A home inspection for a prospective buyer is asking someone who has experience and knowledge to walk with you and offer you the benefits of that experience. Laun Building Inspections has the experience.
The inspection will usually be at a pre-approved agreed upon time between the buyer, the seller, and the inspector. Although the buyer doesn’t technically need to be present during the inspection, I strongly encourage the prospective buyer to follow me through the inspection. The inspection will cover most or all of the following:
- Outside of the Home
- Roof
- Decks, stairs, porches and railings
- Basement & Foundation
- Interior
- Heating & Air-Conditioning
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Kitchen
- Bathroom(s)
- Fireplace(s)
- Visible/Accessible Insulation
- Garage
We will describe what we find for each of the inspected areas along with any recommendations. If we find something that needs to be repaired, we will note that for you and give you information as to how serious it is or if further evaluation by a specific expert is required. We will deliver a written report to you within two business days after the completion of the inspection.
The goal is to give you the knowledge of what has been discovered regarding your potential purchase.
So that we all understand, a Home Inspection is not a warranty or guarantee on the home. We can only find the issues that can be seen. We are not supermen with x-ray vision and therefore, if we can’t get to it, see it, or detect it, we won’t be able to comment on it. Additionally, if any area is unsafe to enter, such as a flooded basement or structurally unsafe area, we won’t be able to comment on areas within those parts of the inspection. The report will reflect that aspect of the inspection. We are also not allowed to start systems that have been turned off. If a circuit breaker to the air-conditioning is turned off, we are not allowed to turn it on. This is partly due to the fact that we don’t know why the system was turned off and therefore we can’t risk something going wrong if we turn it back on (could it start a fire, get an area flooded, or have someone get hurt?). As a potential buyer, you don’t yet own the property (no matter how far along you are in the process) until it is a fully completed sale. Therefore, we are not in a position to be asked by someone who isn’t the owner to turn something on. That means we cannot light a pilot light on a furnace or water heater that is not lit. We also will not move the seller’s personal effects out of the way to get access to areas. As we don’t know why the seller didn’t leave us access, we can’t start moving things that aren’t ours. Please be understanding if we tell you that some part of the inspection can’t be completed. We would love to inspect every aspect of a potential home purchase for you, but not everything can be safely or appropriately accessed in all circumstances.
For the Seller:
I will inspect your building so that you can have the knowledge of what areas need addressing and can have more confidence of not being surprised by another inspector’s findings. It allows you to make clear decisions beforehand regarding the, “do I fix it or tell them up front that something needs repair.” You will avoid someone trying to corner you with a last second “finding” and a very low price to counter the “finding.”
I will give you the same level of inspection that I would give the buyer so that you can be confident in marketing and pricing your property.
For a Consultation:
If you are a new home owner and want to feel confident that you have the needed knowledge to keep up your home’s maintenance and needs, please give me a call and I will be happy to fill you in on what is needed. Even if you have most of the knowledge, but for example, have never lived in a place with natural gas heat, or have lived in a part of the country with a completely different climate, or just have questions about your house, please give me a call and I will be happy to fill you in. I love teaching people about what I know!