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The Most Common Home Inspection Issues in Tampa

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All around the United States each state faces their own common issues. Depending on the region’s weather, some homes go through much more hardship than others. I think it’s safe to say Florida has its own unique set circumstances when it comes to weather. Most days it is hot. Every once in a while we have random cold days, and if we’re lucky enough they string together to make a “cold front”. What we don’t have to do is to face the challenges that come with freezing or below freezing temperatures, snow, or tornadoes. Tornadoes in Tampa are rare. What we do have to be concerned with is hurricane season, flooding and a whole lot of humidity! As a result, there is a pattern of common home inspection issues you can prepare for or prepare to address. Check out some of the most common home inspection issues in Tampa below.

Sinkholes are all over

Florida has more sinkholes that any other state in the entire U.S.A. Let that ‘sink in’ for a second. As a result, the government in Florida has taken precautions, as well as created specific programs, to address sinkholes. There’s no need to fret over the possibility of sinkholes because they really aren’t as common as you might think. However, be prepared that when you are looking at a home for sale there is always a possibility that a sinkhole is under the foundation. If a sinkhole does exist that does not mean the property is dangerous. Especially if the sinkhole issue has already been addressed.

Roof Issues

Heat, humidity, low hanging trees and insufficient maintenance are all causes of roof damage. And in Tampa we have all three pretty much all the time. Many homeowners do not maintain their landscaping over their roofs. This would include cutting down any branches that might be hanging over the roof on laying on the roof. The intense heat and mix with humidity causes roof damage at an accelerated rate. This can be a very big expense and one you would definitely want to know about before purchasing the home.

Flooding and Flawed Drainage

Tampa was built on swamp land – which means a lot of water everywhere. Flooding is a very common occurrence in Tampa and flawed drainage is an issue we come across often. If you are considering purchasing a home and you have the opportunity to drive through the neighborhood during heavy rain, we highly suggest it. During the heavy rain you will be able to see if there are any flooding issues within the neighborhood. Also drive past the home you want to purchase and take a look to see if you can spot any flooding in the yard, driveway, or street.

Not every issue uncovered during an inspection is that serious, and blowing a minor problem out of proportion could create bad vibes and spell “no sale. If you’re the seller, how much is the problem going to cost you to fix, or how much will you have to concede to the buyer to make the repairs? If you’re the buyer, what should you ask from the seller, or should you just walk away from this house no matter how much you love it? Your home inspector and your real estate agent can help guide you to make these decisions. Give us a call today to schedule your home inspection now!

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Do I need a Prelisting Home Inspection?

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During the process of selling a home the purchasers will require a home inspection. If your home will eventually have a home inspection done, why do you need a prelisting home inspection? How do you know when you should be considering paying for a home inspection before you put your house up for sale? These are common questions we run into with home owners. What many don’t know is the time, money, and headache a prelisting home inspection can save.

Who needs a Prelisting Home Inspection

Not everyone needs to have their home inspected before listing their home for sale. In fact, you could argue that most people don’t. We won’t argue that most people do, but we want you to be able to make an informed decision before bypassing this option. Here are some indications to consider before deciding:

  • You doubt the condition of your home, whether it be the home’s entirety or something specific
  • If you need to identify and fix major problems before listing the home for sale / uncover any potential “deal breakers”
  • You want ease of mind by knowing what any home inspection might uncover before entering the selling process
  • If you want to speed up the sales process

 

As you can see the list is long and we can go into more detail. Give us a call if you are considering getting a prelisting home inspection done and we are happy to offer our guidance.

Benefits of a Prelisting Home Inspection

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions above then it’s time to seriously consider getting a prelisting home inspection. Let us explain how it works and some of the direct benefits you can expect, both for you personally and for the purchaser, as a result of a home inspection.

First, a home inspector will inspect your home from top to bottom before you list your home on the market. The inspector will write up a full report of any minor or major issues with your home. You then have the option to address these issues before listing your house or leave everything as is. No matter what, the decision is yours to make. Either way you can work your decision into the listing price. If you choose not to repair any major issues you will have to compensate this into the listing price. If you do choose to repair any major issues then you might be able to increase the listing price of the home. Ask your agent to help you determine what is best for your situation. Both the report and overview can be made available to real estate professionals and prospective buyers.

With a home inspection report, you have now completed a major step in the home buying process. Prospective buyers can have ease of mind because they already reviewed your inspection report. Some buyers, if they are satisfied with the report, will choose not to have the home inspected a second time. This makes the entire process faster. If buyers decide to have a second inspection done you can rest easy knowing you already have all of the information.

