Home Inspection Articles | House Inspection News

Every homebuyer expects a house inspector to conduct the house inspection thoroughly and professionally. But as shown in many cases of failed home inspections, there are house inspectors who are not able to carry out what they are hired to do.

So when it is time for you to conduct a house inspection, either as a seller or a buyer, choose your house inspector wisely. Ask for referrals from your network and make sure you are hiring someone who is licensed in your state and who is a member of a reputable home inspection association.

In a case of house inspection gone wrong in Wakefield, Virginia, the home buyers claimed that they hired a house inspector belonging to a house inspection company known to charge higher fees because of its reputation.

The Bennetts were ecstatic when a house they found in Wakefield was found to be without major defects. They paid the house for $130,000 through a home loan and then happily moved into the house together with their two children.

But just three weeks later, rainwater leaked through the foundation and flooded the basement. When they investigated further, they found they could easily pull off the outer siding, discovering water damage and lots of mold. When they examined the insulation in the basement, they discovered rotting boards and more mold.

When the town health officer and building inspector checked the house, they found too many health hazards and structural defects that they had to condemn the house. A mold test showed that several kinds of mold have been growing on the exterior walls, on the roof and in the basement.

The Bennetts are devastated and are at a loss why the house inspector they hired did not see the mold and the structural defects.

They said they saved for three years for a down payment and to build a good credit record to qualify for a home loan.

The Bennetts are planning to sue the house inspection company and the former owners of the house. Meanwhile, they do not know yet where to go.

The case of the Bennetts illustrates the importance of spending effort and time to choose qualified house inspectors. Professional and thorough house inspection should be at the top of home buyers’ priorities as this determines whether a house purchased becomes a dwelling or a nightmare for the family.

Home Inspection

You can lower your monthly energy bill by hiring an Energy Star-certified house inspector to conduct your home inspection.

Energy Star, a program jointly run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, aims to help families save money on their energy bills and at the same time protect the environment by using energy efficient materials and products and applying energy efficient practices.

Energy Star claims that households can save about one-third on their energy bills without sacrificing comfort if they practice Energy Star recommendations.

By applying energy efficient practices, homeowners will not only help themselves, they will also help cut down greenhouse gas emissions which are destroying the environment.

Home inspection professionals who are trained and certified by Energy Star are sometimes called energy raters or energy auditors.

They are trained to evaluate existing energy efficiency devices, check the energy efficiency of appliances and find ways by which the homeowner can save some more on energy bills without sacrificing comfort.

The cost of hiring a home inspection professional with Energy Star certification ranges from $500 to 800, but this cost will easily be covered by thousands of dollars in utility savings in the long term.

Inspectors conducting energy efficiency home inspection will check the insulation in walls and in the attic, the seals of windows and the energy efficiency performance of appliances and mechanical systems in the house.

One of the modern ways used by inspectors to conduct energy efficiency home inspection is the use of thermography or thermal imaging. A thermal imaging equipment is a customized digital camera that detects and measures heat present on a surface or inside a material. The equipment represents the detected heat through digital images.

A home inspector trained in thermography will be able to interpret the digital images and will be able to follow up on the findings and confirm them. The thermograph is handy for checking insulation and moisture penetration, although it can be used also for other home inspection activities.

Areas or parts of the house not easily accessible during home inspection can be evaluated or checked through the use of the thermal imaging camera.

However, there are a lot of Energy Star-certified house inspectors who can conduct energy efficiency home inspection using conventional inspection devices. What is important is the ability of the home inspector to identify energy efficiency strategies that you can improve or install to lower your energy bills.

Home Inspection

Some prospective homebuyers forego professional house inspection when buying as-is properties for sale because the sellers are not obliged to make repairs anyway, so prospective buyers would just depend on their own home inspection.

But the as-is sales condition should all the more prod prospective homebuyers to conduct professional house inspection. There could be serious conditions in the homes that are not immediately visible and are not noticed by the homebuyers because of their inexperience or their excitement in finally buying a home.

In a typical as-is home purchase contract, the buyer accepts the current condition of the house as of contract date, home inspection date or settlement date. The seller does not make any guarantee concerning the physical condition of the house, the appliances in the house and other systems inside and outside of the house.

The contract also specifies that the seller has no obligation to repair any defect in the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, air conditioning or heating systems of the house.

The only thing required in as-is properties for sale is the good working condition of smoke detectors. This requirement also depends on current regulations in states where the as-is property is located.

Based on real estate data, most distressed homes available in the market are being sold under the as-is sales condition. Even banks are selling many of their real estate-owned properties or bank-owned foreclosure homes under the as-is condition.

Also, because many banks do not have property maintenance departments, they turn off the utilities of their distressed properties to winterize them, putting prospective home buyers in a dilemma of whether to take the time and effort to de-winterize the properties to conduct a more thorough home inspection or just leave the matter to chance.

In the conventional as-is sales contract, the seller is not obliged to have the utilities turned on so that a complete house inspection could be carried out.

On the other hand, a home purchase sales contract with a house inspection contingency means that the completion of the home sale will depend on the result of the professional house inspection, which includes radon contingency inspection in many contracts.

The contract states the deadline of the house inspection and also specifies that the utilities are turned on during home inspection.

After the house inspection is carried out, the seller and the buyer or their agents negotiate about defects detected during inspection. Both buyer and seller have the right to cancel the contract if they cannot agree on what is to be done after the house inspection.

Home Inspection

One of the most common misconceptions in home inspection and home buying is the use of the home inspection report to oblige the seller to remedy the defects identified during the inspection or to make the needed repairs described in the report.
The truth is that the obligation of the seller to make repairs depends [...]

Home Inspection

Houses in Florida are not only in danger of being battered by hurricanes; they are also at risk of being clobbered by termites. So if your house is in Florida, have a house inspection conducted by a professional home inspector specializing in termite inspection.
In Florida, there are several species of termites that can destroy houses [...]

Home Inspection

Your house could become an accident prone area if you fail to fix defective equipment or systems. To keep your house safe, you should conduct a home inspection either by yourself or with the help of a professional house inspector.
But if you are occupying an old house that has not been inspected by a professional [...]

Home Inspection

Although all systems and parts of a house are essential and therefore should all be examined thoroughly in home inspection, the plumbing system should receive some extra attention because it is one of the most often needed systems of the house.
We all drink water, clean our bodies with water, cook with water, and so on. [...]

Home Inspection

Home buyers like you may be surprised to know that the examination of furnace heat exchangers is not included in a regular house inspection.
You may also be frustrated to know that the reason for the exclusion is the prevalence of frivolous suits in the country. The house inspection industry has chosen to protect house [...]

Home Inspection

Foreclosure homes provide price opportunities for buyers, but they can also become pits that swallow buyers’ savings if they are purchased without professional house inspection.
House inspection would show defects undetected by the prospective home buyer and would help determine if the asking price is reasonable.
Bill Richardson, president of the 6,000-member 80-chapter American Society of [...]

Home Inspection

Whatever your reasons for obtaining a home inspection, there are several things that you need to check and do to pass the home inspection.
If you are obtaining a home inspection for loan refinancing, home equity loan or for listing because you are selling your house, you need to do the following so that your house [...]

Home Inspection