Preparing for a Home Inspection

Once your offer to purchase the property has been accepted by the seller, and escrow has opened, call us as soon as possible to schedule the physical inspection. How do you schedule and prepare for the inspection? Please consider the following recommendations and guidelines:

1. Schedule the inspection in a timely manner. Most transactions give you "time frames" for inspections, generally 7 to 14 days. Please call us as soon as your offer has been accepted. It is not uncommon for us to require 2 to 4 days lead time to schedule and complete your building inspection.

2. Please be prepared to provide us with the following information:
     a. The property address, including nearest cross street
     b. Your full name, current address, and telephone number(s)
     c. The square footage of the building and original year of construction
     d. Foundation type (slab or raised/crawl space)
     e. Report any pools, spas, hot tubs, etc.
     f. Report any "accessory buildings" (guests houses, apartments, pool houses, etc.)
     g. Inform us of any known additions, remodels, or modifications to the property
     h. Provide your real estate agent's full name, company, and contact number(s)
     i. If available, please fax/email our office a copy of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) property profile sheet.

3. Make sure there is definite, full access to the property, both interior and exterior. That also means all locks are off gates, electrical panels, garage doors, etc. Unfriendly dogs should be removed from the property or restrained by the seller so as to allow the inspector full access to all aspects of the property. Make sure and verify who will be providing access into the property (sellers, tenants, agents?) for the inspection. Be advised that re-inspection fees will be charged for any return trips to the property as a result of items not inspected due to no/limited access.

4. Budget time to attend the inspection. Inspection times vary widely, anywhere from 2 to 5 hours, or more, depending on the property size, age, and other characteristics. After obtaining the requested information about the property (listed above), I will be able to provide you with a reasonably close estimate of the time required for the inspection and the exact cost of my services. Payment in full is required at the inspection, in the form of cash or check. We do not bill through escrow. Please be advised that inspections cancelled for whatever reason with less than one (1) business day (24 hours) advance notice will be subject to a minimum fee of $ 150.00, as we typically cannot re-book the timeslot.

When you receive your report you are instructed/expected to read it in its entirety. In addition, I will perform an oral review/summary of my findings, on site, after I have completed the actual inspection and documented my findings. Please understand that I reserve my commentary until the end of the inspection, at which time I will discuss my findings, answer your questions, and physically show you any specific items discovered during the inspection process.