While any home can have any issue under the right circumstances, there are a lot of common issues that you may see show up on your home inspection report. These issues are not always immediately serious, but definitely something to keep in mind for the future. Common issues that home inspectors see most often during their inspection include:

• Roofing Issues – Most homeowners don’t want to deal with roofing issues before selling a property, or otherwise don’t know how to spot issues. Unfortunately, roof repair can be a huge expense.
• Faulty Wiring – The older your home is, the bigger the chance that it has wiring issues purely due to updated standards. You will see wiring faults in homes that have had DIY home renovations as well. These can be dangerous and rewiring a home is an expense.
• Grading Problems – Grading, or the slight slope that drains water away from the foundation, degrades over time and most sellers simply don’t think to check it. If water pools by a foundation because of a lack of grading, it can cause expensive foundation issues.
• Foundation/Crawlspace Issues Damage – In addition to grading issues, foundation problems are common finds because no one wants to pay to fix them.
• Attic Issues – Some think attics are supposed to be hot and musty, but they are not. If an attic lacks proper ventilation or has other issues, it can be a real mold trap up there.
• Plumbing Issues – The older the home is, the more likely that plumbing issues will likely be present or may be an issue in the future.
• HVAC Issues – From simply having the home’s HVAC system(s) inspected and serviced to more concerning issues such as outdated or older systems present – HVAC issues can have significant cost consequences for repairs or upgrading.
• Weathered or Water Damaged Cladding, Doors and or Windows – Failure to properly maintain and protect these areas of the home can result in significant repairs or replacements and expense.
• Vegetation – flowers, plants, shrubs, or trees can improve the landscape and appearance of a home. But if not planned correctly or allowed to overgrow – they can have significant consequences to the structure.
• Gutters – no one likes to maintain or keep gutters clean. But neglecting gutters or not having them can result in significant repair cost to a home.

A common theme to the above is that if an area is either very expensive to fix or very hard to get to, it is more likely to have problems. Furthermore, these problems are often deal breakers for new buyers because they can be an expense to fix. However, while some issues may scare you off buying a property, do realize that some negotiation can be done to see the issue fixed or the price for the home reduced. If you are looking for a professional home inspector who can safeguard your best interest – look no farther. Call us today for your peace of mind.

One common question for home buyers is whether or not they should trust their real estate agent’s recommendations for a home inspector. Most buyers would probably like to think that all real estate agents are honest professionals who all follow a stringent set of professional ethics. In some cases, the answer is yes, you can trust some real estate agents to refer only qualified, professional, ethical home inspectors. Unfortunately however, in many cases you will want to avoid using a home inspector recommended by your agent and find your own inspector. It might also seem very convenient to use the home inspector your agent recommends, but here are a few good caution flags that should pop up with you, as a buyer, when you real-estate agent recommends a particular home inspector:

1. Could there be a conflict of interest?

A home inspector recommended by your agent may pose a conflict of interest. As a buyer, you have a vested interest in a non biased and detailed report on the condition of your potential new home. While a preferred home inspector, recommended by your agent may feel a vested interest in helping your agent close the sale. After all – agents don’t get paid anything unless they close the sale on the home. While it’s unlikely they would do anything less than aboveboard and risk losing their certification, the real-estate waters can get a bit muddied when the agent is involved in the inspector/buyer relationship.

2. Who’s the real client?

The home inspector is paid by and works solely for you, the buyer — in theory. However, if the home inspector and the real-estate agent have a strong work history together, their relationship may feel more like a partnership, where the home inspector considers the realtor their client, leaving you as the third most important party in the transaction. Your home inspection is your only opportunity to gather a detailed understanding about any and all identified deficits involving your home. It’s extremely important that the inspection not be rushed or short cuts taken to provide less detail about the true condition of the home.

3. Special List

It is not uncommon in many real-estate markets for certain agents to have a ready to distribute list of “recommended home inspectors” for their buying clients.  Hopefully, the listed home inspectors are professionals who come with many great references. However, the home inspectors on that list may also be very aware that they are on a particular list and may feel that finding large amounts of inspection issues may threaten their future inclusion on that agent’s list of recommended inspectors.

4. Not All Home Inspectors Are Equal

It is pretty common for home buyers, especially new home buyers to assume that all home inspectors are created equal, it really doesn’t matter who you get – and finally, since they are the same you are going to choose the cheapest home inspector you can find. All of these assumptions could not be further from the truth and collectively – can result in buyers making a bad decision that will likely come back and bite them.

While these possibilities are unnerving, they do exist. So, whether you select a home inspector from a pre-determined list or hopefully decide to do your own due diligence in finding your own home inspector, here are a few suggested points to consider:

• Check the home inspectors national certifications
• See what professional training they have completed
• Visit their professional website – this can tell you a great deal about a home inspector
• Check out an example of their reports so you can see how they approach the inspection and how the report itself identifies deficiencies
• Check their feedback ratings from previous customers

While the real-estate market encourages a fairly competitive environment in terms of home inspection cost, cost itself should never be the determining factor for selecting a home inspector. Not all home inspectors are equal nor do all home inspectors have the same level of training, have the same level of technology or provide the exact same level of services. In the grand scheme of things – saving $50 to $75 probably isn’t worth your peace of mind. When you are considering making a major investment in real-estate, it’s best to make that extra effort and choose the home inspector you are the most comfortable with.

If you are considering purchasing a home in Albany, Leesburg or the Southwest Georgia area, we invite to check us out and rest assured – if we inspect your home – you will be getting the most professional home inspection available. We’ve got your back!

Having your home’s crawlspace area professionally inspected is a very critical component of responsible home maintenance and management.

Here are the Top 20 home inspection crawlspace defects:

• Mold, algae, or mildew growing on foundation walls
• Moisture seeping up from the ground into the crawlspace
• Flooding or standing water in the crawlspace
• Condensation forming on walls, vapor barrier, and HVAC equipment
• Insulation damaged, falling or hanging from floor joists
• No insulation present in the crawlspace
• Mold and mildew on seal plates, floor joists, and sub-floors
• Warping or Cupping Hardwood Floors
• Substandard framing or poorly supported framing
• Failing, sinking, or settling supports
• Posts in contact with concrete/soil
• Water Damage or dry rot on framing and subfloor
• Improper notching of framing
• Aged or leaking cast iron or galvanized water delivery or drainage pipes
• Lack of proper ventilation
• Improper electrical wiring
• Electrical wiring in contact with crawlspace ground
• Wood debris and other discarded materials in the crawlspace area
• Missing, damaged, or incomplete vapor barrier
• Mice, pest, and other insects/rodents in crawlspace areas

With our state-of-the-art crawlspace crawler, we are able to inspect, video and photograph any crawlspace in unmatched detail. 

Contact Sentry Home Inspections, LLC today to schedule your home’s crawlspace inspection: 229 449-8482

The average person in Southwest Georgia spends 90% of their time indoors, so the quality of your home’s indoor air is of the utmost importance to your health. Identifying health effects caused from Mold Contamination/Exposure can become critical. We are here to assist you with testing your home if some or all of the symptoms exist around you.  Symptoms include:

• severe coughing
• sneezing
• sore eyes
• runny nose
• nasal congestion
• allergic reactions
• asthma
• acute upper respiratory tract infections

We believe everyone deserves to breathe clean & healthy air

DON’T RISK YOUR FAMILY’S HEALTH. GET A MOLD & IN-DOOR AIR QUALITY INSPECTION TODAY.

BOOK YOUR INSPECTION IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA NOW: 229 449-8482