Annual inspections are recommended. It will help with proper maintenance recommendations and document the condition for insurance reasons.

A home inspection costs around $300 and $600. It depends on the size of the property and the actual inspector. Generally, you’ll pay the inspector in advance of the inspection, so you’ll want to know how much and what forms of payment are accepted. Be leery if the fees charged seem cheap, you’ll get what you pay for.

Yes, there are several property inspector associations that utilize a standard to abide your inspection methods by. Solution One Inspectors recognizes the A.S.H.I. standard for its inspections. You can read into their standard of practice here A.S.H.I. Standard of Practice

Inspections often take place during the workweek and typically take a few hours. You’ll get only a ballpark figure, because much will depend on the condition of the house. The package you select from our selection of services will determine the estimated time of your appointment. This can be determined when scheduling the package.

If you have never had a report, a sample report will keep you from panicking when you see your own report. It will give you a sense of how your inspector communicates and views situations. Every house has problems, usually lots of them, though most generally aren’t that big of a deal. It’s a good idea to look at a sample report so you and your inspector can be on the same page when it comes to what’s going to be done and what you will end up with.

Brown spots on the ceiling is a clear indication that water has found it’s way inside of your property. The question then is if it is still active and what exactly is causing it. Your inspector will be able to investigate and determine this. Don’t be shy about asking questions and pointing out things that look off to you during the home inspection. Our inspectors are trained to hear your concerns and address them. Your inspector is going to check out the property thoroughly even after you share your concerns. Make sure to tell your inspector if anything at all strikes you as a possible negative.

This will be part of your negotiations of the final price. You can insist repairs are completed prior to closing or adjusting the sale price. Many times, the property owner have insurance that will cover the cost of repairs. Most of the time no one knows enough about insurance and deals fall apart because of the cost of repairs. At Solution One our inspectors are trained in construction and property insurance. We are an authority in both, and can set you up for success.

Property insurance can pay for many things discovered during an inspection. Sellers can make claims, make repairs and preserve their insurance benefits post the sale transaction and later collect insurance money. Insurance money can be passed on to a buyer or investor through an assignment of benefit as well. Insurance benefits are often overlooked and undervalued as an option of any sort. Our inspectors are trained in construction and insurance and can ensure that you are setup for recovery and success.

At the end of the inspection, the inspector will offer a summary of what he found. You’ll get a written report later, but this is a great moment to get clarity on what the inspector thinks are the house’s biggest issues, and whether or not they require further investigation. Expect to call in other experts like a plumber, electrician, roofer, or HVAC professional to take a look at anything the inspector flagged. The report will serve as a punch list of things needing additional attention. Time is not on your side, its important to work with professionals who understand what you need.

As an inspector we will discover factual flaws and current condition of the property and its systems. There is always a chance of hidden damage that no one can foresee. Most problems in the house will likely be minor and not outright deal breakers. Your inspector will be able to identify and document the conditions only. No inspector can help decide to buy or sell property. We only provide our opinion of the condition of the property at the time of the inspection.

Solution One Inspectors can offer detailed line item estimating generally used for insurance claims. These estimates are used to dispute undervalued insurance claims through appraisal clauses found in their policies. Estimate averages that aren’t as formal can also be given for most repairs to help guide and gage approximant amounts a person could expect to spend. No repair services are offered, just estimating.

Trades people may need to examine parts of your house and provide a bid to repair the problems. Expect to have to call in other experts at this point to look over major issues and assign a dollar figure to fixing them. For example, if your inspector flags your electrical box as looking iffy, you may need to have an electrician take a look and tell you what exactly is wrong and what the cost would be to fix it. The same goes for any apparent problems with the heating or air conditioning, roof, or foundation or plumbing.

Getting estimates for what’s discovered to be a problem during your inspection is what your real estate agent will take to the seller if you decide to ask for a concession instead of having the seller do the fix for you. Your inspector can’t give you these figures, but he can give you a sense of whether it’s necessary to call somebody in.

It’s easy to forget the inspector’s report in the whirlwind of closing and moving, but there are almost always suggestions for things that need to be done in the first two to three months of occupancy. You should utilize your inspection report, in part, to help establish a maintenance protocol for the best life expectancy of the building and building materials.