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What
does a home inspection include?
Can't I do it myself?
Is a home inspection expensive?
Do home
inspectors check for code compliance?
Does a home
inspection constitute a warranty or guarantee?
Will further inspection
be required?
Should
I call an inspector on each house I'm interested in?
Should I be
present during the inspection?
What should
I look for when selecting a home inspector?
A home inspection should address all of the following:
* Site: Land contour, drainage, driveways, walkways, porches, decks,
retaining walls, parking structures, and evidence of abandoned oil tanks.
* Foundation: Cracks, settlement, deterioration, moisture influx, and
piers.
* Exterior: Siding, trim, entry doors, garage doors, windows, and chimneys.
* Structure: Framing of sub-floors, stairs, walls, ceilings, and roofs.
* Roofing: Roof coverings, flashings, skylights, gutters, downspouts,
eaves, and soffits.
* Plumbing: Water pressure, piping, fixtures, faucets, drains, vents,
and water heaters.
* Electrical: Service conductors, main and sub-panels, breakers and
fuses, grounding, switches, receptacles, fixtures, fans, smoke detectors,
GFI function, etc.
* Heating: Furnace or boiler, ducts, radiators, registers, woodstoves,
and central air conditioning.
* Insulation: Attic, ceiling, wall and floor insulation, and vapor barriers.
* Ventilation: Attic, crawlspace, kitchen, bath and laundry ventilation.
* Interior: Walls, floors, ceilings, doors, woodwork, cabinets, bathroom
finish, fireplaces, etc.
* Built-In Appliances: Ranges, ovens, microwaves, disposals, dishwashers,
and trash compactors.
* Pest & Dry Rot: Inspection for termites, carpenter ants, beetles,
wood rot, and rodent infestation.
* Carbon Monoxide: Measurement of furnace, water heater, and range output.
A good inspector will point out positive as well as negative findings
to the client and also provide useful information on upkeep and maintenance.
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Even the most experienced homeowner lacks the knowledge, training,
and experience of a professional home inspector. There are many hundreds
of possible defects in a home, and scores of established methods are
required to detect them. The homeowner usually does not own specialized
inspection equipment such as moisture meters and electrical circuit
analyzers.
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No. Visual inspections are quite reasonable. (Destructive inspections,
the other kind, are almost never performed, mostly because of the high
cost.) Sellers are often willing to pay for repairs, or to renegotiate
the purchase price, on the basis of the findings of a professional home
inspector. This can save the buyer much more than the cost of the inspection.
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Generally Not. Building codes are constantly being revised, and are
very different from what they were even ten years ago. No house built
thirty years ago would pass present-day building codes. This does not
mean that older homes are necessarily unsafe. The purpose of a home
inspection is to determine the condition and safety of a home, as it
is at the present time, not whether it meets past or present codes.
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No. A home inspection is a professional opinion. Home warranty companies
offer service contracts that insure the performance of the various components
of a house. The buyer can purchase a home warranty directly from one
of these companies, or a seller can purchase one for the buyer as part
of the real estate transaction.
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Maybe. A home inspector is a generalist. His knowledge and experience
are very broad; he knows how to recognize hundreds of problems. He does
not, however, hold a license in plumbing, electrical, heating, soils
engineering, hazardous materials testing, or other specialty areas.
Like a general-practice physician, a home inspector will sometimes suggest
further evaluation by a specialist. It is up to the buyer whether or
not to follow this suggestion. If the seller agrees to make repairs
at the buyer's request, the home inspector can, if the buyer wishes,
return to inspect these repairs after they've been completed.
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No. You should call an inspector after you've signed the earnest money
agreement but before you sign the final papers. Be sure to include a
legally clear clause in the earnest money agreement making the sale
contingent on a home inspection satisfactory to you as the buyer. Since
negotiations between buyers and sellers are often very hectic, with
tight deadlines, you might want to speak to, and decide on a home inspector
in advance of making your purchase offer.
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Absolutely! A main purpose of the inspection is to familiarize you
with your new home. A quality home inspection should include a personalized
walk-through as well as a written report, and that's what we provide.
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First, be sure the inspector is certified, licensed, bonded, and insured.
Unlike many other states (including California),
Oregon maintains strict standards for certification of home inspectors.
Therefore, make sure that your inspector has State of Oregon Certification.
Contact the State of Oregon Construction Contractor's
Board (CCB) in Salem (503) 378-4621 to verify that the inspector
is properly certified and licensed. The CCB can also inform you of any
complaints, disputes, or bond claims involving the inspector.
Ideally, a home inspector should have many years of actual experience
in both remodeling and new construction. Only through hands-on experience
can a person gain detailed knowledge of the structure and workings of
a house. There is a great deal to know because of the many different
construction methods and vintages of homes, going back over 100 years
in the Portland area.
Ask if the inspector is certified and licensed by the Oregon Department
of Agriculture in structural pest control. This requires a higher level
of expertise in identifying termite, carpenter ant, beetle, and dry
rot damage than is required for basic home inspector certification.
Also, if you choose to finance through the FHA or the VA, such certification
and licensing of the inspector is mandatory.
Ask if the inspector is affiliated with a nation-wide, professional
organization such as the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI),
or the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI). These organizations
maintain strict codes of ethics.
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