Pre-sale Home Inspection

Certified Inspection Before Closing

In a typical real estate transaction, the home inspection occurs after the buyer has signed a purchase agreement and before the final closing date. Most home buyers choose to make the closing contingent on the results of the home inspection, meaning that they can back out of the sale if the inspector finds something that is not to their liking and the seller is unwilling to repair it or lower the purchase price to account for it. As a seller, you’re going to want the home inspection to go as smoothly as possible, with little to no major issues detected.

Ordinarily, a serious buyer would pay to have a home formally inspected. The goal is to uncover any potential problems before signing on the dotted line, while there’s still time to negotiate. But sometimes, sellers will have their homes inspected before they even put them on the market.

Home inspections aren’t just for home buyers. Home sellers also gain peace of mind by investing in a thorough certified home inspection prior to putting a house up for sale. The last minute discovery of problems by a prospective buyer can lead to time delays, added expenses and can even derail a deal altogether. Your best solution as a home seller is to have a thorough certified inspection done prior to putting the house on the market. This allows you to take care of issues with the building before they become a problem in negotiating a deal.

Pre-sale inspections usually cost between $600 and $800 and the buyer is responsible for paying for the inspection. However, the sales contract on the home will dictate who will pay the fee. Some sellers choose to cover the cost of the inspection in seller concessions, meaning the seller gives the buyer a lump sum of money at closing to cover the inspection cost.

Buyer Defect Disclosure

Know What You Are Buying

Buying Home is a huge financial responsibility. Before you take the plunge and make that closing date official, enlist the services of a Home inspector from HomeTeam Inspection Service. Our Pueblo, CO Home inspectors can evaluate the condition of the Home you're looking to buy so that you know what you're getting into before you hand over that down payment.

When you place an offer to purchase a home, it generally provides a due diligence period for you to complete any inspections that you would like to have done. Using this time to obtain a professional whole house inspection can give you a way out of the contract if major problems are found and you feel that you cannot correct them, or the seller is unwilling to negotiate.

A house inspection is designed to disclose defects in the home that materially affect its resale value, livability, and most of all safety.

We provide a complete and thorough home inspection utilizing specialized tools and procedures to detect and record evidence of potentially defective components or conditions. As you go through the process of buying a home it is highly recommended to have a professional go through the entire structure, all components, and search for any signs of past or present issues that could become a major problem. Nobody likes those kind of surprises and It’s amazing what a picture perfect home can hide at times. But with a FLIR camera, moisture meters, combustible gas detector, radon monitor, etc. we’re able to detect far more than our natural senses allow. We’re also backed by InterNACHI’s Home Buyback Guarantee. We’ll provide you with an organized, comprehensive digital property inspection report with meter readings, photographs, and videos of the areas of concern so that you can make a more informed home purchase.

Pre Closing Inspection

Buyers Inspection

A professional home inspection is the kind of thing that needs to be done properly and thoroughly. Whether you are selling a property and want to ensure your home is in the most valuable condition for the market or you are interested in buying a property, we can help. If your home inspector is not methodical or lacks training, important signs or issues may be missed.

It is absolutely crucial to conduct a proper Pueblo West home inspection before you commit to purchasing a property. This is something that should be done even if the person doing the selling is a close relative or a trusted friend. After all, a property may have issues that even the owner is not aware of. This is particularly true for homes that are already decades old, but it is also true even for newer construction.

The benefit of a thorough home inspection is that you will have the information you need to accurately gauge the benefits and costs of a transaction, and to negotiate the price down to a more appropriate level if problems are found. Since our professionals are InterNACHI Certified and have a solid amount of home inspection training and experience, you can rest assured that they will help you identify any problem areas and determine which require immediate attention. 

What does a Home Inspection Include

What to expect

As a Home Professional, I am your source for free consultation concerning the components I inspected as long as you own the home I Inspect for you.

What does a Whole Home Inspection Include?

