Here are some of the questions most people have about home inspections:
What is a home
inspection?
A home inspection is a visual observation to determine the condition of the home and its components.
A standard home inspection covers the major systems of the home, which includes:
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Structural
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Roof
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Plumbing
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Heating & Cooling
-
Electrical
Plus the secondary components of the home which includes:
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Doors
-
Windows
-
Fireplaces
-
Appliances
-
Insulation
-
Interior & Exterior Finishes
For more
detailed information about home inspections,
click
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How long does an inspection take?
-
For a professional, thorough, home inspection, a typical home will take 2.5 to 4 hours to inspect, depending on the size and number of problems discovered.
- Some inspectors will breeze through a home in 1 hour or less, but this type of inspection may not be thorough enough to depend on.
Why should a buyer get an inspection?
- Purchasing a home is usually the biggest investment a person will ever make. It only makes sense to know the condition of the property prior to consumating the purchase.
- New homes are no exception. We frequently find more problems with new homes than with resale homes.
Can the buyer attend the inspection?
- Absolutely, in fact we encourage it. The inspection is an opportunity to ask a lot of questions and get answers from someone "in the know".
How does a buyer find an inspector?
- Most buyers rely on their real estate agent to refer an inspector. This usually works well, but a few agents have their own motives as top priority and may refer inspectors that will not discover the real problems with the home.
- It is in the buyer's best interest to research the inspectors referred
by the agent and select the inspector based on the inspector's experience.
What training is required to become a home inspector?
- In Colorado, along with many other states, there are no governmental regulations or licensing requirements for inspectors.
- Therefore anyone, even someone with no relevant education or experience, can become a home inspector.
- There is a proliferation of unqualified inspectors in the marketplace today.
- This is why the process of selecting an inspector is critical.
What criteria should a buyer use to select an inspector?
- The inspector's background - education, training, construction experience.
- The number of years the inspector has been performing home inspections.
- The number of home inspections performed to date.
- The professional status of the inspector - i.e. Professional Engineer, Registered Architect, Contractor, etc., and what societies/associations the inspector belongs to.
- The average length of time the inspector spends performing an inspection.
- Find out if the client is allowed to attend and participate in the inspection.
- The type of report system used and how soon it will be delivered.
- The fees charged for inspection services.
Coyle Inspection Engineers, Inc.
2170 S. Parker Rd., Denver Colorado 80231
- Telephone: 303-745-5209 FAX: 303-745-2571
E-Mail:
