Homeownership can be overwhelming when you consider the upkeep and constant need to check the structure is continually safe to live in. The best way to make certain all is right is to be diligent in your efforts to check the following elements on your home regularly. Have a look at your property and check for the issues below.
The Roof & Chimney
It must be stated that we do not advise you pluck up the courage and venture out onto the roof of your property. If possible, try to look over the roof from a save vantage point. It’s easy to spot missing roof tiles and slates from ground level. If you live in an older home with a fireplace, you will also be able to see the chimney stack and spot any obvious deterioration in the flashing or surrounding stonework.
The Downpipes & Gutters
Gutters and downpipes are easily blocked with debris causing water to overflow out and over the outer walls. Cleaning your gutters regularly, checking for cracks, and rust helps prevent any excess moisture in, which can cause serious damage to the interior of your home.
The Exterior Walls & Brickwork
If you have any cracks appearing in the brickwork or stonework, or find missing beds of mortar this can be dangerous to the structure, ensure you get it checked out. Having all the (brick) joints repointed will help make your home look cared for and boost sale opportunities.
The above are only a few areas out of many that need your attention, whether you already own the home, want to sell the home, or intend to buy it.
If you are unsure or have any questions about these different elements, a home inspection service is an excellent way to highlight all areas of concern on the house. In any case, you should always have a professional home inspection company carry out an in-depth evaluation on any property you are looking to sell or purchase.
When the time comes to sell your home, there are a number of ways you can do this; you can sell the property privately or you can do business with an agent. In any case, you will need to make sure that the property is ready for being placed on the market. Below are some simple steps to follow to make sure the sale & home inspection service runs smoothly and that the home impresses potential buyers.
1. Have you evaluated necessary repairs?
If your home hasn’t been renovated or updated in a while, then perhaps a seller’s home inspection service is a good idea. Having a pre-listing home inspection carried out allows a professional home inspector to clearly identify any areas of concern and highlight any necessary repairs. Once you have the completed report you can either decide to get the repairs fixed, or lower the initial asking price and sell “AS-IS” so buyers understand they are responsible for repairs.
2. Did you decide on the selling price?
View your home as a buyer would, study the local housing market trends make some comparisons, but try to be objective. What time do you have on your hands in order for the sale? You need to be cautious, if you are looking for a quick sale a reduced price could help push it through, so long as the amount is within appraisal value. Finally, set a goal of the lowest selling price you are willing to accept and do not go under it.
3. Thoroughly Clean your Home
Give your home a good once over and clean from top to bottom and remember to pay special attention to the bathroom(s), kitchen, and check the blinds are clean and dust free. Would you want to buy an old dirty dusty home? Making sure the home is clean gives out the right first impressions to any potential buyers. Buyers are looking to buy a property that looks in good condition and move-in ready.
Keep on top of your home’s repairs and maintenance; keep it in good condition, and the whole sale process should run like clockwork.
The service of a home inspection is a wonderful thing, it’s a great and effective way of knowing the true condition and real shape in which you’re home or potential home actually is. The reason you need a pre-purchase home inspection is because your new home used to be someone else’s old home. Yes, the old owner may have had a green thumb leaving you the best-looking garden in the neighborhood, or on the other hand, they could have painted their favorite color of pink over every wall in the home.
The main issue is not the landscape or painted walls it’s if the home was built, say over 50 years ago, then it could have issues regarding the safety of electrical wiring as the building standards and requirements have changed a lot in 50 years, plus it could mean the home is un-insurable because it’s high risk. That’s why a home inspection service is a worthy service. Having a qualified inspector evaluate your potential property and cast their experienced eye over it can never be a bad thing can it?
There is countless reason to why you should be hiring a professional home inspection company to look over a property that you are looking to buy. Some people put it off or decline it as they view a home inspection as added cost on an already strained budget. The simple answer to that assumption is that, yes, you may have to pay out a few hundred dollars to get one, but that few hundred dollars could save you thousands in the long run and help you avoid a property that is a money pit of major repairs.
