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The Weather and Home Inspections

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Have you ever considered how the weather could effect your home inspection? If you live in a place with extreme weather then this though may have ran across your mind. Otherwise, you may have never considered how the weather and home inspections are connected, and how knowing that could be a huge benefit for the home-buyer. Our next series of blogs will discuss how different weather patterns can affect a thorough home inspection and how to avoid mistakes by accommodating to the weather. In this article, we start with the heat.

The Heat in the Attic

Let’s start with the heat since Divinity Inspections Service is located in tropical Florida and we are now in the midst of summer. The heat is high every single day and sometimes the humidity feels even higher. As hot as it may feel outside it is even hotter in your attic! This is especially dangerous for a home inspector. Because of the heat, some home inspectors may not be able to inspect the attic of a house. If they are able to inspect the attic they may be prevented from doing a thorough job because of the heat or lack of ventilation. In this case, try to schedule the home inspection during the late evenings to give the home a chance to cool off a little.

The Heat on the Roof

You thought the attic is hot but you haven’t even felt the roof! That direct sunlight hitting the roof for 8 hours is sure to guarantee high temperatures. Since home inspectors have to check the roof for a thorough inspection the best way to avoid any danger is to schedule the inspection during the evening hours or even at night. This will give the home a little time to cool off.

The Heat Under the House

A crawl space is very similar to an attic space. These tiny spaces usually lack proper (or sometimes any) ventilation creating a very dangerous situation for a home inspector. Also depending on the foundation under the home, the very foundation could be effected by the heat. A good home inspector does a thorough inspection of every area of the home, crawl space included. If the home you are considering buying has a crawl space under the house you may want to keep this in mind during those extra hot summer days.

The weather and home inspections may not seem to correlate at first, but after this snippet on heat alone, we hope to change your mind. Of course a good home inspector already knows this and will take the weather into consideration when scheduling your home inspection.

 

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Verify Your Contractors

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Many times a good home inspector will run into an all-too familiar problem. It starts out like every other inspection, checking for important home characteristics, installations, foundation, etc. But then it happens – a clear indicator of unverified (or just really bad) contractors. The problem could consists of bad electrical wiring, incorrect installation of a toilet, a wrong size drip pan in the a/c unit, and the list goes on and on. So let this article be a warning, for any work that needs to be done around the house don’t skimp by using the first (or the cheapest) contractor you can find. At the end of the day, and down the road, you will absolutely regret the decision to hire an unverified contractor. Here are some steps to ensure you get both a fairly priced contractor and a trustworthy contractor.

Use Referrals

Someone almost always knows someone they can refer for contract work. Asking around is a great place to start – but it shouldn’t be where you end. A person referring a business, company, or individual may have the best intentions in doing so but referrals are not guaranteed so you still need to take the extra time to check them out.

Read the Online Reviews

Real feedback from real people should be a deciding factor in hiring a contractor. Most businesses have online reviews from Google, Yelp, or another platform where you can easily and freely see what other people have to say about their service. While the commonly known fact that people are more apt to voice their opinion when they’re unhappy vs. when they are happy, you should still utilize the information. Chances are high the reviews are going to tell you something about the business you are considering.

Call Around

Tampa is saturated with contractors. From handymen to large companies, you have a plethora of choices. So why wouldn’t you call around? Ask about pricing, check out how they deal with you on the phone, and get all of your questions answered. If you run into an issue with a company’s service down the line, more than likely the way you are treated when you call is how you will be treated in the future, so don’t wait until you’ve hired them to find out.

At Divinity Inspection Service we offer a vendor list to any customer upon request. We know, like, and trust our vendors which is why we refer them. You can also trust that they have been verified by us. No matter which vendor or contractor you decide to hire, now or in the future, make sure you verify them first.

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Should your home inspector be licensed?

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Recently Utah passed a law that does not require home inspectors to be licensed. Apparently just about anyone can inspect what is potentially the largest investment of your life…right? So why would you need to hire a home inspector that’s licensed if the state doesn’t require it?

