When considering a real estate purchase it is crucial to obtain accurate and unbiased information about the property. Most people have little idea of what to look at to get a true picture of the exact condition of the property. It is very common for a house to be painted or updated before being placed on the market for sell. The problem is that defects may be covered up while renovations are being made.

A well informed and knowledgeable inspector should be trained in techniques of detecting defects. A good example of this is dry wall texture repair. It is common to see dry wall cracks present over doors and windows. Once these cracks have been repaired and the dry wall texture refinished it is often difficult to detect these repairs. The place to look is at the closet inside wall top. Very seldom is dry wall repaired inside the closet. These dry wall cracks may be insignificant. But, they are also often an indication of severe structural movement. To the untrained eye these defects may not be seen.

Another common problem with repairs is that an upgrade may be made incorrectly. An example of this would be replacing a water heater in a 30-year-old house. The way the appliance was originally installed may have been fine in 1965. The problem is that many codes have been up dated or changed since then. The homebuyer looks at the unit and sees a new water heater. Unfortunately he/she fails to notice a number of significant safety hazards that are present with the instillation such as improperly installed gas lines or ventilation.

Keep in mind; an inspector cannot predict the future. The inspection is not a warranty. No one can predict the exact date an appliance or condition present at the property will fail. But a well-trained inspector can greatly reduce the risk of unexpected surprises.

In Texas only a licensed Real Estate Inspector or a Structural Engineer are legally able to inspect a property for a home sell.

In Texas the seller is required to provide a sellers disclosure statement when the house is put on the market. The document outlines any deficiencies known by the seller. The problem is that many homeowners have a very limited knowledge of their property’s actual condition. Most people try not to make a habit of climbing on roofs or through damp insect infested crawl spaces. Therefore they often are surprised when they arrive at the bargaining table and find that there are costly defects present in their home that they are unaware of.

A seller’s inspection often turns up unexpected surprises. If caught in the early stages of the home sell these “surprises” can be repaired or negotiated for. A competent inspector has the ability to sort through the tangle of fact presented at the property to identify both the major and minor defects.

The inspector can also be a wealth of knowledge about repair or appliance instillation. Although an inspector should never offer to make repairs, they can often guide homeowners in properly undertaking renovations. It is very frustrating to have an appliance installed before the sell of the property only to later learn that the contractor had little idea of the proper way to install this unit. Consulting a competent inspector can often make repairs much easier and less costly.

In purchasing or building a brand new home it is often very important to have a home inspected. We have all heard of contractors or builder saying that they build homes in the county where there are no codes. This is not true. There are building codes present anywhere in America. The problem is that these codes are normally enforced only in city limits by municipal inspectors. Out in the county often there are no quality checks present in the construction process. It only stands to reason that acquiring the services of a competent third party to over see construction would be a prudent step. The inspector’s job is not to run the construction project, but to insure that no surprises arise in construction.

The inspector will often provide three or four full inspections of the project as the construction progresses. The first stage is to inspect the foundation before and during the instillation of the concrete. The next step is normally a framing and rough plumbing and electrical inspection. At the end of construction a final or turnkey inspection should be performed. There may be other inspections performed as well such as a roof inspection, under ground plumbing, gas and water line pressure testing or appliance warranty inspections.

What if the builder already finished construction on the house? A final turnkey inspection can be performed. Granted this final inspection will not normally be as thorough as a full phase inspection, the inspector will often uncover many defects before the purchaser takes possession of the property. Keep in mind that the perfect house does not exist. The inspectors job though is try to get the house as close to perfect as possible. Once the home sell is complete and the buyer takes possession of the property it is often difficult for the builder to make any repairs.

The most important question to ask an inspector is what experience to they have. Real Estate Inspection is among the fastest growing fields in the country. It only stands to reason that there are a lot of inexperienced inspectors out there. A good inspector should have a sound background in construction practices. Many inspectors have previously worked as builders, plumbers, and electricians or in other related fields.

Another important question to ask is how many inspections has the inspector performed. The inspector should have inspected at least 1000 properties personally. How long the inspector has worked in the industry is also important.

Is the perspective inspector affiliated with any other professional organizations? The inspection industry is still rather young. As the industry grows changes are bound to happen. Another fact to keep in mind is the constant evolution and updating of building codes. Through involvement with inspection originations and interaction with other professionals the inspector can stay abreast with market changes.

Is the inspector licensed or certified? A growing trend the Building and Real Estate Industries is the licensing of inspectors. Currently many states require anyone who accepts pay for inspecting property be a licensed Real Estate Inspector or a Structural Engineer. There are also many code compliance organizations that offer certifications. The inspector should be properly licensed or credentialed in the inspection industry.