A Home Inspection is Vital
A good home inspector is worth their weight in gold! This is the understatement of the century! But it is true, a professional home inspector tears the house you are buying down and inspects every nook and cranny in intricate detail. Ironically, they are unusually inexpensive.
Thermal Imaging finds pests within the walls before they do significant damage.
One of the best statements my old broker used to use about inspectors rings true. “You don’t want the home owner there because he doesn’t want to see what the inspector is going to do to his house”. Not that they will damage anything, they just take everything apart for a “looksee”.
Any contract can be written with a “right to inspection”, but make sure you do it in the time allotted. Otherwise, the seller can enforce the contract without the inspection. A good realtor here is vital! Make sure your realtor is on top of things, knows the process, and keeps you informed. Call me right away if you need a good realtor at 386.837.5300.
A good inspector will provide you with a pre-purchase building report that identifies all the defects found during the inspection. The report will identify significant building defects, problems identified, and possibly an estimate of repair cost. The inspector will compare the property inspected with buildings of similar age and construction and will give an overall rating for the dwelling. They will access the roof void, the sub-floor as well as the entire building externally and internally to report on such defects as:
Dampness. Good inspectors carry moisture meters.
Plumbing checked for past and present leaks.
Wood rot and/or termite damage.
Cracks in external brickwork and internal walls.
Roof condition.
Another very important inspection is a pest inspection. This may be carried out by the existing home inspector or may be completed by a specialist. Either way, it is crucial, and a prerequisite to getting a mortgage. A pre-purchase pest inspector will report on all areas to the homes sub-floor, roof void, internal rooms and areas around the dwelling or within the boundary lines. The inspector will report on defects such as:
Termite activity past or present.
Past termite treatments where evidence or paperwork is provided.
Borer damage to dry seasoned timbers.
Significant decay.
Poor sub-floor ventilation.
Recommendations to help prevent future termite attack.
A new technology available today is a thermal pest inspection. With standard pest inspections, reporting is restricted to those areas visible with the naked eye. Moisture meters are used, however it is not possible to check all wall surfaces with a moisture meter. Unfortunately most termite activity is hidden in wall cavities and is often undetected until termites reach the roof void, particularly if the structure is on a concrete slab footing as most Florida homes. By the time termites reach the roof void they have usually caused considerable damage to the wall framing timbers on the way up.
Thermal image camera inspections can extend the inspection boundaries into the wall frame. Termite activity gives off a large amount of heat and moisture which is detectable on wall surfaces using a thermal camera.
The bottom line is find someone you trust, pay them what they are worth, and rest assured that the home you are purchasing is solid, sound, and ready for you and your family.
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