Many people labour under the misconception that a professional home inspection is not required if they are buying a newly constructed home. Well, it is not like that. It is not enough that builder has assured you at the walk-through that everything is perfect or that the house has been "passed off" by the local building department. Before you proceed and decide to buy a newly constructed home, you must get it inspected thoroughly by a qualified home inspector as you would do in the case of an old home.
The Builders
A big difference in home building today is the way companies are structured. The fact is that most of the nationally recognized, award-winning builders are really no better than the local workforce and the supervision watching over them. Therefore, it is not at all prudent to go by the words of the builders. It is very important for you to get the home inspection performed thoroughly by a qualified home inspector.
You need an un-biased third party
When it comes to buying a home, whether old or newly constructed, you cannot believe everything the sellers or the builders say to you. After all, they are selling the home for profit and the chances are high that this will hide some of the major flaws associated with the home. Therefore, you do need to get everything inspected yourself. You need an advocate. You need a hired set of eyes. It is an un-biased third party that can inform you through a thorough home inspection of any or all visible or possible components that were not installed properly or may be defective.
The Method of Home Inspection for newly constructed Homes
You must keep in mind that it really does not matter if you are performing the home inspection for a newly constructed home or for the one that was built 50 years ago. You should get both kinds of homes inspected thoroughly in the same manner – systematically. Again, As long as you have the builder and his supporting cast of sub-contractors, you are well served by having the home thoroughly inspected by a qualified, professional inspector. The report and the documentation you get will send a strong message to the builder that you are informed and expect the building to exhibit proper building component applications.
What if you did not performe a thorough home inspection the newly built home that you bought recently? Well, there is nothing much to worry about basically as the builder is responsible for up to 10 years on certain component applications. But, it is certainly going to create difficulty of you in getting things settled later. Therefore, act prudently and do perform the home inspection even if you are buying a newly constructed home. Gettiong the services of a competent builder to construct the house and later the the correct inspection is crucial to close a winning home buying for you.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
How Long Should The Home Inspection Take?
Always remember that a thorough home inspection can never be done in an hour or less – no matter what the size of the home. As per the standard, a thorough inspection of the home on an averaged sized home i.e. 1500-2500 sq. ft. should last 2-4 hours. Thus, in no case, can a home inspector perform a thorough inspection in an hour or less, regardless of his or her qualifications, certifications, or experience.
Things to look out for
There are various home inspectors that claim and they often do the home inspection – irrespective of the size of the home – in an hour or less. Therefore, if you want to ensure a thorough and genuine inspection, you need to look into a number of things in order to make sure that the home inspector hired by you is not a one-hour inspector.
•Number of Home Inspections a day
The home inspectors who do the home inspection in an hour or less actually schedule too many inspections a day and rush through each home inspection to get to the next. Therefore, it is always prudent to go for the home inspector that performs one or two inspections a day. This way, you can make sure that the inspector will spend appropriate amount of time for home inspection.
•Not licensed or certified
If the home inspector is spending very little time on the home inspection, it is very much likely that he or she may not have the knowledge or experience to inspect a home properly. It is also very possible that the inspector is not licensed or certified. This might be the reason why the inspector is so fast in performing the inspection. Then it is worthless taking the services of such home inspectors because he or she may end up missing vital faults in the home or may even be oblivious to certain warning signs within a home.
•Have you priced them low?
Yes, this might also be the reason why the home inspector is taking so little time in doing the home inspection. If you have priced them low, they might not be very much dedicated towards the job. When it comes to home inspection, it simply means that if you pay them little, you are going to get little value as well. Again, if a home inspector is ready to work for you at a small fee, it is also possible that they are new to the field and are not very much experienced. This way, even if they take five hours of time to do the home inspection thoroughly, it is not going to be any worth for you.
Overall, it is very important for you to ensure that the an expert professional that you are hiring for home inspection does not inspect by the hour and instead does a thorough, diligent job.
Things to look out for
There are various home inspectors that claim and they often do the home inspection – irrespective of the size of the home – in an hour or less. Therefore, if you want to ensure a thorough and genuine inspection, you need to look into a number of things in order to make sure that the home inspector hired by you is not a one-hour inspector.
