Buyers
Home Inspections
Smart Townhome Buyers Secure an Inspection
For your peace of mind, a professional home inspection is a critical aspect of the townhome purchase process. It's extremely important to understand what a home inspection entails, and what the inspector does during an actual inspection. To begin with, a home inspector must earn and maintain aVirginia license to engage in this work. The primary reason for this is your protection as a consumer.
What Do Home Inspectors Do?
Next, let's talk about the work that inspectors do. Home inspectors are trained to observe the visual clues and warning signs associated with structural problems in a home, and make a thorough inspection on that basis. Home inspectors are NOT structural engineers and do not make a complete structural analysis of the residence. To provide this level of service, home inspectors would need to rip open walls just to start that type of detailed evaluation of your home.
Check Home Systems
Home inspectors also check to insure every electrical outlet in the townhome is working properly. The circuit breaker box is also examined for damaged or frayed wiring of any kind. The heating and air conditioning systems are tested for proper function. All built-in appliances are tested to verify proper working order. Plumbing is carefully checked in every room in which it applies. Faucets and toilets are checked for proper operation and visually available pipes are checked for leaks. Although home inspectors are not environmental specialists, they do check the home for any un-safe or hazardous conditions such as mold spores.
Preventing Unwanted Surprises
This will obviously help to prevent you from purchasing atownhome with a major defect or one that requires too much expensive maintenance. Never waive your right to a thorough home inspection by a licensed professional. What could be worse than suddenly finding out that there are major defects with the townhome you have just purchased? A licensed inspector takes all appropriate measures to make sure that you are comfortable with the condition of your newhome and all its major systems.
Empowering Townhome Buyers!
Secure in the knowledge that only a professional home inspection report can bring, our clients are able to feel at ease about the decision to purchase a townhome. The home buying process is demanding enough without surprises to deal with. A thorough and professional home inspection ensures that you are well informed about the townhome being purchased.
What Is Involved In A Typical Home Inspection:
- Siding: Look for water damaged (puckered) boards, dents or buckling
- Foundations: Look for cracks in the mortar joints and water seepage
- Exterior Brick: Look for cracked bricks or mortar pulling away from bricks
- Insulation: Look for overall condition, and insure the R value is adequate for climate
- Doors and Windows: Examine overall condition and check for loose or tight fits, condition of locks, and condition of weather-stripping
- Roof: Look for age and condition, review condition of flashing, check for pooling water, buckled shingles, or loose gutters and downspouts
- Ceilings, walls, and moldings: Look for loose pieces and determine if drywall is pulling away from framing
- Porch/Deck: Look for water damaged post and loose railings or step, rot
- Electrical: Look for condition of fuse box/circuit breakers, number of outlets in each room
- Plumbing: Look for poor water pressure, banging pipes, rust spots or corrosion that indicate leaks, check for sufficient insulation
- Water Heater: Look for age, size adequate for house, speed of recovery, energy rating and check for leaks
- Furnace/Air Conditioning: Look for age, energy rating; Furnaces are rated by annual fuel utilization efficiency; the higher the rating, the lower your fuel bill costs. Other factors such as payback period and other operating costs, such as electricity to operate motors impact overall efficiency.
- Garage: Look at exterior to determine if structure is in good repair; check condition of the floor—cracks, stains, etc.; condition of the overhead door mechanism and motor
- Basement: Look for water leaks and musty smell
- Attic: Ensure attic is adequately ventilated. Check for water leaks from roof
- Septic Tanks (if applicable): Adequate absorption field capacity for the percolation rate in your area and the size of your family. Determine if/when tank was last emptied
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Driveways/Sidewalks: Check for cracks, heaving pavement, crumbling near edges, stains, tree root causing cracks or buckling