Just because a relative is handy around the house or once worked in construction does not mean that he should be doing your pre-purchase home inspection, explains Strong Home LLC owner Aniello Napolitano, a Westchester-based home inspection expert who looks for everything from mold to termites during his home inspections.
Having a pre-purchase home inspection done on a house is more than just a formality to the home buying process, it is an important to step that should ideally be made to ensure the value of the purchase. After all, a home is generally one of the most expensive things a person will buy in his lifetime. It is therefore important that people know exactly what they are buying before they close on their purchases, especially when it comes to older homes.
The problem with having a relative or friend handle the home inspection rather than hiring a professional is that this person does not know about all of the aspects involved in a total home inspection, from mold to termites and electrical wiring issues. If someone has experience as an electrician, then he only really knows about electricity, explains Napolitano. Meanwhile, if someone is a plumber, then he only knows about plumbing.
A professional home inspector has to know about all of these areas. To receive a license in this field, a person has to have knowledge in all of the different areas of home management and construction, and he has to know exactly what he is looking for during the home inspection process. In Westchester, mold and termites are common problems. However someone with little experience might not even know to look out for these issues when inspecting a home.
The difference between an amateur and a professional in the arena of home inspectors is that a professional will go into all of the rooms in the house. Napolitano generally starts by examining the exterior of any home he’s inspecting, since the signs on the outside walls will usually clue him into whether anything is going on inside the house to watch out for. “That’s why I always start with the outside,” he says. “The roof, the chimney, the siding, and the grading of the soil can tell you a lot.” In particular, Napolitano can tell from the grading of the property whether there is likely to be much water in the basement.
Inside the house, Napolitano looks for any issues with the electrical, plumbing, appliances, heating, and air conditioning systems. He also goes up into the attic to check the insulation and make sure that there aren’t any signs of wildlife or anything else that could be a problem. “Basically, nothing goes untouched,” he says.
Clients who choose Strong Home LLC can be sure they will get both a verbal condition report and a comprehensive written report. The written report is reader friendly, according to Napolitano, with plenty of descriptions and photos identifying problem areas.
In addition to notifying the home buyer of any potential problems, this report is also useful because it can be taken and shown to the seller when it comes time to request that certain repairs be made. “So even if you don’t know the terms of construction, you will still figure it out from the pictures,” Napolitano says.
Luckily, Napolitano says that most people know that they should not be letting a friend or a relative handle a home inspection. People are being especially cautious these days before investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into properties, and Napolitano estimates that up to 95% of the people who are buying homes now are asking for inspections before closing on their purchases.
Even sellers are asking for home inspections, usually as a way to make sure that everything is in working order before putting their homes on the market. This, in turn, helps them get the best value for their properties.
In addition to mold, the second most important thing that most home sellers are concerned about when they list their properties is termite damage. People know that termite damage can turn off potential buyers, so they like to find out about problems before putting their homes up for sale.