•Number of Home Inspections a day
The home inspectors who do the home inspection in an hour or less actually schedule too many inspections a day and rush through each home inspection to get to the next. Therefore, it is always prudent to go for the home inspector that performs one or two inspections a day. This way, you can make sure that the inspector will spend appropriate amount of time for home inspection.
•Not licensed or certified
If the home inspector is spending very little time on the home inspection, it is very much likely that he or she may not have the knowledge or experience to inspect a home properly. It is also very possible that the inspector is not licensed or certified. This might be the reason why the inspector is so fast in performing the inspection. Then it is worthless taking the services of such home inspectors because he or she may end up missing vital faults in the home or may even be oblivious to certain warning signs within a home.
•Have you priced them low?
Yes, this might also be the reason why the home inspector is taking so little time in doing the home inspection. If you have priced them low, they might not be very much dedicated towards the job. When it comes to home inspection, it simply means that if you pay them little, you are going to get little value as well. Again, if a home inspector is ready to work for you at a small fee, it is also possible that they are new to the field and are not very much experienced. This way, even if they take five hours of time to do the home inspection thoroughly, it is not going to be any worth for you.
Overall, it is very important for you to ensure that the an expert professional that you are hiring for home inspection does not inspect by the hour and instead does a thorough, diligent job.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Home Inspection – Hiring A Home Inspector
If you are considering buying a home, you are likely to go for a thorough home inspection in order to find out if the home is in proper condition and that there are no major flaws associated with your home. If the precaution is not taken, you might have to incur huge losses after you have purchased the home. However, if you keep in mind a number of things while putting your home up for inspection and hire a home inspector, then your relieved of the pressure of worrying about a well-constructed home.
What To Look Out For
Following are some of the important things that you must look out for in order to ensure that the home inspector hired by you is going to fit in with the objective of the home inspection.
•License
There are certain states that require home inspector licensing while others do not. If you are purchasing your home in a state that requires licensing, do not forget to ask for the inspectors’ FULL license number. It is better to write it down and keep it with yourself. This is also important to ensure that either he or she is a fully licensed professional for home inspection or else a skilled an intern or apprentice.
•Training
A thorough home inspection is going to decide the fate of the deal for you. If you have gotten it done properly, you are certainly going to have a fair deal. On the other hand, if the inspector does not do it thoroughly and skips some of the major flaws in the home, it is certainly going to place you in a position of loss in future. Therefore, make sure the inspector had formal training from a recognized training school. You should always keep in mind that there is no single trade that qualifies someone to move into the field of home inspection without extensive training.
•Experience
When it comes to experience of the home inspector, it really does not matter much if the inspector has been working in this field for several years. In fact, the total number of home inspections completed by him or her is more important than the number of years of experience. Therefore, do not forget to ask how many inspections the inspector completes in a year. At least 200 or over would be a good standard.
•How long will the home Inspection take?
Always keep in mind that short home inspection simply means poor quality. It is a job that needs to be done thoroughly. The inspector has to look into all the small and big details associated with the home. A thorough home inspection on an averaged sized home i.e. 1500-2500 sq. ft. should last 2-4 hours. If you keep in mind this standard, you can easily have an idea of how much time it should take for the home inspection in your chosen home.
Overall, a thorough home inspection by a qualified home inspector is very important. Therefore, do keep in mind the above things while hiring a home inspector. The inspector can end up missing conditions or they may even be oblivious to certain warning signs within a home.
What To Look Out For
Following are some of the important things that you must look out for in order to ensure that the home inspector hired by you is going to fit in with the objective of the home inspection.
•License
There are certain states that require home inspector licensing while others do not. If you are purchasing your home in a state that requires licensing, do not forget to ask for the inspectors’ FULL license number. It is better to write it down and keep it with yourself. This is also important to ensure that either he or she is a fully licensed professional for home inspection or else a skilled an intern or apprentice.
•Training
A thorough home inspection is going to decide the fate of the deal for you. If you have gotten it done properly, you are certainly going to have a fair deal. On the other hand, if the inspector does not do it thoroughly and skips some of the major flaws in the home, it is certainly going to place you in a position of loss in future. Therefore, make sure the inspector had formal training from a recognized training school. You should always keep in mind that there is no single trade that qualifies someone to move into the field of home inspection without extensive training.
