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Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Standard Home Inspection include:
Our Standard Home Inspection includes inspection, description and reporting on all of the major components of a building, including but not limited to:
Exterior:
Roof, chimney(s), gutters, roof ventilation
Siding, trim, windows, doors and entrances.
Foundations, porches, decks, garages.
Retaining walls, patios, walks and grounds.

Interior:
On the interior, every room is inspected.
The condition of floors, walls, ceiling, doors and trim are reported on.
Bathrooms and Kitchens receive additional attention.
All fixtures and faucets are tested, toilets flushed
Attics, Basements and Crawl spaces get special attention because it is in these
areas that the building reveals its true identity.
Mechanical systems…..Plumbing, Heating, Central air conditioning, and Electrical systems are all operated, inspected and reported on where possible .

We also include, at no extra charge, a Wood Boring Insect inspection that checks for Termites Carpenter Ants and other wood boring insects as part of our Standard Inspection.

The goal is to make you aware, to the best of our ability, of the physical condition of the property.

How Much Should a Home Inspection Cost?
The cost of an inspection can vary widely depending on the size, age, condition, location and complexity of the property. Smaller, newer, simpler properties, (e.g.: a vacant condo) cost less. Larger, older, more complex properties and multi-family properties cost more for an inspection.
The price of the inspection is always determined prior to the inspection.
This is accomplished by a series of questions regarding the property to be inspected.
Please call for more information.

What does a Pre-Sale Inspection consist of?
Because you are more familiar with the property than someone who is viewing it for the first time, there is typically no need to inspect many of the items that you already know about, such as appliances you use every day. The concentration is on the major structural and mechanical components of the building and the items that could arise during a Buyers home Inspection.

Recommendations are made for those items that need repair or replacement and anything else that might affect the sale of the property.

Do you really need an inspection for a new house (building)?
Contrary to popular opinion, there is a definite need to inspect a new, or almost new, property. Builders and Real Estate Brokers are fond of telling Buyers there is no need to inspect a property because, after all, everything is new isn’t it? And it has already been inspected by the local building department, has it not?
All well and good, however, here is a partial list of deficiencies we have found in properties that were new, or less than two years old.

• Cracked/settled foundations
• Improper water proofing
• Cavitations under floor slabs
• Improperly installed roofing
• Leaking roofs
• Improperly installed siding
• Improperly installed windows
• Improperly installed doors
• Leaking windows
• Broken windows
• Locks that don’t work
• Missing flashings
• Improperly built decks
• Inadequate footings
• Missing lally columns
• Beams under sized
• Buckled/twisted framing
• Missing foundation bolts
• Missing hold-down clips
• Walls not plumb
• Improperly constructed stairs
• Missing railings
• Poorly graded sites
• Conditions that lead to rot
• Missing insulation
• Missing vapor retarders
• Open holes in ducts
• Disconnected ducts
• Improper attic vents
• Missing attic vents
• Poorly designed heating systems
• Appliances not properly vented
• Exhaust fans not vented
• Electrical receptacles with no GFCI protection
• Not built to specs
• Material substitutions
• Incomplete or poor workmanship

Should I be leery of a referral from my real estate broker for a home inspector?
First of all, unless you are working with a so-called “Buyers Broker” whom you are paying a commission to, directly, the term MY broker is a misnomer. A real estate broker’s fiduciary responsibility lies with the person that is actually paying the commission. That is typically the Seller.
You may be working with a broker who is very helpful to you, and most of them are, but if the Seller is paying their commission, then they work for the Seller, not you!
For a broker to refer a home inspector is a conflict of interests unless they are truly a so-called “Buyer’s Broker”.
This is why when the Home Inspection licensing and regulations were adopted a few years ago, the legislature made the practice of brokers referring home inspectors to be illegal. The only thing a broker may do is provide a list of all of the home inspectors in the entire state. For them to do anything else is against the law and in our opinion, is akin to asking the fox to inspect the chicken coop!
It’s a pretty good bet that any referral provided by a real estate broker is more than likely a list of the less competent inspectors. After all, it’s not in their best interest or the interests of their clients (the Seller) that a thorough inspection reveal something that might jeopardize the sale!

