The hidden problems in a home can be very costly to repair to a buyer and much more expensive than the price of the initial home inspection. That is why I always recommend that my home buyers get a home inspection.
With a great majority of resale homes needing repairs or having serious defects, making sure about your purchase is a prudent idea. Without the inspection, you could be inheriting a rather large repair bill once the transaction is closed. Estimates of home inspections that I have had performed in the York County and greater Charlotte area have ranged from $200-600.00, but they are usually $300-400.00. With repair expenses for just one defect potentially in the thousands of dollars, the decision to have a licensed inspector come out and give you a blessing on a home is a no brainer. Pricing ranges depend upon the size of the home, and the inspection services that you choose.
A regular home inspection will consist of the inspector going over all of the major systems, structural components, safety factors and typical functional uses of the home. These items will include inspections from the foundation to the roof, the weather envelope, the plumbing and electrical systems, framing components that are visible, gutters, grading, HVAC systems, garage door openers, doors and windows, hardware, moisture levels, etc. A good home inspector is thorough and will spend as much as 4 or 5 hours at the home for a regular sized home.
Another typical inspection that you will want to have is a termite inspection or sometimes called a pest inspection. Especially here in the Carolinas and the South, water damage and insect problems can be severe if not detected early. A good inspection can save you cash down the road or be a red flag on whether you decide to purchase a home or not.
Other inspections that you may consider on your home are tests for:
1. Radon gas levels
2. Lead based paint
3. Septic and water systems
4. Lot line surveys.
Radon gas is typically a problem when there is poor ventilation in a crawl space. Radon gas is a naturally occurring gas that rises up from the soil and when trapped can accumulate a high content that is unsafe. This is a potential hazard in the under home spaces that many homes have in our area of York County and Charlotte. With good cross ventilation, this gas is not allowed to achieve dangerous levels.
Lead based paint is not a problem for newer constructed homes, as it is no longer being produced and used in the U.S. However, it’s on homes that were built prior to 1978 that you should consider having a lead based paint risk assessment. In fact by law, a seller is required to disclose to a buyer when a home is built prior to 1978 and allow that buyer the opportunity to have the property assessed for lead based paint risk. Lead poisoning has been known to cause permanent damage in children’s neurological systems, causing learning disabilities, reduced intelligence, behavioral problems, and impaired memory. It is also known to pose a risk to pregnant women.
Septic and water systems are other systems that you could have the inspector check. On a septic, you will want to know if there are any problems with the holding tank or clogged leach lines/seepage pits. A water inspection is typically done for a well. However, even a municipality’s water system could be checked by a qualified inspector for bacteria, ph, chemical and metallic levels. With a well, the inspector typically checks for the safety of the water and the functional use of the pump and tanks. Not having good water can be a costly item to repair.
Sometimes there is a question about exactly where the lot lines are for a property. As an owner, you will want to know where you could possibly build a fence or may have a concern about a potential code violation in your property or that of a neighboring property. With those in mind, having a surveyor come out and stake out the perimeter of the land you are purchasing is a good idea and the best way to eliminate potential disputes among neighboring properties.
Here is a good point. I have recently started building a fence at my primary residence, in Rock Hill. I live in a middle class residential community with an HOA and went through the normal steps of commencing with my project. I pulled my building permit for my fence at the Rock Hill Building and Safety Department, and informed my HOA representative of my intentions to build. I knew pretty much where the lot lines of the property were. However, I decided to hire a surveyor to stake out the property lines to reassure myself.
Boy was I sure glad I did that. After, laying out my holes to dig for the posts, I went and rented out a power auger at the Home Depot to mass produce all of the holes that I needed (about 50 of them). I had decided that I was going to place my fence between 6-12 inches inside my property line, just in case anyone of my neighbors wanted to complain about it infringing on their land. As I dug, I hit two different neighbor’s electric fence lines, which were buried under the grass. But, guess what? Their wires were on my property. As a result of having the survey done, it was easy for them to see that the responsibility of the repairs were theirs and not mine. Had I not done the survey prior to digging, there would have been a potential for some very angry neighbors.
Here are some of the most common serious home defects:
- Foundation damage or settling issues
- HVAC repairs or replacement needed
- Roofing defects or replacement needed
- Moisture levels high in basement, walls
- Environmental types of hazards: radon, asbestos, lead paint, underground storage tanks
- Pest infestation -- termites mostly, but could be ants, crickets, wasps, rodents, etc.
- Plumbing issues
- Electrical issues (old and undersized panels and circuit breakers, poor grounding, aluminum wiring)
- Chimney settling or separation
When you have one of these repairs to complete, you could easily spend thousands of dollars, but finding out before you buy could save you that money as repairs are items that could be negotiated during the time that you are under contract. However, without an inspection, you might not know of any repair needs.
Once the inspection has been completed, if there are no major repairs that need completion, there is very little for you as the buyer to worry about and negotiate. That can be a comforting feeling, knowing that you are buying a trouble free home. After having an inspection done, you know that you are not just buying a property on an emotional level. You have done your due diligence.
As a lifetime contractor myself, I always hire a home inspector prior to buying a home. They are trained to perform these inspections and are much more thorough than a contractor would be. Also, good full time licensed property inspectors are not there to sell you on their construction services, even if they perform those duties too. They should be impartial in their inspection regardless of who is paying for their services because the findings of the home speak for themselves.
Once you have a property inspection report in hand, it helps to have someone on your side that can explain or interpret that report. A good inspector will do that for you as part of their service.
Lastly, if you are selling, it’s not a bad idea to have an inspection done before listing your home. That way, you can tackle and eliminate any of the potential problems that may arise with the negotiation process after an offer has been made. You also may be more apt to secure high offers if your home feels and appears to be problem free.
I hope this helps you in your decision to have a home inspection done.
Thanks and happy house hunting,
Ross Harkness, Realtor®/Builder
