Why should a seller get a home inspection?

For what ever reason, you find yourself in a position where you need to sell your home. Before listing your home with a realtor, it is customary to try to do a little clean up, paint some walls and do some landscaping in hopes of making your home more appealing than the rest. One thing most sellers do not think of is getting a home inspection done. They tend to think that this type of  thing is only done by the buyer. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. A home inspection should actually be done by the seller too!

By getting a pre-listing home inspection done, the seller has the advantage of finding out what the actual current condition of their home really is. This inspection, which is done by a trained professional, takes somewhere between two to four hours to complete depending on the size of the house, number of bedrooms and baths. Areas that are covered in a typical home inspection include an evaluation of the roof, attic, plumbing, electrical, foundation, doors, windows and even crawlspaces. Although the inspector does not tear in to walls and such, they conduct a visual assessment of your home looking past all the cosmetic features for signs that lead to potential problems.

As a seller, you will want to be present when the home inspection is done. By tagging along with the inspector, you get to see first hand what they look for and how they uncover the problems. While you are there, you can also ask any questions that arise about the whole home inspection process. You are able to actually see the true condition of your home through the eyes of a trained professional by showing you what really lies beneath the surface.

Once the home inspection is complete, the seller will receive a written report that describes in detail the findings of the inspection. This is a very valuable tool for the seller as it makes you aware of things that will show up on the inspection that the buyer has done prior to closing. By knowing about the problems ahead of time, you have the opportunity to get estimates and then make the repairs as needed. If you didn’t have a pre-listing inspection done, you would be scrambling at the end of the process trying to get the necessary repairs done and in most cases, spending a lot more money to do this.

Bottom line, if you are planning to sell your house it is imperative that you get a pre-listing home inspection done before putting your home on the market. This gives you the peace of mind knowing that you have done everything possible to have your home in top selling condition and also eliminates the possibility of surprise problems that could surface as a result of the buyer’s home inspection. When it comes to selling your home, it is much easier and less painful to be proactive instead of reactive.

James Budrow

http://www.InspectSacto.com

1-877-IB4-UBuy (424-8289)

Why Should I Get a Home Inspection?

You are buying a house and the last thing you want to do is buy a house that isn’t a good deal.  You have all your friends and family giving you advice and telling you of their experiences, both good and bad, and on top of that you are listening to your agent who is sharing their thoughts with you too.  Needless to say, you are in information overload!  It is hard to filter through all the well meant information to decide what you really need to do to be sure the transaction will be a good one.  One thing that keeps coming up is the topic of Home Inspections.  You wonder if you really need a home inspection and is it worth the added expense to get one done when you look at the home and it looks great to you.

So, the question is, do you need a Home Inspection?  Let me sum it up in one word for you, YES you really need to get a home inspection done prior to buying any property.  Home Inspectors are trained professionals that know what to look for when evaluating a property.  What may seem like the “perfect” home to you quite possibly could have some sever problems that are not visible to the untrained eye.

The average home inspection will take approximately two to four hours to complete and will vary depending upon the number of bedrooms, baths, etc.  Home inspections cover almost every aspect of the home starting with the foundation, looking for structural integrity, roof, attic and crawlspaces, interior and exterior, electrical, plumbing, doors and windows and the mechanical systems such as the air conditioner and heating units.  While a home inspector can not dismantle or tear things down, they are trained to look for certain tell tale signs that indicate the possibility of a problem.  It is advisable that you be on site when the inspection is done.  This way, you actually see what the inspector sees as they go through the inspection process.  Another reason to be present is that it affords you the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have.

Once the home inspection is done, the inspector will provide you with a report detailing all the items inspected and his findings.  It is important that you get that report in writing so that you have proper documentation of the situations that they uncovered.  This report will outline the problems found and give possible suggestions to remedy the situation.  A great thing about an inspection report is that it also details the positive aspects of the home.

By getting a home inspection done, you will know upfront of any situations that may exist and what the estimated repair costs will be.  This will allow you to decide if the purchase would be a good investment.  By spending a little extra in the beginning and getting a home inspection, you could ultimately save a ton in the end.

James Budrow

http://www.inspectsacto.com

Home Inspection Misconceptions

With the increasing popularity of home inspections, today, most homes have undergone one prior to buying or selling.  The purpose of the inspection is to inform the potential buyer of the actual condition of the home.  This allows them to make educated decisions regarding the property.  Even though home inspections are so common, there are still several misconceptions surrounding them. 

Some people believe that home inspections are done so that the buyer can bargain for a lower price.  The major purpose of a home inspection is to alert the buyer of any significant situations that may have an adverse effect on the structural integrity of the home and any safety issues that this would cause especially ones that were omitted by the seller on the disclosure statement.   If such items are discovered, then it is ok to use the inspection results to renegotiate the pricing of the property.  The home inspection is not used to point out all the cosmetic imperfections of the property and in most cases; this type of thing is not even included in the report given by the inspector.   You do not want to nit pick over the small stuff.

Often times, it is thought that only “used homes” require a home inspection.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  It is just as important to get a new home inspected as it is a used one.  With new homes, there are many players in the game, subcontractors that perform their own specialized field of work.  Unfortunately, not all contractors can be trusted to do everything according to code and sometimes eliminate or take short cuts in order to trim costs.  There are many stipulations and contracts that come into play at closing time regarding the purchase of a new home and if your inspection isn’t done in a timely manner prior to closing, you could be putting yourself in a situation that is very problematic. 

Contrary to popular belief, not all home inspections are created equal!  It is so very important to have your home inspection done by a reputable, experienced inspector, one that has been thoroughly trained and knows what to look for.  They should be familiar with the guidelines and procedures that are to be followed in your area.  Be sure to check their credentials prior to hiring them and don’t be afraid to ask for references and most importantly, check those references out. 

Even though you have had another type of inspection done such as a pest inspection, code inspection or even an appraisal, don’t think that you are in good shape.  These types of inspection do not take the place of a comprehensive home inspection.  Each home inspection is followed up with a written report detailing all the findings of the inspection along with diagrams and sometime pictures of the issues found.  This way you can see exactly what they are talking about.  So, put your mind at ease and get a trained inspector to conduct your home inspection before you decide to buy.

James Budrow

HomeNetDirect.com

Home maintenance - key to selling your home faster for more money!

Here is an example of a home built around 1994. We see that the home did not have gutters installed around the roof eaves at the time the home was built. This was a common building practice when this home was built. Now, fifteen years later, the seller of the property would like to sell the home. The sellers think that a little paint here and a few repairs there and the home should be just like new. The problem with that philosophy is that the water falling from the roof for fifteen years has been splashing against the siding and window trims causing extensive wood deterioration. Most if not all of the window and door trims will have to be replaced. The bottom first story sections of the siding will have to be removed and replaced after the interior wall cavities are inspected for possible hidden deterioration of the framing members. 

The lesson to be learned here is this. If this home had received regular maintenance check-ups, the home owner would have known that spending a few hundred dollars on gutters to control moisture around the home would have saved many thousands of dollars over time.  The buyers who had planned on purchasing this home will not be spending the money to take care of these issues. Why you ask? They decided that the home needed too many repairs and have moved on to another home purchase. It is important to learn about and keep up on your home maintenance. If you don't have the time, hire someone to do it for you. In the long run it will be money well spent.

The major definition of what exactly biodiesel is basically any non-petroleum fuel which can be used in the same way that diesel can. Most variations of biodiesel are actually blends of biodiesel and diesel petroleum. When using this type of mixture, the biodiesel helps to clean out the engine that it is being run in. This increases the total performance of the engine. It runs much cleaner which also expands the life expectancy of the engine.

Another major use for biodiesel fuel technology is for heating homes. Instead of using pure oil, one can have a mixture of biodiesel put in to increase efficiency. Because of the ingredients of the biodiesel and how it burns, many of the lingering deposits left from burning regular oil will clear out of the heater's system fairly quickly. While this is great for the system in just about every respect, a person will have to spend a bit more energy and time making sure that the filters remain clear and able to work. The stuff that the biodiesel cleans out of the engine or heater will need to be removed promptly to ensure that it does not clog up.

The sources of biodiesel, though renewable in nature, are still limited for major use. Considering how much plant oil is needed to be able to take the place of gasoline in the amount consumed, the available land and fresh water needed to produce the biodiesel is just not there. Though, by changing what types of plants and oils are used, the industry may be able to concentrate the growing of oil rich plants in specific areas to increase the actual amount of biodiesel.

Many areas are actually requiring that biodiesel be available to drivers who are running their cars with the alternative type fuel. In some instances biodiesel is actually more economical for drivers to use, as it is priced cheaper. There are also city municipalities are running their vehicles such as buses and other city cars only on biodiesel fuel. In areas which pollution is a major factor, the use of biodiesel is helping to diminish the emissions which are produced by drivers.