What is a Home Inspection?
A home inspection in Albany, Leesburg or Southwest Georgia is a vitally important to ensuring that your investment is secure and the health and well being of your family is safe. Our inspections cover over 250+ items and determines the present condition of the home’s major systems.
It focuses on the condition of and performance of the home, rather than cosmetic, code or design issues and identifies home components that are significantly deficient, unsafe or near the end of their life.
The home inspections are performed by professional certified home inspectors prior to the purchase or closure on a residential home. A thorough home inspection gives the buyer details about a home’s structure, foundation, electrical, plumbing, and much, much more.
Sentry Home Inspection Services checks the areas of a home beyond what a buyer can see on the surface through the use of technology and modern tools. Getting our home inspection is important because it helps you know if a home may need costly repairs. What is uncovered during an inspection can become part of a sales negotiation between yourself, the seller, and respective real estate agents. A home inspection is generally accompanied with two documents (mandated by state law). These documents include a pre-inspection agreement and an inspection report. The home purchaser can then use the findings from the home inspection to make a knowledgeable decision about the purchase price of the home for sale.
WHAT A HOME INSPECTION IS NOT:
It is important to understand that a home inspection is not an insurance policy, guarantee or warranty on the home being inspected. The inspection is not invasive or destructive and it is limited in scope. It is not a building code inspection and is not designed to identify concealed defects. It is not intended to predict future performance of a home and finally, it is not an energy review or audit.
WHAT DOES A HOME INSPECTION COVER?
Each home is unique, so what is inspected during a home inspection will vary. Generally, however, certified home inspectors thoroughly inspect these areas: roofing, structure, attic, exterior walls, basement/crawl space, foundation, floors, interior walls, doors, windows, heating and cooling systems, interior electrical systems, interior plumbing systems.
WHAT DOES A HOME INSPECTION USUALLY NOT COVER?
There are limits to what a home inspector checks during a home inspection. Home Inspectors provide different levels of service based on their training, certifications and experience. Generally, certified inspectors do not routinely check these areas of a home: Additional structures separate from home – such as sheds/barns/ Etc., chimneys, interior wall spaces, septic tanks, water quality, air quality, mold, radon, wells, well pump, Etc. At Sentry Home Inspection Services, we offer a wide array of ancillary inspection services to cover all of your needs.
WHY DOES A HOME INSPECTION MATTER?
When you are serious about a specific home for sale, an inspection can help give you the confidence you need to buy it. A home inspection also gives you knowledge about any potential home repairs. Armed with our state of the art modern report, you can either negotiate needed repairs as part of the sale, or plan how to budget to make the repairs yourself after close. Buying a home is potentially the biggest investment of your life. The inspection step is your opportunity to learn about your purchase first-hand.
ARE HOME INSPECTIONS ONLY FOR HOMES INVOLVED IN REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS?
While most home inspections occur because of real estate sales the answer is No! There are many other reasons to consider having a professional home inspection completed on your home. A home inspection can identify problems that cannot been seen with the naked human eye and can suggest preventive measures that might help you avoid costly future repairs. If you’re a home seller, buyer or a homeowner, a home inspection can give you the opportunity to address repairs or improvements that can improve the overall appeal of your home and increase its market value. Other home inspection services can specifically evaluate your home’s energy efficiency and this type of inspection can be extremely beneficial in saving you money in utility cost. Home inspections are also a very useful annual maintenance tool to help homeowners stay on top of keeping their home in tip top shape and addressing any issues before they become expensive problems.
SHOULD I GET A HOME INSPECTION FOR A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED HOME?
Many home buyers assume that a newly constructed home is going to be free of issues or problems – after all – it was just built. Nothing could be further from the truth. New homes can also have defects in the materials, installation of systems and appliances, or in the construction itself. So how would you know if the home you are looking at is a well-built home? Simple, always exercise smart judgement and have a professional home inspection completed on any home you are considering buying. In addition, if you are a homeowner of a newly built home – why in the world would you need a professional home inspection? Most homes come with a builder’s warranty (generally one year) and once that warranty expires – you are left holding the bag for major equipment replacement, repairs or maintenance cost. Don’t get stuck out in the cold.
ARE HOME INSPECTIONS FOOLPROOF?
No – They are Not. Its important to remember that a home inspection is a visual inspection completed on a specific date and time. The home inspector can only report on what is observed during that inspection. No home inspector can guarantee that your home is not going to have any unobserved issues once that inspection is completed. For example, the inspector may not be able to identify potential HVAC issues during cold weather. The same would be true for checking a heating system during an extreme hot spell. It might also be difficult to detect appliance issues since a home inspector will only run them through one cycle to see if they are operational. That’s why it’s a good idea to mitigate the risk of being stuck with a huge bill for a system or appliance breakdown after closing on your home by purchasing a home warranty. Sentry Home Inspection Services includes a home warranty in all of our inspections.
So, what are you waiting for… if you are buying or selling a home in Albany, Leesburg or the South West Georgia area, call Sentry Home Inspection Services today to schedule your inspection. Then, rest easy and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your and your family’s safety and security is taken care of.
At Sentry Home Inspection Services – We’ve Got Your Back!