• Roof, Ventilation, Flashings, Chimney,Gutters, Downspouts, Drainage, Skylights and their seals, Exterior Siding and Trim/Windows. Porches, Decks, Patios,Driveways, Walks, Retaining Walls, Grading/Slope, Foundation and Crawlspaces, Concrete and Masonry, Garages and Mechanical Doors, Attic Ventilation, Truss/Rafters, Insulation in Attics and Crawlspaces.
• Interior Walls, Ceilings, Floors, Doors and Windows, Basement Walls, Floor drain and Sump Pump, Girders, Piers, Beams, Floor Joists, Steps, Risers, Railings, Electrical Panel Circuitry, Smoke Detectors, GFCI Circuits, Electrical Grounding, Switches, Plugs, Light Fixtures.
• Fireplaces and dampers, Furnace, Heat Source, Air Conditioning, Filters, Gas Leaks, Water Heater, Relief Valves, Main Water Supply, Plumbing, Water Pressure, Waste Drain Lines, Sinks, Showers,Toilets.(Providing these components are present in the subject home.)

The safety and quality of your home is important to you and Pueblo West Home Inspection offers additional services to help protect your family and investment. These services can be provided during the home inspection or any time after you have moved and settled in. Many of these services cost a fraction of a home inspection and can give peace of mind knowing costly repairs, sometimes in the $1000’s, are unlikely for your new house. All of our services keep the safety of your family in mind as we have the ability to test for radon, mold, asbestos, or lead.

Home Inspection basics

Residential and Commercial Buildings Inspection Services

A professional home inspection is a visual examination of the home with an experienced eye. The inspection is a reasonable effort to disclose the condition existing on the day of the inspection. It is an impartial, third-party evaluation of the physical structure and major systems of a house.

Your home is an investment that requires ongoing maintenance to stay in tip top shape. If you neglect annual and quarterly tasks, you risk overlooking potential issues that could lead to expensive repairs down the road. Stay on top of preventive maintenance tasks with this seasonal checklist.
 

The home inspection will prepare you for proper maintenance of your investment, will show you how to operate the systems in the house, and locate where the emergency cut-offs are in the dwelling.Your property consultant has the knowledge and experience to inform you of potential problems and advise you on how to handle them.

Pueblo West Home Inspector

Home Inspections In Pueblo West, Colorado

When to Have the Property Inspected

Most buyers get professional inspections only after they're in contract to buy the property. The deal is commonly made contingent on the buyers' approving the results of one or more home inspections. The buyer arranges and schedules the inspections.

Before paying for a professional home inspection, you can conduct your own informal inspection. Look for issues like sloping floors or bowing walls, signs of water damage, missing roof shingles or gutters coming loose, old or low-quality fixtures and appliances, and other signs of wear, tear, or needed repair. The best time to do this is before you make an offer, so that you can save yourself the trouble should you find serious problems.

Another, less commonly used possibility is to ask the seller to let you do a pre inspection before submitting your offer. Why, given the cost of these home inspections, would you do this?

Because if you're in a situation where you're competing against other buyers (which can happen in any market, if a house is particularly desirable), this can help you set your offer apart. You'd most likely be able to submit an offer without an inspection contingency, thus reassuring the seller that your offer price is firm, not something you're likely to whittle away at after you're in contract, based on whatever a later inspection reveals. (On the other hand, you risk coming in with an offer price that's lower than others', having taken the house's problems--which only you know about at that point--into account.) Some sellers will refuse to allow pre inspections in any case, particularly because, if you alert them to problems with the house, they're then obligated to divulge these to other potential buyers.

How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

Here are some more ways you can be ready for the buyer’s home inspection:

If you have moved out of the house make sure the power remains on. Make sure all light bulbs are working by changing them before the home inspection. The home inspector will want to be able to view all areas of your home. Also, he or she won’t need additional time to see if the receptacle is not working or if it is just a blown light bulb. Thin out your closets of clothes so the home inspector can see inside them. Remove items away from basement walls so they can be inspected for cracks and water penetration areas. If there is access to the attic in a closet, make sure it is accessible. Change the filters to your furnace and leave any service tags so the home inspector can see them. If your home is vacant, make sure the power is on, and there is fuel so that the systems can be inspected. Keep in mind that the home inspection is one of the most significant hurdles for a seller to clear. It is vital to make sure your house does not have any glaring defects. Do what you can to make this part of the transaction go smoothly.

