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What Is Your Home Inspection Worth?

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Despite the convincing argument of not skipping your home inspection, what is your home inspection report actually worth? We dive into the value of a home inspection and identify the difference between a good report and a soft report.

The difference between $100 and $100 value

I recently purchased a few different dollar bills. Once of which is a $100 bill. However, this bill is valued 4x face value because it has a reverse water mark. It may seem like a simple, almost unnoticeable difference. But that difference changes the value of the bill. In fact, if I hadn’t told you there was a difference you may never have noticed!

A good report vs. a soft report

A good home inspection report vs. a soft home inspection report may be hard to spot if you don’t know what to look for. A soft home inspection report can have 20 pictures on it and only 5 comments. It’s like a fake $100 bill. It looks full, but in reality, it’s pretty empty.

A good home inspection report is like the $100 bill with the reverse watermark. It may look only like a $100 bill, but it’s worth far more. Your inspection report should educate you about your home. A home inspection is to find any issues or concerns with your home, but it’s also more than that. Do you want to know the life left in your roof so you can be prepared to replace it when the time comes? Do you want to know the condition or your A/C or plumbing? These are all things you’ll learn about during your home inspection.

 

The value of your home inspection report is far more than its face-value. What is your home inspector providing you? What is your home inspection report providing for you. At Divinity Inspection Service, we make sure all of our reports are thorough, detailed, and answers all of your questions. Give us a call to schedule your home inspection now.

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Why You Can’t Skip The Home Inspection

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The home inspection is one of the most important steps in your home buying process. So important, that skipping this step could have grave repercussions. Here’s why you can’t afford to skip the home inspection.

We see things you won’t see

A home inspector is a trained professional. We will see things that you won’t see. We will also check specific things around the home that you may not check yourself. Are you going to climb unto the roof? Into the attic and the crawl space? If you’re not, then at the very least you should hire someone to do so.

You have peace of mind and a warranty

A home inspector provides you with two important things: peace of mind and a type of warranty. Your home inspector wants to educate you about the home. If there any major concerns you can bring them up to the seller and negotiate a settlement, hence a type of warranty you wouldn’t otherwise have. Also, if your home inspector misses a major issue during their inspection, depending on what it is, you can still hold the seller responsible after the sale. Those are rare cases but worth mentioning.

Learn from those who skipped the home inspection

Here is a short story you can learn from. A young couple, first time homebuyers, decided they didn’t want to spend the money on a home inspection. Within 6 months of living in their house the A/C stopped working completely. It turned out the A/C had major issues which they wouldn’t have known because likely they didn’t really look at it. Had a home inspector done the job, it’s very likely the home inspector would have seen the issue with the A/C and warned them about the pending lifeline. Now that young couple will be responsible for paying for the fix. Don’t be this couple.

The list goes on and one. Truly it does. There are endless reasons why you can’t afford to skip the home inspection and shouldn’t! But these three should be enough to convince you to put the money into one of the most important steps in the home buying process! And you can schedule your inspection so easily directly from our website.

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Best Home Improvements To Sell Your House Quickly

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Every home, unless it is a new build, needs some work somewhere. However, there are specific home improvements you can make that will help sell your house quickly! Here are the top features every home buyers is looking for.

Updated kitchen and bathrooms

It’s true what they say, kitchens and bathrooms sells houses. This is because these areas are actually the most used rooms in the entire house. They are also pretty big undertakings if they need to be remodeled or updated. Getting these done can be a big investment, but most times they also offer a big return.

Make aesthetic improvements

A new A/C or water pump is great, but the truth is homebuyers start with aesthetics. A fresh coat of paint can go a long way to give a house a face lift. Steer away from any bright or custom colors. Either go with a neutral palette or take a chance with trending colors. It might also be a good idea to get guidance from your real estate agents.

Curb appeal goes a long way

Landscape is another way to get a great return on your investment. Great curb appeal attracts buyers very quickly. This can be landscaping or painting the outside of the home.

Declutter your home

Clutter can make any great space look terrible. Keeping in mind potential homebuyers are noticing the aesthetics first. So it may be good idea to move some of your stuff out. This includes the kids’ rooms.

Clean your pool

Sometimes when you decide to sell your home you somewhat “check out” on some of the home maintenance items. But a green pool would most certainly deter any homebuyer. Not to mention, you may have a hard time convincing them you simply aren’t maintaining it and there is nothing wrong with the pool system.

Don’t forget to ask your real estate agent for guidance. Real estate agents are experts in attracting homebuyers. You should trust your agent’s advice and consider a prelisting home inspection if it would suit you as well.

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How To Protect Your Home From Summer Flooding

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The summer rains are on their way. And if you remember last year, then you know it would be a good idea to get ahead of the preparations to prevent summer flooding. If you protect your home now, then you will have nothing to worry about all through summer and hurricane season.

Clean out your gutters while the sun is out

You don’t want to find out your gutters are clogged when your driveway starts flooding. Get up on that ladder and clean out those gutters to make a clear path for the rain waters.

Check your ground gutters and drains as well

Many homes in Florida also have ground gutters. These can be close to the home or close to the road. Many times the ground gutters get overlooked but they can easily get clogged with debris, leaves, and other things.

Landscaping can help soil erosion

It’s planting season and if there were ever a time to address your landscape it’s now. Planting certain plants and vegetation can minimize soil erosion.

The best way to be sure you don’t have any leaks or potential roof damage is to get a property inspection. Many people think they only need to hire a property inspector if they are selling or buying a home. The truth is, many homeowners can benefit from having their home inspected every three to five years. A qualified home inspector is trained to look for and discover issues that even you as the home buyer may not notice.

We also offer pre-listing inspections. Scheduling a pre-listing inspection gives you a leg up from waiting on a buyer to have the home inspected. If you are made aware of any major issues you can address them before listing the home for sale. Even if you do get an inspection done, you are under no obligation to share that inspection report with anyone. Schedule your home inspection now with us.

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Can I Trust My Home Inspector?

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Why is a home inspection so nerve wracking? Could it be party due to a lack of trust between you and your home inspector? Here’s what you need to know to build a relationship and also identify a home inspector you can feel confident using.

Ask for references and use them

You are more likely to trust a home inspector that has been referred to you by someone you know. Undoubtedly, we like to work with people we know, like, and trust. Even if it’s someone else you know that knows and trusts the home inspector. Having that connection helps. So ask for references.

Do a proper interview

Yes, you read that right. You should “interview” anyone before you hire them. Especially a job as important as inspecting a home you want to purchase. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions. And if you don’t know what to ask, start with “what questions should I be asking you?”. It’s not about pricing when you hire a home inspector. I understand the price is a part of the decision, but that shouldn’t be the only factor.

Be present at the inspection

In fact, we recommend that the buyers, seller, and both agents are present at the home inspection. This is an opportunity to learn about your home and address any immediate questions or concerns. You never know what might be discovered during an inspection. How easy is it to be able to ask the seller about a concern while the inspector is there? Even better! So make sure you attend.

We know these tips might seem basic, but we find many people skip these little steps. We want you to feel confident and comfortable when you hire Divinity Inspection Services. We invite you to call us and ask us anything you want. We will offer our guidance and knowledge, and hope that you feel you can trust us by the end of the phone call.