Frequently Asked Questions About Home Inspections
Home inspections are vital as they reveal the true condition of a house, so buyers can make informed decisions and sellers can renovate accordingly. However, while considering home inspection companies, there are several questions clients have but often find answers challenging to come by.
Lizotte Inspection Services wants to arm you with the most accurate information available to help you either find your dream home or get what your home is worth. To do this, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about home inspections.
1. How much does a home inspection cost?
We have a base fee for a typical house in our area. This price may be increased if the property is on acreage, has a suite or two, is very large, or is outside our two-hour radius. On the other hand, the price may be a little less if it is an apartment style condo.
2. What does the inspection involve?
We inspect everything from the roof to the basement. If it is safe to do so, we will walk on the roof. If it’s not safe, then we will move a ladder to each side of the house and inspect it that way. We examine every window, door, floor, outlet, and plumbing fixture. We also inspect furnaces, water heaters, electrical panels, the visible structure in the basement, and the attic. Typically, we check the attic from the hatch, but if we can safely walk up there without disturbing the insulation, we will do that as well.
3. Do you inspect appliances?
We do a general inspection of the main appliances in a house. We do not test all the features or perform temperature tests. We submit the make and model number to a program that will check each month for recalls. This is done at no extra charge to you.
4. How long does the inspection take?
A typical inspection will begin from 9 am and wind up at around 2 pm. We cannot give an exact time because we don’t know the house or what we will find, so this approximate should help you plan accordingly. Some places that are very large or very old take longer to inspect. However, an apartment style condo may only take a couple of hours. Every place is different.
5. Do you do PreSale inspections?
Yes, we do! It is a good idea to have your home inspected before you put it on the market so you can decide if things need to be done to help sell it. It will avoid the eleventh-hour crunch when buyers want a discounted price because the home inspector found an issue that you could have fixed yourself for a lot less. You can also include the recall check as part of a selling feature.
6. How long does the walkthrough take and who needs to be there?
As long as you need. Typically it takes about an hour and a half to go through the report and then answer all your questions. We are not happy until all your questions are answered. As for who needs to be there, if it is a private sale then just you need to be there. If you are buying through a realtor, then they need to be there as well. However, it is not a good idea to bring too many people to the walkthrough because focus gets lost and it takes a lot longer.
7. When do I get my report?
You will see your report at the walkthrough, but we still need to work on it some more when we get back to the office to correct any spelling mistakes or add anything that we discussed that might be helpful to have in the report. Then we will email it to you that same night, usually, a couple of hours after we get back.
8. What is in the report?
Everything we see during the inspection that justifies a comment, good, or bad, is included in the report. We also take pictures of the roof and the attic just because we know you may not have even seen them yet. There are also diagrams to show you more details of what you should be seeing. In the end, there is a checklist of seasonal maintenance tips to help you take care of your new home.
If you need any more information about home inspections, get in touch with the experts at Lizotte Inspection Services. We provide the best home inspections in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and ensure that you understand what is involved in the inspection process along with the advantages and faults of a property before buying or selling it.
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