Inspections - Seller, Buyer, Homeowner

We perform three types of inspections that continue to be of value to our clients. The Seller Inspection, Buyer Inspection, and the Homeowner Inspection. Each of these professional inspections meet our client's timely and information needs for a residential property of interest. As with any inspection, the interest of the client is our main concentration towards providing a quality service and report that is informative, clear, and of value to our client.

Seller Inspection

In our time of information gathering and need to know, the buyer not only needs to know what he or she is getting into but has a right to know what are the exisiting or potential problems with residence of interest. The anticipation of the seller of whether it "will sell as it is with minor fixes" or "is there something really wrong I do not know about" is a prime motivator towards in taking steps towards increasing the probability of the sell of the home.

The seller's inspection not only indicates a step of good faith in discovering what issues or problems need to be addressed before commitments are made but also gives the broker confidence and awareness that the identified issues or problems can be openly addressed in the negotiation or closing process.

Although the buyer should have a separate inspection, the seller's pre-sale inspection lessens the risk of losing the sale by knowing what, if any, needs to be repaired, replaced, or can be negotiated with the buyer. Disclosing problems and providing records of repairs should be made available to the interested parties thus reducing future problems because of the lack of disclosure. The insights provided by the inspector on the present and future conditions of items and systems in the house will give the seller the knowledge needed in formulating an approach in towards the management of issues or problems, establishing a price, setting a repair schedule, and relieving anxieties of "not knowing." Being forewarned is truely being forearmed.

Buyer Inspection

As a consumer and home buyer, you have the right to request an inspection of property for sale. The information obtained from the inspection report will aid in the decision process of whether to proceed or cease with the purchase of the property of interest. As a Professional Inspector, your interest is our business and we use the most current Standards of Practice provided by the Texas Real Estate Commission to conduct an inspection. A copy of these Standards will be provided to you.

Areas, components, and systems that are visible and accessible will be inspected as they appeared and functioned at the time of the inspection. However, there are items and systems that are excluded in the Standards. Some of these are but not limited to:

• Private water and sewer systems
• Solar systems
• Security systems.

There are no warranties or guaranties implied or provided from the inspection or with the report. The report is not in any way a form of insurance against any latent, hidden, or concealed future defects or deficiencies. The following section also addresses key inspection points the buyer should be aware of.

Inspection Key Points

The following key points should be kept in mind by the buyer.

• Inspections are not code compliance evaluations.
• Inspection reports are not structural engineering reports.
• Systems and components that are off during the inspection are not tested or reactivated.
• Buyers should consult with and ask questions of owners and their representatives.
• Depending on the type and steepness of the roof, the roof inspections and components may be done from street level with binoculars.
• Reports are confidential and are meant exclusively for the client.
• Inspectors typically will not find each and every defect in a building, hence buyers should anticipate future typical defects and deficiencies.
• Further evaluation by specialists is recommended for any areas showing defects/deficiencies.
• A final walk-through inspection should be carried out the day before the closing by the new owners to double check the condition of the building.
• Cost estimates for repair and replacement of items will not be definitive since these cost vary per contractor.
• Life expectancy of items, components, or systems will also not be provided due the number of variables affecting them before and after they were inspected.

Homeowner Inspection

A periodic homeowner inspection should be part of every homeowner's maintenance strategy. Severe changes in the weather, landscape changes, soil erosion, orientation of the dwelling, deterioration of building materials, water run-off, and repairs to the structure or mechanical systems are some of the elements that tend to alter or reduce the life, function, protection, and efficiency of structure components or the mechanical systems. Although regular upkeep of a home identifies issues or problems early thus reducing or eliminating costly repair surprises for items that have been neglected or postponed many homeowners are electing to obtain the services of a Professional Inspector as part of their maintenance strategy.

The information received from the annual inspection report would serve as a check on the changes, if any, occuring to the structure and its mechanical systems. For example, knowledge of changes to the foundation, roof, exterior cladding, and heating and ventilation system will help the homeowner address performance issues early.

Maintaining health and safety of the occupants is also another important reason for obtaining an annual checkup. Furances should be checked yearly for proper function and condition to identify any potential for carbon monoxide leakage into the living areas. Windows that get stuck in place due to their lack of operation, house settling, or other related problems may also be a hazard to the occupants of the house.

The opportunity to know what is changing and having a report to use a service reminder or as a log of repairs will be of value to the homeowner who does not want surprises and be in control of the needs for the home.

We offer our periodic inspection services in assisting the homeowner with their strategy in maintaining the value and safety of their home.