February 14

Do You Really Need A Home Inspection?

So you've placed an offer on your dream home and chances are, your real estate agent made your offer contingent upon passing a home inspection. 

I reached out to a few local home inspection experts to tell us why home inspections are important and what to look for when choosing one.

Here's the panel of experts...

  • John A. Swain - Founder of AcuSystem Home Inspections, LLC.
  • Leo Cannyn - Principal Project ManagerBeryl Project Engineering, LLC.
  • Steve Warner - Founder of Florida Superior Inspections LLC.

You'll get tons of valuable info that will help you become a more informed home buyer. 

The Questions

  1. Are home inspections necessary? If so, why?
  2. What are the top 5 reasons to conduct a home inspection?
  3. How to select a home inspection company?

With the basics out of the way, let's get started...

1. AcuSystem Home Inspections

AcuSystem Founder

John A Swain - Founder

Are home inspections necessary? If so, why?

When potential home buyers are about to probably make the biggest lifetime financial decision it is important that they should seek professional help to be sure that they are making a fully informed decision.

Emotional decision making can be notoriously risky, and a home inspector can provide rational and factual information to reduce the risk of a bad choice.

What are the top 5 reasons to conduct a home inspection?

  • Reduce the risk of an emotionally-charged and poorly considered decision.
  • Provide facts about the house in a balanced and calm manner, giving time to make a fully informed decision.
  • Get perspective about the features of the home and any repairs needed, to help achieve a more accurate understanding of the relative significance of findings.
  • Provide educational value to the customer, so that they will be better able to maintain the home in future and anticipate potential future expenditures.
  • Overall, the Customer will have a value-added knowledge of what they are buying.

How to select a home inspection company?

  • Balance fee against experience; the cheapest quote may not be the best value.
  • How long in business? Experience matters.
  • Education, Training, Licensing and Certifications?
  • Other services available? Homeowner’s Insurance evaluations; Buy Back Guarantee;Appliance/Equipment Warranty; Termite inspection; Partial home reports; New Home Construction stage inspections; Commercial Building reports, etc.
  • Encourage buyers to attend inspections? Learn more – better value.
  • How quickly will report be ready? Best via email, within 24 hours.

2. Beryl Project Engineering

Leo Cannyn Beryl Project Engineering

Leo Cannyn - Principal Project Manager

Are home inspections necessary? If so, why?

Home inspections are necessary to protect your very large investment. If you consider the price of the inspection against the price of the investment you are about to make there is very little reason not to have an inspection.

The average home purchase is between $200,000 and 250,000. The average price for an average home inspection between $350 and $450. Wouldn't it make sense to spend less than 0.15% of the purchase price to know what you are buying?

Also consider that the average roof replacement price is $7,500, average HVAC replacement is $5,500, and foundation issues are around $12,500.

All of these can be found on the inspection before you are locked into buying a home.

Having one with better credentials will lead to a more thorough inspection.

3. Florida Superior Inspections

Are home inspections necessary? If so, why?

For your first question, YES it's very important. Every day I look at issues in houses that could hurt or even kill someone, like over amp electrical fuse boxes.

That means wires are too small for breaker size; so if there was a problem, the wire would melt and start a fire before the breaker would trip - AKA shut off.

Every aspect of my inspections, I find things that are sub standard - plumbing, electrical, structural, roofing issues, the list goes on.

In fact, I have found hazards that could cost my customers upwards $10,000-$15,000 just for one issue.

I've been in construction and remodeling homes and buildings for 23 plus years. 

Some of the AKA flippers in the area should NOT be doing construction on homes; they just don't have the skills.

What are the top 5 reasons to conduct a home inspection?

  1. First off, to have someone like my self with construction knowledge is huge to help the customer find issues that could cost them thousand's and to find them before they sign on the dotted line.
  2. I always tell my costumer good things that I find like window, doors, roofing, construction, A/C system, electrical fuse panel ECT.
  3. After inspection, I can provide a list of items to improve on hurricane and storm items that can increase the safety of the building and saving them on insurance premiums.
  4. Looking up all permits and information on building is very important to see what has been done in the past and to make sure jobs are done by a contractor with the proper permits, licenses and insurances.
  5. Safety issues about the building, like water shut-off and gas shut-off to building, visible signs of issues like mold, signs of sink hole issues, structure, foundation ECT.

How do you choose a home inspection company?

I would start by checking with sun biz.org for Florida License.

Make sure he or she attended a training school like AHIT- American Home Inspection Training Institute. 

Check and see if the inspection company is part of any association like FABI Florida Association of Building Inspections.

See if they are a member BBB-Better Business Bureau.

I would check with google for references and ratings from past inspections and of course their knowledge in construction.

Have a question? 

What stage of the home-buying process are you in?

Need help with the process?


Tags

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