Anytime! We love hearing from our clients!
But seriously, Home Inspectors can help in several scenarios, all depending on what your needs are. Buyers, Sellers, or just the curious person might have occasion to call for Home Inspection services, all depending on the situation. Let’s cover each and explore that some more!
Buyers are traditionally the bread and butter of the Home Inspection field. Someone has walked through a home, fallen hopelessly in love with it, and they have put money down on a contract to purchase the property. Depending on the market trends at the time they have what is called a ‘contingency period’ of a few days time within which they have the option of having the property inspected so they can finalize all the various details that need to be handled prior to closing on the transaction. This is important, because if for whatever reason the inspection does not happen during the contingency period the buyers run the very real risk of either having to proceed without the knowledge afforded by the inspection, or backing out and losing their earnest money. No one wants either of these things, which is why most Home Inspectors are so flexible. Here at French Inspection we do everything we can to get you on our schedule as soon as possible, even if we have to shift things around to get you in there. Additionally we have our guaranteed Next Day Reporting so that you get your report as quickly as possible empowering you to make good decisions going forward. And yes, that’s an absolutely shameless plug for our services here at French Inspection. We do good work and we’re proud of that fact.
Sellers will often request an inspection to help them assess their property before putting it on the market. This makes perfect sense for several reasons. The longer you live in a home the more things become normal to you, even those things that might have fallen out of repair, or become les than perfect. Additionally, codes and requirements change over time and a home that was fully compliant when it was last purchased may well have several items that need to be brought up to date for health and safety reasons. Some sellers want to know in advance what they can expect to be faced with after a buyer’s inspection, so as not to be caught off guard. Being pro-active and trying to make all needed upgrades and repairs before they are even called out on another inspection makes financial sense and saves sellers the added stress of trying to fix things prior to closing. Unfortunately sellers inspections seem to lag far behind the number of buyers inspections, but as markets shift and trends change we are seeing those numbers start to creep upward We actively encourage sellers inspections to best serve the needs of our clients. Armed with the maximum amount of knowledge is never a bad thing!
There are other reasons for home inspections, including post-remodel, on a new build, and for insurance purposes.
But wait! Why would someone want an inspection on a brand new home? It’s NEW, right? Sure, it’s new. But during the construction process that has taken more than six months to complete, how many contractors and sub-contractors have been through that “new” home dragging tools and materials, conducting various tests and inspections, and doing all manner of work? Often more than a hundred different workers will move through that house during the construction phase. And that’s fine, it takes what it takes. But are you, the owner, willing to guarantee that every one of those workers did a perfect job and made no mistakes while they worked? Are you willing to gamble the largest single investment you have that not one of those workers might have missed something? Logically, your answer should be no. The chances of things being missed are simply too high to take the risk. Home inspections on new build homes help offer you peace of mind that the home has been completed properly and with best practice techniques which will allow you to enjoy your home for decades to come. Remember, Home Inspectors are not there to verify code, as that should have been done by other inspectors. They are there to provide an unbiased look at the home and deliver a written report on their findings.
Similarly, post-remodel home inspections are conducted to make sure any work that has been done has been completed properly and no outstanding issues exist. Remember, a small thing missed can result in a major expense if it isn’t caught and remedied in time. When I was young we went on vacation out of state and were gone for two weeks. While we were gone our water heater ruptured. It was rusted out and had reached the end of its lifespan, so the failure was normal. What was not normal was there was no one home to realize it was flooding our garage turned Man-cave. By the time we returned the entire space was ruined and it was a far greater expense to repair. Now imagine if the water heater had been installed in the attic, as has become popular with some builders in recent years. Home inspections aren’t guaranteed to predict the future, but they can and do identify systems that are reaching the end of their useful lives, and recommend either a replacement before failure or closer watch by the occupants to catch failures like these before they get drastically out of hand.
Recently many insurance companies want an updated home inspection before they will renew or write a new policy. Modern claims continue to skyrocket and insurance companies are very focused on keeping their own costs as low as possible. Some companies don’t require the inspection but instead offer the homeowner a discount if they get one. Either way, the insurance inspection is becoming more prevalent every year.
Home Inspections are requested for any number of reasons, depending on your situation. The important thing to understand is that no matter why you need one, French Inspection is here to offer you prompt scheduling, next day reporting, and the highest quality inspection you can purchase. We believe the details matter, and our clients always come first!