Home Inspection Tips

5 Home Inspection Tips For First-Time Buyers

A first time home buyer inspection might seem daunting at first, but it really doesn’t need to be complicated if you know exactly how to prepare. Here are some tips to follow as you prepare for your first inspection, which will correlate with your home inspection checklist:

1. Work with referrals to find the right home inspector.
2. Mind your due diligence and do your own research.
3. Come up with the right questions to ask.
4. Identify your deal breakers in advance.
5. Be there for your home inspection appointment.

Find The Right Inspector

If you are working with a real estate agent, he or she should be able to help you find a licensed home inspector. If not, there are plenty of online resources that will reveal a list of professionals to work with in your area.

The best way to find a home inspector that will meet your needs is to ask around. Talk with friends and family to find recommendations. Check online reviews to see whether or not past clients had a positive experience. The last thing you want is to work with a home inspector who is more concerned about their paycheck than your well-being. Just be sure to work with a person who has proven, thorough results.

Ask your inspector these questions to discover whether he or she will be the right fit:

• “Are you a member of a professional inspection organization?” The most reputable inspectors should be a member of either “The National Association Of Home Inspectors”, “The American Society Of Home Inspectors”, or “The International Association Of Certified Home Inspectors”.
• “What is your background and experience?” You want to work with an inspector who has the basics of local building codes and requirements down to a tee. If you are buying an older home, or a “fixer upper”, it is best to find an inspector who has experience working with similar properties.
• “How long will the inspection take?” If your inspector says your inspections will last less than one hour, you are working with the wrong professional. Home inspections take two to three hours on average and can take even longer if you’re moving into a larger home.
• “Can I attend the inspection?” You should attend your final home inspection no matter what. Two sets of eyes are always better than one and you can’t guarantee your inspector will catch everything. If your inspector refuses to let you attend the inspection, this is an automatic red flag.

Mind Your Due Diligence

This should go without saying, but It is also important to do your own research on potential inspectors ahead of time. Even if you think you don’t have time, such as when buying a home in summer. While a plumber or an electrician has in-depth knowledge about certain aspects of a home, your inspector should possess a broad knowledge of a home’s systems and structures. Your home inspector should be objective, independent, and not affiliated with the seller in any way. No first-time home buyer wants an inspector who doesn’t have their best interest in mind.

If possible, walk through your new home on your own before inspection day. This way, you can put together a list of questions for your inspector and the seller. The worst thing you can do is show up to inspection day ill prepared; you will be blindsided and thus be incapable of assessing every damage.

Ask Questions

Once you’ve found the right contractor, make sure to come up with a list of questions to ask. As a rule of thumb, always ask how much the inspection will cost, and ask for a rundown for what it covers. There may be some specialized types of inspections that will come as an additional cost. Also make sure that your contractor can be available on a date and time that will work with the deadlines on your purchase agreement. Keep in mind that the actual inspection is just part of the process, and it can take several days to receive the report with the results. Also verify that the inspector is properly certified.

Identify Your Deal Breakers

As a home buyer, you should always keep a budget in mind for home repairs. Throughout the inspection process, you’ll start getting a better idea of how much repairs will cost. In advance, set limitations on how much you are willing to spend on repairs, no matter how much you love the house. Major repairs, such as electrical, plumbing or structural work can break your bank if you don’t have a large enough budget. If the inspector returns with unsavory results, be prepared to make a difficult decision of whether or not you want to jump into your purchase.

Be There!

You might think that it would be best to stay out of your inspector’s way and let them do their job, but it’s quite to the contrary. Plan on being at the property for the inspection appointment, and don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions. However, it may be best to reserve your questions for the very end, or during breaks, so as not to distract them from their work.