As part of our condo, townhouse, and home inspections we review a home for heating and cooling vulnerabilities. This is a standard inspection item for us because of the critical importance for the resident’s comfort, wallet, and health. Why Get A Heating & Cooling Inspection? As part of our heating and cooling inspection we review […]
Purchasing a home can be a long and stressful process. When you are so close to the finish line and getting your home is within your grasp, you may ask yourself if a home inspection is worth the time and money. When you get a professional to conduct a home inspection you’re not only reducing […]
Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS? Home inspectors come and go. The long time firms are here to stay. They’ll be here if you have a question or a problem down the road. Q: WHAT ARE YOUR INSPECTORS’ QUALIFICATIONS? The industry is essentially unregulated. Anyone can call themselves a home inspector. Q: CAN […]
Over the last few years, we have seen a steady shift in clients’ expectations. Their demands are higher, which is fine, but the number of clients with unrealistic expectations has grown from maybe one in a thousand to one in fifty. These are the people who renegotiate their house based on the inspection results; then […]
Home inspections have traditionally been for the benefit of the purchaser. Pre-inspected listings benefit all parties – purchasers, vendors and Realtors. Deals Won’t Fall Through Home inspections, performed as a condition of the offer, can kill deals. Sometimes this is because the purchaser gets cold feet; sometimes there’s a big problem no one knew about. […]
Through the years humorous articles have been written poking fun at comments in real estate ads. We all know that “close to public transportation” should be interpreted as “built over the subway”. But the following are vague real estate terms that can get real estate salespeople into trouble. The age of consumerism has become the […]
The hardest house to date is a link home. They appear to be single, but if you do some digging they’re actually attached. As home inspectors, we have some tricks for figuring out the age of a house. In newer subdivisions we pick up dates from manhole covers, sidewalks, and curbs. This will give you […]
A Abs — A type of black plastic pipe commonly used for waste water lines. Aggregate — Crushed rock or stone. Air chamber — A vertical, air filled pipe that prevents water hammer by absorbing pressure when water is shut off at a faucet or valve. Air-conditioner condenser — The outside fan unit of the […]
THE 1% RULE When you consider the life cycle of every component of a house, a reasonable annual estimate of the cost of normal maintenance is 1% of the value of the house. One year you may replace the furnace; a few years down the road you may re-surface the roof. Throw in the odd […]
Fireplaces are no longer used as the primary source for heating homes, but the magic of a fire stills makes a fireplace a valued part of any home. There are few things nicer than a cheery fire, especially on a cold winter night. By the same token, there are few things more distressing than a […]
