5 Things your Home Inspector should be doing for you.

1.       Same day Home Inspection Reports, or next day Reports.

In today’s Real Estate Market, things are very stop and go. Especially when it comes to short sales and REOs. What this means for Home Buyers, is that by the time they are through the process with their Bank/Lender they likely have only a few days to get the home inspected. In our experience at Albion, we find that our customers on average have 5-7 calendar days from the time they contact us, to get their Inspection completed. This makes is essential that their reports are delivered in a timely manner. Since most reputable Home Inspectors will need a couple of days to work you into their schedule

2.       Spending adequate time performing the Home Inspection.

At Albion Home Inspection Service,, we have found that the average sized home (around 2400 sq) and average aged home (14 yrs old) in our area, typically take from 3-4 hours to inspect. Even smaller properties such as condos, can take upwards of 3 hours.  There are a lot of systems in a home, and your inspection should be thorough and complete.  With almost all homes there are issues and defects, some minor that don’t require any immediate action, some major, that require immediate action.  Whichever is the case on your home inspection,  your local Home Inspector, should be spending a little extra time investigating the found defects.

3.       How to read your Home Inspection Report, and Summary

Your Local Home Inspector should begin delivery of his/her Home Inspection Report, by explaining home the Report and Summary are read.  There are as many different types of Home Inspection Reports as there are Home Inspectors, so its critical that your Home Inspector explain how your report is read.  A report  that you cannot read or understand does your little good.

4.       Explain Limits, Standards, and Liability.

Your Home Inspector should also explain the purpose and limits of the Home Inspection Report to you. A Home Inspection Report is a summary of a Visual Inspection of a Real Estate Property. Home Inspectors should not be conducting any intrusive or destructive types of testing.  A lot of Inspection Companies and Home Inspectors invest a great deal of money in very expensive test equipment that can help them further investigate “hidden” problems. Some of these technologies include things like Moisture, Carbon Monoxide, Radon,  Ohm Meters, continuity Testers, Tick Testers, and Thermal Imaging cameras.  By way of example, Thermal Imaging Cameras for Home Inspection can cost upwards of $14,000 dollars apiece.   As Home Inspectors we make these investments because we realize Home Inspection and Contractor Repair work are two separate disciplines, which should not be mixed.  If fact, most Home Inspection Certification Programs REQUIRE the Home Inspector to NOT under any circumstances offer repair services, or risk losing their Certification.  Your Home Inspector should be explaining this constraint, and the limits to their Inspection, like non visible or hidden conditions. A Home Inspector can tell you there are drainage issues, but they have no way of telling you about soil contamination 3 ft below grade unless there are signs visible above grade.

5.       Recommendations

A Home Inspector can and should advise you of conditions that are currently operational, functional, but that should be monitored or require more attention due to a highly potential of failure. They can and should make recommendations in this manner.  They should not be making specific recommendations for repair, or promoting specific companies for defect repair.

This is a choice of each Home Inspector. At Albion we elect not to join Partnerships with repair, or services companies, because we want our clients to know that we have no other potential interest, or conflict of interest aside from providing them the best inspection possible.  If requested we will provide list (if we have one available) of companies we are aware of that can provide services for that specific defect.  For example if our Meth testing/screening shows a positive in the home, we provide a listing from the State of Utah Dept of Health, for a listing of Contractors that provide Meth Cleanup and remediation. This list is also available on the State website, and linked on our home page. We do not however, promote, endorse or recommend any specific contractors.


At Albion We of course hope you choose us for your next Home Inspection, if however you choose another Home Inspection Company, please ensure that they are providing at least the 5 things mentioned above.

Sincerely
Midi Park
Owner
Albion Home Inspection Services.