•Experience
When it comes to experience of the home inspector, it really does not matter much if the inspector has been working in this field for several years. In fact, the total number of home inspections completed by him or her is more important than the number of years of experience. Therefore, do not forget to ask how many inspections the inspector completes in a year. At least 200 or over would be a good standard.
•How long will the home Inspection take?
Always keep in mind that short home inspection simply means poor quality. It is a job that needs to be done thoroughly. The inspector has to look into all the small and big details associated with the home. A thorough home inspection on an averaged sized home i.e. 1500-2500 sq. ft. should last 2-4 hours. If you keep in mind this standard, you can easily have an idea of how much time it should take for the home inspection in your chosen home.
Overall, a thorough home inspection by a qualified home inspector is very important. Therefore, do keep in mind the above things while hiring a home inspector. The inspector can end up missing conditions or they may even be oblivious to certain warning signs within a home.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Permits For Home Renovation
If you are planning home renovation, it would be advisable to find out whether you would need any permit from the city and if so, what type of permit would be needed. Each municipality has its own set of rules for obtaining permits for home renovation work. Moreover, the rules of the municipalities stipulate that certain types of renovation work need permits whereas other types do not need them. It’s, therefore, necessary to make proper inquiries and abide by the statutory requirements of the local building codes and ensure the safety of your home and maintain its resale potential.
Abide By Municipal Rules
The stipulations governing the parameters of the distances, sizes, heights and other items vary from one municipality to another. Whereas some of the approved measurements are based on safety and structural considerations, others are merely arbitrary. In spite of that, you should make sure that you become aware of the same and abide by the stipulations before undertaking your home renovation work.
Certain types of home renovation work such as electrical or plumbing work in a wall necessitate that the work is inspected before you can cover it with drywall. You can get the permit for such work only if you you’ve had the inspections done at the desired stages.
Get The Permits In your Name
You should also be careful regarding getting the permits in your name and not in the name of the building contractor. This is essential as you can be left high and dry in case the permit is in the name of the contractor and you decide to fire him mid-way or if he decides to leave or if he cannot complete the home renovation work. You would then have to go through the routine once more and spend extra money.
You should not be led astray by people telling you that you can do the home renovation work without bothering about the permits. You must check up with the relevant municipality yourself and abide by their city codes to avoid problems in future. If you don’t follow the rules and carry out the changes without the necessary permits, you will face problems if you wish to sell the property. You will then have to bring the work to the standards of the city code and get the permits. This could prove to be a costly mistake.
You must remember that normally permits are always needed for home renovation and as such it would be advisable to contact the building department of your local city municipality and find out which permits would be required and the procedure to be followed for getting these permits. You should also take the permits in your name and ensure that necessary inspections are done as and when necessary. As they say, a stitch in time can save nine.
Abide By Municipal Rules
The stipulations governing the parameters of the distances, sizes, heights and other items vary from one municipality to another. Whereas some of the approved measurements are based on safety and structural considerations, others are merely arbitrary. In spite of that, you should make sure that you become aware of the same and abide by the stipulations before undertaking your home renovation work.
Certain types of home renovation work such as electrical or plumbing work in a wall necessitate that the work is inspected before you can cover it with drywall. You can get the permit for such work only if you you’ve had the inspections done at the desired stages.
Get The Permits In your Name
You should also be careful regarding getting the permits in your name and not in the name of the building contractor. This is essential as you can be left high and dry in case the permit is in the name of the contractor and you decide to fire him mid-way or if he decides to leave or if he cannot complete the home renovation work. You would then have to go through the routine once more and spend extra money.
You should not be led astray by people telling you that you can do the home renovation work without bothering about the permits. You must check up with the relevant municipality yourself and abide by their city codes to avoid problems in future. If you don’t follow the rules and carry out the changes without the necessary permits, you will face problems if you wish to sell the property. You will then have to bring the work to the standards of the city code and get the permits. This could prove to be a costly mistake.
You must remember that normally permits are always needed for home renovation and as such it would be advisable to contact the building department of your local city municipality and find out which permits would be required and the procedure to be followed for getting these permits. You should also take the permits in your name and ensure that necessary inspections are done as and when necessary. As they say, a stitch in time can save nine.
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