Inspections – Is It 3 Strikes and They’re Out?
Home ownership is one of the most important ideas around the American Dream. When you’re ready to become a home owner, there are several things that need to occur before your dream becomes a reality. Aside from the rather obvious things like getting pre-approved for a loan and making an offer, there are multiple types of inspections to perform, which are discussed below.
- Home Inspection
This inspection is the main inspection and focuses on structural and mechanical aspects of your home. While this can differ from contract to contract, a home inspection is typically performed within 10 days of being under contract, by a home inspector, which is hired by the buyer. The home inspector will take several hours to inspect the inside and outside of the home including items like the electric, plumbing, appliances, heating, air conditioning, foundation, roof and attic. Once the inspection is done, a report is created outlining problem areas and things to keep in mind that could prove problematic in the future. This report can be used as a negotiating tool with the sellers when determining what items need to be fixed and who will pay for them.
- Chimney Inspection
During the home inspection, the inspector may quickly look over the chimney for obvious problems. However, if you want a chimney specialist to inspect the chimney, they will do a visual scan, with or without a camera, also typically within 10 days of being under contract. All chimney inspectors will look inside and out for problem areas like cracks, a broken crown, loose bricks and creosote build-up, to name a few. While this inspection is great to have, it’s not required.
- Radon Inspection
Radon inspections are also done by the home inspector within 10 days of being under contract and take 2 days to complete. Radon is a gas emitted from limestone so it is prevalent in areas that have a lot of limestone like Frederick and Washington Counties in Maryland. To complete this inspection, the inspector will set canisters on the lowest level of the house, since Radon is emitted from the ground, leave them there for 48 hours, and then send the canisters to the lab for testing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that any results over 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) be remediated.
Once the aforementioned inspections are done and buyers are still interested in moving forward with the home purchase, the following inspections are set in motion.
- Well Inspection
The inspector will take a water sample and send it to the lab for testing. The potable water quality test determines if the water is drinkable by assessing the presence of E.coli and coliform. If either come back high, the well will be shocked or a UV light will be installed to kill the bacteria.
- Septic Inspection
There are several different methods to this inspection but the most popular is to open up the septic tank, run water from the house and check the baffles, making sure everything is moving through as it should.
- Environmental Inspection
An environmental inspection is done by an environmental specialist and is performed to uncover things like asbestos or a buried oil tank in your yard that may be leaking into your water source. This type of inspection is rarer in this area.
- Mold Inspection
Mold inspections are typically only done if the home inspector finds something that is suspected as mold. If the home inspector recommends a mold inspection, a mold inspector will collect surface and air samples to send to the lab for testing. If mold is found, it should be properly remediated.
- Pest Inspection
The pest inspection is typically the last inspection to be done. Inspectors are looking for wood burrowing pests like termites, carpenter bees and in older homes, powder post beetles. Some lenders like to see a clear pest inspection report before funding the loan for the house .
So many inspections may seem a bit overwhelming. As the buyer, it’s important to know the condition of the home you’re buying and feel completely comfortable moving in. If you’re ready to make your home buying dream come true, browse houses currently on sale by visiting our website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for updates on open houses and more!
Posted in Buyers