Buying a house? Selling a house? Whether you're buying a house or considering selling your own, a home inspection from Tri-County Inspections of the Greater Cleveland area is designed to provide you with the information you'll need to inform your decisions. Buyers: A home inspection when you’re the buyer is critical to negotiating a fair price based on maintenance due and other anticipated expenses – or to discover that the home has little to no deferred maintenance and pursue your purchase with more vigor and confidence. Sellers: Getting a thorough home inspection before you list a home can determine if there are updates that will come-up when the potential buyer gets a home inspection and allow you to make repairs and upgrades before you list, or to price the home accordingly and eliminate surprises.
Below our some interesting posts that should help set your expectations regarding home inspections. Call us to schedule your inspection today!
Do I Need a Home Inspection for a New Construction Home?
It isn’t unusual for home owners buying a new-construction, or newly built, home to consider foregoing the home inspection process. The idea seems to make sense, as a person who bought a newly constructed home myself, I completely understand the thought process. Most of us assume that a home inspection is primarily to inspect what deferred maintenance you could be inheriting upon purchase: Is the furnace in good working condition? What’s that smell in the basement – mold, signs of water-back-up issues? How old is the water heater? Will it need to be replaced soon? Is that hairline crack in…
Selling Your Home in the Age of COVID-19
Originally published at Realtor.com by Erica Sweeney Spring is usually the busy season for home buying. But this year, things will be different amid the conronavirus crisis. Here’s how. Spring is usually prime home-selling season—but this spring is a whole different ballgame. With the coronavirus crisis intensifying and the economy in a tailspin, some homeowners may be asking themselves: Should I sell my home during the coronavirus pandemic, or wait? To be sure, this spring’s home-selling season will be anything but normal. So far, the latest National Association of Realtors® Economic Pulse Flash Survey conducted mid-March—which already feels like a very long time ago—revealed that…
This Would Kill You! Live Electric Wires By Water.
It’s not often I hear of something found in an inspection that alarms me, but I recently watched a video of an inspector entitled “This would kill you” that caught my attention. The video showed something he found on an inspection so dangerous it’s amazing someone had not been killed. Tom Munro, an inspector up in Vancouver, British Columbia, was recently doing an inspection on a home with a pool. As he stated in a video he loaded to this video on Youtube, “I found something incredibly dangerous.” In the shed that housed the pool pump and electrical supplies he points…
Do Inspectors Test for Carbon Monoxide?
When it comes to home inspections, it’s important to test the house for safety and functionality of all systems. This story, is a sad reality of the dangers of CO poisoning. A family in Ohio sadly died after being poisoned by CO gas from their hot water tank. The police were called after a family member notified the police to check the home to make sure everything was OK. According to the article, “Police responded to the Reitter family home for a wellness check on May 2, after a concerned family member called 911. After seeing an unresponsive person in the home,…
Do Inspectors Test For Meth? Check Out This Article!
After this many years in the home inspection business, we thought we’d seen it all, but this story surprised even us. A couple in Washington bought a home and soon after they moved in their son became ill. They had the home tested for mold (thinking that was the issue), but they had a big and expensive surprise coming their way. They were told the home had contamination for meth. Apparently the previous owner used it as a meth lab. Very sad story, but here’s the important part: they said they had a home inspection performed, but it did not mention meth…
How Do I Test for Mold?
3 Main Concerns for Homeowners with Mold Potential health effects of exposure to fungi and their byproducts Effect of mold contamination on the structural integrity of the building The negative aesthetic effects fungi can produce both visually and on the human olfactory system Types of Mold Inspections Complete Mold InspectionThe Complete Mold Inspection is performed by a certified mold inspector. The Complete Mold Inspection is performed in accordance with the Mold Inspection Standards of Practice of the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants (www.IAC2.org). Limited Mold Inspection The inspector’s client requests a Limited Mold Inspection to be performed. The…
What Is A Home Inspection?
Home Inspection Defined Home inspections started in the late 1960s/early 1970s as a brief “look around”, usually without a written report. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI ) was founded in 1976. Over the years, inspection standards were developed to keep home inspections to a reasonable scopeand in response to what the “market” is willing to pay. Home Inspector’s Job Home inspector’s are generalists. Below is the definition of what their duties are during an inspection: To produce a written report of the general condition of the house and garage at the time of the inspection, based on a limited visual examination, and using…
Should You Get A Radon Test or Not?
What is Radon? “Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and chemically inert radioactive gas. It is formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. It can be found in all 50 states. Testing for it is the only way of telling how much is present.” Scary Facts: Radon IS real. It is a radioactive gas that kills one person every 25 minutes in the us alone. Radon is responsible for at least 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States alone. Deaths Per Year Comparison Radon Deaths: 21,000 Drunk Driving Deaths: 17,400 Falls…
Cleveland Area Inspection Reminders
There’s no such thing as a perfect home (even though the picture above looks close). Last week realtor.com came out with an article about inspection issues that can “torpedo” a sale. It’s fairly basic information but it’s a good reminder all homes have issues but proactively addressing these areas, as simple as it sounds, really can help the inspection go smoothly. HVAC Issues Needless to say, an HVAC system that operates normally and works as expected is a quick hurdle to get over. If there are obvious issues (damaged unit or not performing well), have it checked by a professional…