Share or not, you cannot hide

That being said, keep in mind that you do not have to share the prelisting inspection report with anyone. Especially if you have addressed or repaired any issues, there may be no benefit to sharing these previous flaws with prospective buyers. To clarify – you should never try to hide major issues in the home from any agents or prospective buyers. Being upfront about the condition of the home will help to eliminate conditional offers or issues with negotiations, resulting in the seller having to sell the home more than once because the buyer has changed their mind.

If you are interested in scheduling a prelisting home inspection today, start by scheduling your inspection directly on our website! Please call us with any specific questions you might have.

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All the Reasons Why You Need a Home Inspector

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Why Should You Have A Pre Listing Home Inspection?

Recently we were hired to inspect a home that was under contract for purchase. The buyers were first time home owners and came to use through a referral. After discussing what they needed and setting a day and time, we met at the home for their inspection. When I arrived I realized the home had a sea wall because it sat on a canal. While the new buyers told us the home was on a canal, they did not mention they had a sea wall. How could they? They didn’t even know! I explained to them the importance of having the sea wall inspected, even though there was a small additional cost. They agreed and the inspection ensued.

Upon inspection of this sea wall we found some major foundation cracks. These are the kind of issues you don’t want to find out about after you’ve purchased a home. This kind of repair has a heft price tag associated with it. We walked the new buyers through the inspection, explained everything as we always do, and gave them the details on everything about the home.

Since the home owner chose not to have a pre-listing home inspection done, they also did not know there were existing issues with the sea wall. The new buyers now had to re-negotiate the sale of the house based on this finding.

I know what you’re thinking. “This is why I don’t want a home inspection. A home inspector could kill the dream of buying our dream home! It could kill the dream of selling my house!”. If that is what you are thinking, you couldn’t be more wrong. Our goal is most certainly not to “kill” any home purchasing deal. However, if we hadn’t found the issues then the new home owners could have very quickly found themselves is a financially difficult situation. And while having to re-negotiate the sale of the home, it certainly doesn’t mean the deal is dead. On that same note, had the owner done a pre-listing inspection on the home they would have known about the issue and could have accounted for it before putting their home on the market for sale.

This story is only one of many that we experience every week. New home owners move into a home without having it inspected only to find they’ve walked into expensive necessary repairs. We have no authority to enforce standards but rather to merely point out conditions as they exist and make recommendations.

We would recommend repair to minor grouting in the shower stall just as we would for a leaking roof. Our goal is to help our clients distinguish between the significant needs of the home and those that are more commonplace. Click here to schedule your home inspection today!
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Top 4 Mistakes Buyers and Sellers Make with Home Inspections

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We have been in the home inspection business for a long time. After a while we’ve been able to develop a list of the top 4 mistakes we’ve noticed many home buyers and sellers make with home inspections. Some of these mistakes can be costly. All it takes is a few strategic questions to avoid them. Take a look at our top 4 below.

Research your Inspector

Great online reviews are a good start but you can take your research a step further. There are a few key questions you need to ask any inspector before hiring them:

  • How long have you been inspection homes? Or how long has your business been operating in this area?
  • How many inspections have you done?
  • Do you have any certifications or formal training? What about ongoing education?

The answers to these questions will tell you a lot about the inspector you are interviewing and can also help set your expectations for their work.

Attend the Inspection

An inspection will take a minimum two hours. Even longer depending on the size of the home. While the inspector might say attending is optional, you should be there. The reality is, if you don’t see it, you don’t understand it. Most things are much easier to explain in person. More importantly, you have an opportunity to ask questions about any concerns or issues you have with the findings. A good inspector can give you an estimate of how much money you’ll need to put into necessary repairs.

Prep your Home

This advice is particularly for the home seller. A home inspection will take longer, and be more frustrating for your inspector, if you do not prepare your home. If you have a lock on your attic access or sheds, the home inspector will need access. Highly cluttered areas can also be an issue, in front of an access point for example. A home inspection may “feel invasive” to the owner but a repeat inspection would be more inconvenient.

Make proper repairs

Last but not least is tackling repairs. Many times a home owner will try to DY repairs themselves or get them done cheap. Also known as “the handyman special”. This will show up in the inspection repeat and could create the need for a re-inspection. Save yourself the hassle and get any major (or minor) repairs professionally fixed.

Remember that a home inspector is aiming to help both the seller and buyer. We want to make both parties aware of any minor or major issues about a home before completing the sale. We’re also happy to make recommendations to vendors we trust. Give us a call today!