A home inspection is a general, visual non-intrusive, and non technical assessment of a house intended to provide the client with an understanding of the physical condition of the house at the time of the home inspection.
All inspections are accomplished in accordance with the Standards of Practice (SoP) and Code of Ethics, as established by the North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board (NCHILB). An abridged/excerpted Standards of Practice (SoP) and Code of Ethics can be perused or downloaded from their website at: NC SoP and Code of Ethics
Some items/systems that are inspected include but may not be limited to:
- Structural components
- Exterior
- Roofing
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Central heating/cooling and ventilation
- Interior
- Built-in kitchen appliances
- insulation and ventilation
No house is perfect; you should expect that there will be issues. Some will be minor but others may be more important. But, what does one do upon receipt of their Home Inspection report? If the inspector discovers issues, it doesn’t mean you should or shouldn’t buy the house. It only means that you will know in advance what to expect. If your budget is tight, or if you don’t want to become involved in future repair work, this information will be important to you. If major problems are found, a seller may agree to make repairs.
Yes they do. We don’t inspect homes when the utilities are ‘Off’. We’re all about providing actual value in the Home Inspection services we provide. Simply put, there just isn’t any real real value in paying to have a home inspected without knowing much of anything about the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, appliances, etc.
Is the electrical system OK?…I don’t know. Is the plumbing OK?….I don’t know. Is the cooling/heating equipment OK?…I don’t know. How about the appliances?…I just don’t know? See…the pattern is obvious, isn’t it? There’s no value in a Home Inspection report with a bunch of “I don’t knows” in it.
The longer a home has been unoccupied with the utilities ‘Off’, the more important an inspection with the utilities ‘On’ becomes. Find a way to get all of those utilities turned ‘On’ prior to a home inspection.
No. A house can’t pass, or fail, a home inspection. The purpose of a home inspection is to provide an accurate report on the physical condition of the home so that a buyer has the information upon which to base an informed purchase decision. While many minor issues may be discovered, they are discovered while searching for more significant issues.
To find a really great home inspector:
- Ask your family, friends, or neighbors if they’ve had a positive experience with any particular home inspector.
- Make sure that your home inspector is experienced, competent, and well credentialed.
- Read online reviews from satisfied clients.
- Review a sample home inspection report.
- Call and speak to your potential home inspector.
Yes..and Yes. Inspectors are licensed by the North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board (NCHILB). Inspectors are also Certified by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI).
On average, home inspections take between 2.5 and 4 hours. Older and/or larger homes may take longer. In addition to the on-site time, we’ll spend another 2 – 3 hours compiling and preparing the home inspection report.
Absolutely…North Carolina statutes require that a signed Home Inspection agreement be in effect prior to the start of a home inspection. We’ll E-Mail the agreement well ahead of the inspection date and ask our clients to review, sign, and return the agreement to us as soon as possible.
