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Alarm Systems: Not Just For The Wealthy Anymore!
Over the last 22 years that I have been involved in the security alarm industry, I have seen quite an evolution. Changes have not only taken place in what type of equipment is available, but also in how the consumer buys and use’s the...
Need A House And Pet Sitter While You're Away But Think You Can't Afford It? Think Again - You Can Find A House Sitter Who Works For Free.
While you're out in the big world, your most precious possessions need to be cared for: your property and your animals. All sorts of service providers have sprung up to cater for this growing market, however, the services of agency-registered pet...
Negotiating The Sale Of Your Home
Negotiating a successful sale of your home requires an environment that sustains the buyer's interest and trust during the process. Many of our clients have been very experienced negotiators, and from them we have learned that the goal is to reach a...
Sell Your Home Fast!
Do you have a new job that requires you to move to a new home? Has a divorce or death required you to liquidate your home as soon as possible? Or have bad times turned worse and the only hope of rescuing the investment you've made in your home is to...
Ward off High Energy Costs by Replacing Windows and Doors
(ARA) - U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has predicted tight supplies of natural gas and therefore higher energy prices well into 2004. This is news we’ve heard before, yet it still sends many Americans scrambling for new ways to...
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A Guide To Home Inspections
Any Sally and Sam Homebuyer can look at a home and decide whether it is attractive. They might notice it is freshly painted in pleasing colors, has the requisite number of rooms, a cook’s kitchen and is located in a location with top schools. But what about less obvious parts of the house?
It takes special expertise to determine if the functional parts of a home are in good shape. If you attend an open house, how do you determine if there are plumbing problems, electrical problems, structural problems, drainage problems, the condition of heating and air conditioning equipment and the condition of literally hundreds of other items that could cause concern?
Enter the home inspector.
A home inspector is trained to be a detective in regard to the construction and working parts of homes. It is not an exact science.
The home inspector cannot tear into things, so they can’t always see everything they’d like to. They do, however, come equipped with ladders, strong flashlights, and devices to measure various things related to plumbing, electrical and other necessary home items. Importantly, a home inspector will also typically bring a digital camera to photograph problems such as roof shingles not lying flat, signs of mildew from leaking pipes and construction that doesn’t comply with building codes. They don’t miss much.
It’s a good idea for the buyer to be present during the home inspection. If you ask them to, home inspectors will usually explain how things work to you. This is important as they can show you where cut off valves are, how to remove filters for cleaning
or replacement and tell you how often various maintenance chores need to be done. This information can be very valuable if you ultimately purchase the property.
It’s also a good idea to ask the home inspector if there are any particular tests they would perform if they were buying the home. For example, radon gas (a colorless, odorless gas which is a carcinogen) can be a problem in some parts of the country. It can be detected, measured, and, if levels are above EPA standards, there are procedures to deal with it successfully. A home inspector can help identify such issues for you.
It’s easy to see that a home inspection can provide a wealth of valuable information. While it is easy to fall in love with a listed home, a home inspector can be the key to avoiding disastrous discoveries down the line.
About the Author: Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing FSBO homes for sale by owner. Visit our "sell my home?" page at http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to list and sell your home for free for one month. Visit http://www.fsboamerica.org/buyer.cfm to see homes for sale by owner.
Source: www.isnare.com
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