After setting up your home inspection service appointment, it would be a good idea to attend. This will give you the perfect opportunity of the inspection process and let you see first-hand the true condition of the property and the ability to ask any questions that you may have.
In the past, a home inspection service was not really looked at, or considered as a necessity by those in the process of buying a home, or those going through a real estate transaction. Past buyers simply leaned on their own understanding and knowledge as the primary basis for whether or not they should buy the home they were looking at.
In most real estate purchases, the contract allows the buyer to hire at least one home inspector to inspect the property before any agreements, any final contract, or binding purchase agreement is signed.
This is no longer the case anyone looking to buy a house or property, in the middle of the process has the right to hire the services of a home inspection company. Keep in mind that the appraisal is not the same as the inspection report. Finding the right company does not need to be difficult all you need to do is set aside some time for researching the best companies in your area, and then start making calls.
After building a list that includes multiple home inspection companies keep a few things in mind and have expectations that they are required to meet. Things such as, which company replied to you the fastest and listened to what you actually needed? Which company was the most courteous and professional in their manner? What company offers the most trained and highly qualified inspectors?
The above points are very helpful in deciding the inspection company before buying a home. Do remember that when it comes to buying a home, it’s important to “check your emotions” at the door. Yes, you want that property, but if it has costly repairs, you need to know about it before making it your home. A home inspection is a valuable service.
For those who do not know, Radon is a colorless gas, which is radioactive, and is the second main cause of cancer in the USA today, the first is smoking. Radon is undetectable to the human nose as it has no odor, and as mentioned above, is colorless making it invisible to the human eye. If you are a smoker, then you are at risk and exposed to higher levels of radon in the atmosphere, and whoever lives in the home with you have an increased risk of lung cancer.
Here’s the thing, even if you are not a smoker, there is still a possible risk of radon poisoning. Radon is formed by natural breakdown of soil, as a result, the uranium in the broken down soil produces the emissions of radon gas. The radon gas can easily pass into both well-water systems, and enter the house through cracks in the foundation.
Even now the alarm bells should be ringing in your head, it is essential in any case that you hire the services of a home inspection company that include a radon test as part of their inspection services. Your health and your family’s health are priority and should be highly looked after.
A home inspection service is a great way of getting an experts opinion on the condition of your home and the overall safety of the property in question. If you are considering buying a home or are in the process of purchase then make sure that a home inspection is high on your list of priorities.
Make sure that you contact a professional company who can provide the service that you need; you deserve peace of mind and to live in a safe environment. A home inspection can help make this happen.
The air quality of your home should be at a safe and healthy level and needs to be free from pollutants. Therefore, it’s essential you are diligent to get to the bottom of and learn the cause of any air defects that are within your home, because it could be causing silent damage to your health. One of the top ways to determine air quality is with the help of a home inspector.
After you have hired a home inspection company to carry out an inspection make sure to mention that you want them to test the air quality within your home. The beauty of having a professional home inspector carry out an air quality test within your home is that they can successfully locate the source of the issue and then deal with it appropriately.
There are many forms of pollutants that can enter the air in your home, and these include radon gas, carbon monoxide, humidity, forms of dust mites, and other dangerous pollutants that are air born. That’s why it’s very important that you have the air quality within any property that you are looking to buy, or if you own the home, checked by a qualified professional home inspection company who offer specialist services.
According to a recent survey, it has been found that up to “90% of our time is spent indoors.” On this finding you would want to make sure that the air that you and your family are breathing every second is clean and pollutant-free promoting healthy well-being in general.
If any of your family is feeling unwell, or is suffering from random headaches, then it is vital that you have the quality of air in your home checked, and this can be done by hiring a professional home inspection company. This type of inspection ensures better living conditions for you and your family. Make the move choice and get the quality of your air tested within your home.