Lucky for us Florida does require their home inspectors to be licensed, and it’s a good thing. In fact, Divinity Inspection Services carries over 16 certificates. That’s how much we believe certificates are important! When a home inspector inspects a home, they create a report based on their expertise. This report will determine whether you, the buyer, is making a good investment. The report not only helps you to make a decision about buying the house, but it also serves to educate the buyer on the house they want to invest in. That’s a big responsibility.

At Divinity, we take that responsibility very seriously. That’s why we stand by our reports. Each one of our inspectors go through the same vigorous training to ensure a consistent quality in our service. We even keep your inspection report on our records for a year just in case you need it. When you are considering hiring a home inspector, make sure you’re asking all the right questions, including proof of their certification. You can find our right here on our website.

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Don’t be anxious about your home inspection

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For many home buyers, especially first-time home buyers, a home inspection can seem like a threat. A home inspection is a threat to your dream home, your family’s future, your visions, and even your finances. Based on this perspective, it would be impossible for a buyer not to feel anxious about getting a home inspection. However, change this perspective, and a buyer would find there is no need to feel threatened or anxious, but instead excited!

Educate Yourself

If a home inspection has the common misconception of creating “threat level death-con” then educate yourself on what a home inspection will provide. A home inspection shouldn’t be seen as a threat, but rather an opportunity to learn about your home in more detail. Many times a home inspection will save the buyer from unforeseen future expenses, educate the buyers on how to maintain their home, and inform the buyer of any immediate concerns. These are all good things!

Stop freaking out

Low-grade anxiousness is a good thing; it means you are serious about the house you’re feeling anxious about. There is nothing wrong with a little nervousness when making such a big financial and emotional decision. That being said, high-level anxiety can cause problems for any normally-calm home buyer – igniting fight or flight instincts, creating panic, or freezing up completely. These reactions pose a much bigger threat to the decision-making process.

You’re the boss

Many buyers feel like they are at the mercy of the seller, the real estate agent, the mortgage lender, etc. But the truth is that is an illusion, the buyer is 100% in control. The buyer may not have control over every step of the home buying process but they have control in every step. There are many steps a buyer can take to control this process and at the end of the day it’s the buyers’ decision as to what home they choose to buy.

At Divinity Inspection Service we do everything we can to make the home inspection process easy. We take the time to walk you through every detail of your home, our report, and educate the buyer as much as we can. Call now to schedule your home inspection!

How to save with a Pre-listing home inspection

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A pre-listing home inspection is a home inspection paid for by the seller which provides the seller with a detailed report of the condition of the home. A pre-listing inspection is not much different than any other home inspection. The biggest difference is the inspection is performed before the house is listed on the market. The goal is to educate the seller on any concerns or issues with the home that might be found during the inspection. The seller will make the decision as to whether they want to address any issues or not, they are under no obligation to do so. The biggest benefit to a pre-listing inspection is the seller will know exactly what to expect when a buyer has a home inspection done and the seller will know about any issues about the home ahead of time and have an opportunity to address those issues which would increase the home’s value.

While a home inspection is mostly used as a negotiation tool for buyers, a home inspection can also be used as a tool to increase the home’s value for a seller. A pre-listing inspection gives control back to the seller. By identifying issues and addressing them, the seller could save money by hiring someone or fixing the issue themselves, whether it’s a fix or a replace, rather than pay for a buyer’s licensed contractor. If a seller has items repaired or replaced ahead of time and it does not come up with the buyer, then it’s not an issue.

Being up front about the condition of a home is a great negotiating tool for a seller. Buyers will appreciate the effort and honesty, they will feel more confident in the home they are purchasing, and a pre-listing report can erase the anxiousness a buyer feels when they are getting a home inspection. The benefits clearly outweigh the cost. If you’re interested in a pre-listing home inspection to help you determine the value of your home or supply you with a detailed report on the condition of your home, please contact Divinity Inspection Services.