When you are looking to make a home purchase, the process can take quite some time. In most cases, viewing many properties and then eliminating until you have a shortlist of the best opportunities for you & the family is a great way of avoiding stress. With so many important decisions that need attention when making such a critical choice, one of the most beneficial choices is to consider a home inspection.
As mentioned above, many different factors demand your attention. The reason that you pay close attention to a home inspection is that it can help you avoid the “money pit” some homes will inevitably be. The results of a professional home inspection in the end helps determine whether you are making a wise investment. Knowing that the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems are up to date and working properly can make a big difference in buying.
Ideally, the prospective property ought to have a thorough in-depth inspection, but in some cases this service is overlooked. By electing not to have an inspection, you might be asking for financial difficulty and years of unsettled family life due to constant home repairs.
A trained home inspector is worth their weight in gold. Years of experience inspecting thousands of different homes in the Central Florida area in ensuring you the most accurate inspection report, plus digital pictures of all items needing fixed are provided.
Make sure that hiring a home inspection is high on your list of priorities. Keep in mind, paying out a few hundred dollars on an inspection at the right time could mean saving thousands of dollars and time several years down the road.
Don’t disregard a home inspection thinking it as irrelevant. It’s possible it will keep you in the blue and out of the red in your property investment.
There are many decisions to be made by both interested parties (buyer/seller) when it comes to a home listing. One of the most important and beneficial decisions for each to make, which is to decide if he or she should hire an inspection service.
Here are the main reasons both buyers and sellers should consider a home inspection service:
In some cases, the buyer will not have to cover the cost of a home inspection. The buyer can ask the seller to cover the costs and in most situations, if it “seals the deal,” the seller is happy to cover the home inspection costs and services.
Home inspectors check beyond the exterior and don’t mind accessing crawl spaces to evaluate what lies beneath. This is very helpful in getting a proper and accurate report of the property condition.
Many professional companies offer specialist services including radon, mold, well-water testing, and termite inspections. Termites have a real possibility of destroying a structure and in the process a homeowner’s finances. So make sure to have a termite inspection.
A completed home inspection report will give the buyer/seller a realistic and accurate evaluation of the life expectancy of all appliances connected to the home. (e.g. HVAC system, electrical wiring, plumbing systems, etc.).
Structural damage is very costly to repair if the damage has progressed and deteriorated through years of neglect. A home inspector gives an precise accounting of the home structure, including roof and foundation.
A home inspector can be picky, and rightfully so, it’s their livelihood to find issues other people would overlook and disregard. Overall, a home inspection is for the benefit of the buyer or seller who need the information to go ahead with the sale or renegotiate the original asking price. Whether buying or selling make hiring a home inspection service the number one concern.
Whether you are purchasing a home with a well system or currently living in a home with a well, a water test is highly recommended to determine the drinkability and quality of your water. CFBI has performed hundreds of well water tests many times for FHA or VA financing requirements. FHA water tests have their own set of parameters for testing the well water. The 3 main areas covered in this water analysis are:
Chemicals - Nitrates & Nitrites
Bacteria - E. Coli & Total Coliform
Lead
We also have the option of testing for any number of well water contaminants such as; pesticides, arsenic, radon gas, and many other metals and compounds you have be concerned about. Florida well water many times has a strong sulfur smell that can make drinking unpleasant. Central Florida Building Inspectors can perform a certified well water test for your Orlando Florida well system to determine its safety. Many times the results will be available within 5 days but can depend on the type of well water sampling requested.
The EPA suggests an annual test of your well water to, at the minimum, evaluate the bacteria & nitrate levels in your drinking water. We can provide routine testing for your home on an annual basis. Don’t let your family’s health be in jeopardy.
Polybutylene is a potable water supply piping that was used in many houses built throughout the 1980’s and into the early 90’s. This particular plumbing system has had a checkered history and has a much higher propensity to leak and cause water damage to your house than other plumbing systems available. It is usually a grey plastic with blue/red markings and can be seen throughout the house at the various ‘wet areas’ e.g. bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms.
Over time, chemicals used to treat the potable water react with the plumbing material and fittings, eventually leading to leaks and sometimes complete failure of the plumbing system. This can spell disaster for some homeowners who get caught off-guard. In extreme cases, repairs may cost tens of thousands of dollars and may render the structure unsafe to inhabit. Mold growth and moisture damage will occur if this issue goes unnoticed or is hidden inside the walls.
Leaking Polybutylene
Throughout the 80’s and early 90’s, many houses were being build throughout the Central Florida area. Polybutylene is not as uncommon as you may think it is. Hiring experienced Orlando Home Inspectors to determine whether or not this type of plumbing is present in a house you or a client of yours is interested in buying is of the utmost importance. We at Central Florida Building Inspectors, Inc. have seen hundreds of houses with Polybutylene plumbing systems and can let you know if you have this type of piping. CFBI can also perform a full home and mold inspection to determine if any problems may be present as a result of this plumbing.
