by Mike Colpitts 
Home inspections are increasingly a necessary step in the home buying process. As homes age, they are often in need of repairs they don’t get, with deferred maintenance that gets overlooked. Home inspections can give home buyers peace of mind but also provide an assessment for homeowners.
In the Fort Myers area homes sustain damage from storms that often go undiscovered until it becomes a major problem. Roof and plumbing leaks from hurricanes have been known to develop as long as three years after a storm. HVAC systems can be damaged but still operate until they have issues related to storm damage up to two years after a storm.
Swimming pool pumps and systems can become weather beaten and operate inefficiently years after hurricanes go through an area.
Home inspectors examine plumbing, HVAC, home foundations, electrical wiring, roofs and many other components of homes. Choosing the right home inspector requires buyers to ask about the professional’s qualifications and experience, and what the state’s standards of practice require. Inspectors are often referred by their real estate agents.
These days home inspections have become a necessary step in the home buying process and can be the difference between buying a home that is in decent condition with some issues that need to be resolved and a nightmare scenario that should be left to someone else.
Florida and every other state has its own code of conduct and ethics, a list of conditions that should be assessed, and how to become a licensed home inspector. The standards are a starting point for a home inspection, but potential home buyers should add to the list of items to be inspected.
Home buyers often review a sample home inspection report, contact a list of referrals and confirm that they can come to the inspection, which is advisable so they can get their questions about the property addressed. This is when buyers get to evaluate what the homes problems are. Just about all homes, condos and townhouses have some sort of problems. It’s a matter of degrees.
The structural integrity is also evaluated by home inspectors but if major structural issues are involved, additional experts may be needed to make evaluations. Structural engineers’ expertise come at a price but are sometimes the difference between buying a home in acceptable condition and buying a property that could have serious costly problems in the future.
These days home inspections typically run between $400 and $600 for a single family home, depending upon square footage. Swimming pools, hot tubs and solar panel assessments are usually extra.
Potential home buyers should be active participants in the home inspection process from beginning to end. Buyers should be observant throughout the process, making notes of stains on walls or ceilings, which could signal plumbing or roof leaks or smells that could signal mildew, or mold issues, which is a major issue in the state of Florida.
Most homes need repairs or updating but assessing the amount of work needed is an integral part of the inspection process and a buyer should leave the inspection or be provided with a written report detailing the inspectors findings.
Home inspectors are retained to provide an objective assessment of the property, not to advise buyers on whether they should buy a home or not. Home inspections may include:
- Buyer’s Inspection
- Pre-Listing/Seller’s Inspection
- Commercial Building/Property Inspection
- New Construction Inspection
- New Construction Phase Inspections
- 4-Point Inspection
- 11-Month/Builder’s Warranty
- Loan Draw Inspection
- Re-Inspections
- Wind Mitigation
- Radon Testing
- WDO/Termite Inspection
- Water Testing
- Mold Testing
- Structural Inspection
- Chinese Drywall Inspection