by cfbi1 | Sep 23, 2013 | Home Inspection
Home inspectors consider and assess many aspects of a home, in order to give a professional and accurate report on the home for sale. The report includes what needs fixed internally and externally in the structure. One of the more important factors, (although they are all important) is the foundation of the building.
Today is a great opportunity to clear things up and provide an explanation on foundation inspections.
It is essential, as well as, required by law that any building structure must have a solid and sound foundation, as listed in the official regulations. The reason for this is it must support the weight of whatever is built on top of it. If the foundation is not built correctly, then whatever structure built on top of it will likely fall to the ground, or start to crack, due to an unstable and unsafe foundation.
In all cases, it’s very important to have a professional, qualified home inspector evaluate the house or investment property. Yes, you might be “in the know” of construction and spotting repairs, but it’s smart to have a trained professional lend expertise on what he/she finds wrong in the house.
A home inspector review includes the following:
- Ensuring the floor is smooth and level. If they are not level, this could indicate and/or point to possible foundation issues under the flooring
- Walls will be checked for structural cracks.
- The surrounding area above doorways is checked for cracks and crevices.
- All windows, surrounding areas, electric wiring, HVAC system, and more (read a full list of inspection items, here)
It’s important to recognize that serious foundation issues are often caused due to the soil settlement. This does potentially have the capacity to pull apart your home and leave it all askew and unsafe.
If the Home inspector has determined the foundation unstable, then the next step is to contact a qualified, professional contractor to assess the damage and decide if the foundation can be fixed without knocking down the structure.
It’s the responsibility of the home inspection to point out structural and system faults in a home, so whether you’re buying, or selling, it is very important to seek out the services of a professional home inspection company.
by cfbi1 | Sep 18, 2013 | Home Inspection
A professional visual home/commercial inspection includes review of the full property site. The building’s exterior is closely evaluated, the roof will undergo a thorough inspection, with chimney, attic, and crawlspaces all checked. A full inspection of the current heating and plumbing system that is in place and their functioning within the property in question.
Professional companies will specialize and understand the importance of having access to crawlspaces in order for them to correctly evaluate the condition of the foundation and look at the structural issue within the crawl space. It’s also a great opportunity to find any plumbing or electrical issues located within the crawl space.
An experienced company will disclose if there is to be any additional construction to the building under inspection and verify if it has been built under the correct construction and safety codes that apply. All built-in appliances within the home will be tested to ensure they are not malfunctioning and working correctly, as well as, energy and safety tests performed, the results and advice from those tests will be clearly explained.
If the home you are looking to buy, or perhaps sell was built prior to 1960, then our extensive report will answer the very important seven seismic disclosure questions, these are questions that the seller must provide the answers to for the potential buyer.
It’s important to know that a home inspection does not grade a home on worn down carpets or torn wall paper. Essentially, the inspector is looking for serious structural issues that if left in its current condition would be a hazard to the occupant’s life, and current on all health and safety codes in place. All areas will be checked for neglected maintenance and accurate repair cost will be reported. It is smart to have a home or commercial building properly evaluated before buying or selling.
by cfbi1 | Sep 11, 2013 | Home Inspection
There is no need to elaborate on just how important and crucial it is to have your potential home checked over by an experienced home inspection company. When the time comes for you to go and view your selected property it is a wise idea to have a ready prepared checklist to take with you. Below is a list with a few pointers on just what you should be looking to include on your own personal checklist.
Roof Condition
Arguably, one of the most important factors that should be high on the list to check is the roof. The roof should show no signs of sagging from end-to-end, but in some cases, the roof can be a victim of neglect. Keep your eyes open for water puddles on flat roofs. The existence of water puddles could mean incorrect drainage is not allowing the puddles to run into the gutter, as they should. Where and if possible, ask for a full history of previous repairs, and if any repairs has been made to the roof.
Wiring Hazards
The condition of the electrical wiring throughout the home must be checked, be on the lookout for any frayed wiring or live exposed wiring. Note: it is best to take an experienced inspector with you, in regards to making sure your safety is not at risk. All electrical outlets must be checked and not overlooked, keep an eye out for breaker boxes, which by law needs correct labeling.
Windows/Doors correctly functioning
You should be checking that all doors and windows work properly. Check all door locks to make certain they work to lock, safely securing the home. The windows need to be free from cracks or broken glass, and check it they open and lock.
Pests
Make sure your home is free from termites, wood boring insects, and carpenter beetles. These pests do a good job of destroying the wood within a structure. Remember to ask for report history on any pest inspection that has been performed.
There are many important factors that need to be checked and that is why it’s important that before you buy any home, you hire the services of a professional home inspection company.
by cfbi1 | Sep 10, 2013 | Home Inspection
It is said to be one of the most expensive, and one of the most important purchases of your lifetime, not your purebred dog, but investing in a home. The thing is with buying a home you do not get a money-back-guarantee, or return policy, like other products.
Once you buy a home and sign the deed, you are on your own and foot the bill of any repairs to keep the property well maintained. It is essential that you know about any potential problems and repairs that need done before officially buying the house.
The best way for you to determine if the home is safe and in proper living conditions is to hire the services of a professional home inspector to survey it. An experienced home inspector will review the house and evaluate it, check all the working and functioning components, how they affect each other, and how much “life” is left in them.
The home inspection evaluation should leave you with a list of repairs that are needing done and highlights areas, which have received repairs in the past. The purpose of a home inspection is to help the buyer understand the true and current condition of the home in question.
A pre-purchase home inspection lasts around 3-4 hours, when done correctly; it might cost anything upwards of $500.00. The cost is dependent on State location, and the home’s square footage. Once the inspection is completed in its entirety, the buyer will be handed a written, detailed report of the essential problems in the home.
An experienced home inspector will not hesitate to answer the difficult questions. One thing to remember is that it’s their job to educate the seller or the homebuyer on the home being sold. A inspection offers peace of mind before the biggest purchase of your life.
by cfbi1 | Sep 4, 2013 | Home Inspection
It has recently been found out that most home sales hang in the balance and are either swayed one way or the other by the experience of the home inspector involved in the sale. The National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI) have found out that potential home buyers don’t bother to check the credentials of the people they employ to carry out a home inspection on their property.
If you are looking to buy a home, and are in need of a professional qualified home inspection service, then Central Florida Building Inspectors can help. CFBI assist homebuyer’s and homeowner’s all around Florida buy and sell their homes effectively. Enlisting a professional home inspector to evaluate the state of the home, will help pinpoint any issues that need sorted before the home is sold or placed on the market.
To the inexperienced, the exterior of the home might look put-together, but there are situations where the ‘exterior’ is simply covering what is really happening on the inside. That’s why it’s important to have a professional experienced inspector carry out a pre-listing home inspection. They will be able to check all the important factors on the home, from the foundation to the roof, all will be checked to offer assurance that it is in proper safe condition for moving in.
You have the right to know that your home is safe and the foundations are correctly doing their job right. You don’t want to be locking the front door in the morning and coming back to your home being lifted off into the horizon by the latest gust of wind. (Florida is known for its unpredictable weather).
When looking for a professional company to execute the home inspection make sure that they have plenty of experience in the industry and have the credentials to back it up. A home inspection is there for you and is for your benefit, it can save you time and money when carried out appropriately.