“My” broker says that I should be able to hire a home inspector for a lot less money than the prices I’m being quoted. What’s up with that?
A broker who tells you that is probably hoping you will hire one of the more inept inspectors that are out there (see previous question). If a “cheap” inspection is what you want, they’re out there, but good luck to you! The old adage of “you get what you pay for” was never truer than it is with Home Inspectors.

Should I be present at an inspection?
While it is not mandatory, we strongly encourage you to do so.
You will learn more than you can imagine!
This is particularly true for first time home buyers.
It is also a great opportunity to measure some of the rooms to see if the furniture will fit, or to take some pictures!
We do discourage a large entourage of people and small children and pets.
A group of people firing questions left and right can distract the inspector and things could be missed. And the small children or pets represent a potential safety problem. They could be easily injured. Aside from that……we would love to have you. Come, and bring your questions.

We are relocating from another area and cannot be present for the inspection. How will I know the details?
We typically use digital photos embedded in our reports and for our out of town clients we include additional photo images. This has been particularly useful to clients relocating from overseas or from other far away places.

What happens if the inspection reveals a major problem that we had not anticipated?
It is important that the Offer to Purchase and/or the Purchase & Sales Agreement provide for this. Most agreements have an Inspection Contingency that the property “passes” inspection.

Typically, YOU, the Buyer are the one to make that decision based on the information we provide to you at the time of the inspection. Everyone has different tolerance levels and expectations.

There is no such thing as “pass”, or “fail” when it comes to a home inspection. If you decide that there are physical deficiencies that are more than you want to cope with, then you should be able to walk away and get your money back.
As professional, licensed home inspectors, we are not allowed to say: “Yes, buy this property”, or, “No, don’t buy this property”, for it is against the law to do so. Our job is to provide you with the necessary information regarding the physical condition of the property so that you can make an informed decision.

In any event, make sure you check with your attorney on this subject !

Who is responsible for correcting defects that show up during a home inspection?
There are no hard and fast rules. Everything is typically negotiable, although some P&S agreements will specify a threshold of $1,000, or more, where minor repairs that do not go over the specified threshold would be the Buyers responsibility.
Market conditions will dictate what a Seller will repair, or not.
In a so-called “Sellers” market where there are perhaps too few properties to choose from and/or prices are escalating rapidly, or interest rates are relatively low and there are many Buyers out there looking, Sellers will be reluctant to make any repairs at all because there will be another buyer right around the corner.
When a so-called “Buyers” market exists where there is a glut of properties for sale, interest rates are relatively high and there are few Buyers out there, a Seller will be far more receptive to correcting deficiencies, or making some other type of adjustment. Buyers that are well qualified and/or have few or no contingencies will find they have a better chance at negotiations with the Seller.

The Seller is willing to make the repairs that are necessary. Can I be sure they will be done correctly, or should I have the work done myself?
Whenever a Seller agrees to make repairs it is a good idea to arrange to have a Follow-up Inspection performed. This will verify that the work has been done and, perhaps more importantly, that the work was done correctly and meets industry standards.
Unfortunately, the tendency is for the work to be either A.) Not done at all, or, B) Done poorly or incorrectly. There is little incentive for a Seller to spend money on a property they are leaving. Only about 25% of the time do we find the work completed correctly the first time. The success rate improves to about 75% on the second Follow-up Inspection. After that, either the Seller finally gets the message and has the work done correctly, or the Buyer backs out of the deal in disgust!

For the above reasons, a better solution for the Buyer is to negotiate on the price and have the work performed yourself or to have money placed in escrow pending acceptable completion of the repairs.
However, this is usually not the Buyers decision to make. It requires the cooperation of the Seller to negotiate. Price negotiation is typically easier when a so-called Buyers market exists.
The Buyer, of course, always has their ultimate chip to play, which is to walk away.

Meet Your Inspector

Harry Smith

Chief Inspector

Contact

Office: 1-800-640-9449
info@hfsmithassoc.com

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