Home Inspection Questions, Answered
Short answers to what buyers in Durango, Cortez and Southwest Colorado ask before an inspection.
What is a home inspection?
A home inspection is a visual examination of a home's structure, systems and components that are visible and safely accessible. I follow the InterNACHI Standards of Practice. You get a report with photos that explains what I found and what kind of professional should look at it next.
What do you inspect?
Roof, exterior, foundation, crawlspace or basement, structure, electrical, plumbing, water heater, heating and cooling, attic and insulation, windows and doors, built-in appliances, fireplaces and stoves, garage, decks, and drainage around the house. I go into every crawlspace and attic I can safely get into.
What is a home inspection not?
It is not a code inspection, an appraisal or a warranty. I cannot see inside walls or under floor coverings. I will not tell you whether to buy the house. I will tell you what condition it is in.
Is a home inspection really worth it?
Yes. Most homes I inspect have a list of findings the buyer could not have seen at a showing, and new homes still come with a list. The report gives you a basis for negotiating repairs or credits before you close.
When should I schedule?
As soon as your offer is accepted. Your contract sets an inspection deadline, and add-ons like radon testing need 48 hours. You can book online at any hour.
How long does it take?
About 2 to 2.5 hours for most homes. Larger or more complex homes take longer.
Should I be there?
Come at the end. That is when I walk you through what I found and answer your questions.
When do I get the report?
You get a complete, photo-rich report the next day. The report includes a tool for building a repair request to send to the seller.
How much does it cost?
The fee is based on the size of the home. See the pricing page for the current schedule.
What is pay at close?
The inspection fee is paid at closing instead of on inspection day, with no fee and no interest. That preserves your cash until closing.
What if the inspection finds problems?
It will. Nearly every home has findings. The report sorts them by severity, so you can see what is a safety issue, what is a repair, and what is maintenance. Knowing how a problem gets fixed matters as much as spotting it, so I tell you what a repair involves.
Do you do repairs?
No. I was a general contractor, but I do not repair homes I inspect. An inspector should not profit from what goes in the report. The same goes for radon: I test, and I do not sell mitigation systems.
Should I test for radon?
About 1 in 4 homes I test in Southwest Colorado come back at or above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L. A neighbor's low result tells you little about your house. A 48-hour test is the only way to know, and results are ready as soon as I pick up the monitor.
What if the radon result is high?
Mitigation is very routine here, and a high result can be a basis for negotiation with the seller.
Is a sewer scope worth it?
A clean house can hide a bad sewer line, and newer homes are worth scoping too. I run a camera through the line and you get the video. Roots, low spots and broken pipe are found this way and no other.