Home Buyer’s Inspection
As a home buyer, you have a right to know exactly what a typical home inspection is. The following information should give you a better understanding of what a Buyer’s Inspection by Your Home Inspector in San Antonio will and will not do for you during the course of the home inspection. First and foremost, a home inspection is a visual survey of those easily accessible areas that an inspector can clearly see. No destructive testing or dismantling is done during the course of an inspection, therefore an inspector can only you exactly what was clearly in evidence at the time and date of the inspection. Our inspector’s eyes are not any better than the buyers, except that the inspector is trained to look for specific signs, anomalies, and clues that may lead to the discovery of actual or potential defects or deficiencies. Inspectors base their inspections on the Standards of Practice provided to them by the Texas Real Estate Commission. These Standards tell what the inspector must and can do as well as what the inspector is not required to do. (We always give a copy of the Standards to our clients. If your inspector has not given you a copy, ask for one.) If our inspector suspects a problem, he will report it to you and may recommend further evaluation by a licensed technician or engineer.
During the home inspection process, our inspector uses moisture meters, electrical meters, gas-leak detector, infrared camera, and other state-of-the-art equipment as needed. His inspections exceed the minimum standards required by the Texas Real Estate Commission. That is why your inspection is liable to take 4 hours or more as compared to the 2 hours that some inspectors spend on an inspection. Above all, the inspection is done with your health and safety in mind. Therefore, he checks for gas leaks, carbon monoxide, moisture intrusion, signs of mold, faulty electrical, and improper framing where needed. Your Home Inspector in San Antonio keeps an eye out for energy efficiency. As such, insulation and ventilation are key elements. He uses a precision pressurized hydrostatic altimeter or a laser level to measure the elevations of the foundation. The buyer is encouraged to attend and ask questions about anything that they do not understand.
- Are all of the electrical receptacles properly wired for proper polarity?
- Does the attic space and crawl space have sufficient ventilation?
- Is your roof flashed properly?
- Is your roof installed properly?
- Will the GFCI receptacles trip properly?
- Is your water heater properly connected?
- Is your electrical panel properly grounded?
- Is there rotted wood on the exterior of the house?
- Are your drains properly trapped to prevent sewer gases from entering the house?
- Is your fuel burning gas furnace vented properly?
- Are there hidden signs of water intrusion?
The average time for a buyer’s inspection on a typical 3 bedroom home usually takes 3-1/2 to 4 hours, depending upon the number of bathrooms, kitchens, fireplaces, attics, etc., that have to be inspected. Inspections that take less than two hours typically are considered strictly cursory walk-through inspections and provide the client with less information than a full inspection. Inspectors typically do not provide warranties or guaranties with their inspections and reports. Buyers should therefore not rely on the inspection as any form of insurance policy against any latent, hidden, concealed or future defects and deficiencies. The following are also some key items that buyers should remember and consider when reviewing their inspection reports:
- Home inspections are not code compliance evaluations.
- Inspection reports are not structural engineering reports.
- Systems and components that are off during the inspection are not tested or reactivated.
- Buyers should consult with and ask questions of owners and their representatives.
- Roofs over 5/12 pitch, and their components, are typically inspected from ground level or edge of roof.
- Reports are confidential and are meant for the exclusive use of the client.
- Inspectors typically will not find each and every defect in a building, hence buyers should anticipate future typical defects and deficiencies.
- Further evaluation by specialists is recommended for any areas showing defects/deficiencies.
- A final walk-through inspection should be carried out the day before passing by the new owners to double check the condition of the building.