Water penetration in attic
Buyer’s Pre-purchase / Pre-existing Home Inspection
While I do perform final inspections for buyers of new constructed homes, I also perform end of builder (1) year Warranty Inspections. However, the most common of all inspections that I am ask to perform for a potential buyer is a pre-purchase inspection of an existing home. It is conducted adhering to standards established by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC).
The second purpose of an inspection is education. Most everything that you purchase comes with an owner’s manual, except your home. A Professional Home Inspector with years of experience can inform and educate like no one else. You will have a whole new level of understanding of your home by the time this inspection is complete.
New Construction / Final Walk-Through Inspection
Just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s perfect, I can assure you it’s not. Most if not all homes fit this category. As a buyer of a new home you should have it carefully inspected for defects. Shoddy workmanship is rampant as most builders cut construction costs to the bone in order to increase their profit and/or they are simply unable to find qualified tradesmen to perform the multiple task that go into the construction of a new home. A New Construction Home Inspection/ Final Walk-through Inspection covers all the structural components & mechanical systems with the emphasis on current building standards.
End of Builder (1) Year Warranty Inspection
If you are living in a new construction home, you need to know how the home is performing. This is particularly critical when a builder’s first year of warranty coverage is about to expire. You lose a lot of traction with a builder at the 12 month mark. I will inspect all of the items normally evaluated during a pre-purchase residential home inspection with emphasis on current building standards. Even if you had the home inspected before you moved in, consider the first year the “break in period” and have it checked between the 10th and 12th month.
Seller’s/Pre-Listing Home Inspection
If you are thinking about listing your home, it is important to understand that eventually a potential buyer will likely have the home inspected. You can either let the buyer take control after their inspector provides his report, or you can take control now.
- – It allows you to see your home through the eyes of a neutral third-party.
- – It helps you to price your home realistically.
- – It helps validate your mandatory disclosure, decreases your liability and can relieve a prospect’s concerns and suspicions.
- – It allows you to make repairs ahead of time so that items requiring attention won’t become negotiating stumbling blocks or deal breakers later, and you will have the time to get reasonably priced & competent contractors.
- – It may alert you of items of immediate personal concern, such as a life / safety or active termite infestation.
Termite/Wood Destroying Insect (WDI) Inspection
What are wood destroying insects? In the Austin area there are various wood destroying insects, some examples include termites, carpenter ants, and wood boring beetles. In the Austin area, termites and carpenter ants are the wood destroying insects that cause most of the damage.
Wood destroying insects, such as termites and carpenter ants, can go undetected for years, silently and invisibly destroying the structural integrity of your home without your knowledge. Treatments and structural repairs can cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
That’s why you should consider having a termite/wood destroying insect (WDI) inspection when buying or selling a home.