What is a home inspection?

A home inspection is a visual and non-invasive evaluation of a home's systems and components. It is important to realize that a home inspection is NOT a code inspection. A home inspector will focus on the safety, operation, and condition (SOC) of those systems and components to ensure that the user, our client, is protected. The safety aspect will ascertain if a system, or component of that system, is safe to use. An example may be a deck. If during the inspection it is determined that the deck is pulling away from the house, then it would be deemed unsafe to use and labeled accordingly in the written report. The operation component looks to determine if the system is working as designed. An example of this might be a water heater. If there is no hot water at the faucets, then it may be due to the water heater not operating as designed. Lastly, I will look at the condition of the systems. An example of this may be the forced hot air furnace. When the inspection panel is removed during a home inspection, the area around the burner and heat exchanger may be dirty and in need of cleaning. Or perhaps there is rust in that area which would be indicative of moisture. When observed, any of these elements will be reported upon so you, the home buyer, may make an informed decision about your new home. For more details about the services that I provide, please don't hesitate to give me a call, I am always happy to help.