a certain number of people, and if a home has had just two people living there and now the buyer is going to have a family of four or five the system needs to be checked fully to make sure it can handle that number of people. Usually this requires a load test where the field is loaded with water and checked to see if there are leaks.
I have contacts for all these different inspectors, so if you are ready to begin the home search contact me today, don't be afraid of inspections, with the slower market pace right now buyers are able to do inspections and negotiate with sellers for credits or repairs. Let's make sure you have the confidence to make the right decisions throughout the transaction call Nick Vandekar, Selling the Main Line and Chester County with Realty ONE Group Advocates, office 484-237-2055, cell or text 610-203-4543, Nick@VandekarTeam.com
Comments(17)