Frequently asked questions…
Most inspections are done for home and property buyers after their offer on a property has been accepted. In Massachusetts, where I do the bulk of my work, real estate contracts typically have an Offer to Purchase, wherein you are given a time period -typically ten days but sometimes less - to do the home inspection and other investigations that may be warranted. At the end of the ten (or whatever number of days was negotiated) you are committed to purchase the home unless you let them know of you are withdrawing your offer, or you make requests (in writing) for alterations or additions to the original contract. In New Hampshire, most real estate contracts have an inspection contingency clause but in this case, the Purchase and Sales may be the only legal document you will sign. IMPORTANT: the legalities vary from state to state so will want to ask both your agent and your attorney about inspection contingency clauses in your area. The important thing is, you (or your attorney) can always write in an inspection contingency clause into your offer to purchase, that will give you the right to an inspection and do other investigations, and will give you the right to terminate the contract to purchase (without restrictions) should the inspection not be acceptable to you. As everything is negotiable, sellers may sometimes include the contract to purchase that you only have three days to have an inspection done, or give the seller the right to fix any problems found ( you may not want this if they have butchered the home already). Whenever possible (and feasible) get these and other limitations excluded. Consult your attorney.
In the majority of instances, the inspection (and other investigations) do not reveal such serious problems with the home such that you will want to 'walk' from the property. But, of course, this happens, and an inspection can often save you thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars in unanticipated expenses by avoiding these properties. Obviously, if the inspection (or other investigations) reveals major problems with the property that the seller is unwilling to deal with; or, it identifies major risk factors that you can't live with; or, you find that the home will need so much work and expense over time that you just feel it isn't the right home for you - then walk. But in most cases, this isn't what is warranted, as the problems can be dealt with or allowances negotiated, and most people proceed with the purchase.
Assuming the home has some serious - or just unacceptable - problems you hadn't anticipated finding, then consider renegotiating to either have the problem repaired or get allowance made for the needed work. If serious (or potentially costly) problems were found, then get an estimate from the appropriate contractor on the cost of repairs. On the other hand, if the price you are paying is a (relative) bargain or if you have already gotten a large price reduction on the home (assuming it was fairly priced to begin with), you could choose to simply accept the problems and deal with them yourself, especially if you can do them at a reasonable repair cost. (Importantly: there are no absolute ground rules on what you choose to do and what is right for every situation!).
1. Easements. An easement grants someone other than the property owner the right to use or pass over a specified portion of their land for a particular purpose. Easements can allow someone the right to pass over your land to reach their property. Many easements are utility easements that allow electric, gas, or telephone lines to run across a portion of the property, very often just along the edge of the property. More intrusive easements can be for water supply, storm drainage, and sewer maintenance. Mining easements can also be found in some areas of the country, that would give a company the right to mine coal below the surface or drill for gas on your property. Homeowner's title insurance can be purchased that should reveal easements. Your attorney should review the deed carefully to make sure that easements are not present or at least are not a potential problem.
2. Private waste disposal systems (usually a septic system). An evaluation of private waste disposal systems is not part of the home inspection - although occasionally inspectors offer this as a supplemental service. If not covered by your inspector (and assume it isn't unless specifically contracted for) have the system inspected by a company that does this, typically a septic pumping company. Dye test inspections are worthless, in my opinion.
3. Code approvals. The home inspection is not a code inspection. If you have concerns about major additions or improvements to the home, especially if done by the homeowner, then you can check with the town to see if permits were issued. This issue may be very important in some states, but in many areas of the country homeowners do many smaller improvements without permits. It is always important if, for instance, a deck or addition were built without proper setbacks to adjoining properties, or were improperly constructed.
4. Termite/wood-boring insect inspections. Many inspectors offer this with a home inspection but others don't. If not offered by your home inspector, have a termite/wood-boring insect company do this inspection.
5. Environmental hazards. Again, these are too numerous to list here. These are not inspection concerns. A few, such as radon, may be covered by the home inspection. Lead paint testing is done by companies that specialize in this. Suspected asbestos that is visible may be pointed out by the inspection, but it is not specifically an inspection concern.
6. Neighborhood and traffic concerns. Streets that seem quiet during the day can be jammed with speeding cars during rush hour, if the street is a short-cut for traffic. It will be worth going to the property at different times of the day (especially at rush hour), to check on this.
7. Plans for surrounding land. If the home you are buying is adjacent to vacant land, I would assume that it will contain house lots at some point, unless the land is swampland (and even there you are not always safe) or is park or protected land. Obviously, this may be less of a concern in Montana than Massachusetts. Don't assume that, just because no one as built to date, or that no access to the land currently exists, that it won't exist in the future. Do whatever you can to check on this.
Briefly, the following includes the most important items:
| Roof surfaces | Stairs and Entryways | Basement water concerns |
| Roof structure | Walkways and Driveway* | Visible Structure |
| Chimneys | Grading and Drainage* | Walls, ceilings, floors** |
| Flashings | Heating systems | Bathroom components (most) |
| Gutters and Roof Drainage | Plumbing (supply, waste, vent) | Kitchen components (most) |
| Siding and Trim | Hot water system | Interior doors |
| Windows and Doors | Electrical System | Attic insulation |
| Decks and Porches | Foundation | Attic ventilation |
*As they affect the home. **Cosmetic and appearance conditions excluded, as are floor coverings.
The American Society of Home Inspectors® (ASHI) is a largest, older, and most widely recognized professional organization for home inspectors. To become an ASHI member requires extensive experience (often years), passing rigorous exams, and following a Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. ASHI inspectors also have to participate in ongoing educational courses and seminars to keep their membership. Other inspector organizations exist: some require little more than sending in a check or taking one of their courses to become "certified". Also, many states now license home inspectors, including Massachusetts, where I am located. Unfortunately, when licensing comes in everyone gets 'grandfathered' so this is little use when choosing an inspector. The best inspectors, I have found, are also members of local ASHI chapters.
As just a few of the important items: pools and pool equipment, low voltage systems (including security systems), concealed insulation (including wall insulation), comfort levels in the home, what it costs to heat and cool the home, private waste disposal systems, well capacity, water quality (unless tested for separately), water purification systems, the presence of environmental hazards (unless contracted for as a separate service), property concerns other than those that affect the dwelling, code compliance, etc. Talk to your home inspector about a full list. Many of these items are covered as supplemental services and many will need further investigation outside the home inspection.
The home inspection inspects the building in its current state and use. If you are planning to expand or add onto the home, you will want to bring out (or consult with) an architect, a qualified contractor, the local building inspector, and other professionals. You need to determine there is room on the lot for an addition or a new structure (unless you can meet setback requirements you may not be able to build where you want), whether other restrictions exist, whether the foundation and framing is 'adequate' for an expansion, for whether you will need a new septic system if the home is expanded, etc. In other words, you need to do a whole lot more research.
This has a two-part answer. Many people do not have their new homes inspected. If you can determine that the builder is reputable and does not have a prior history of complaints, if the builder has a long track record of quality construction and satisfied customers, if you have an attorney protecting your interest, and if you can verify that the local building inspectors are on top of things, you may be okay. About 50 percent of new homes, in my opinion, have substantial defects, many of which are isolated to specific components and may be correctable if revealed. But even if the defects are minor, a good inspector should be able to give you an education about the home and its needed maintenance. But in many cases, the defects will be more serious. Unfortunately, in many cases, new homes may have problems that only show up six months or year later. Be careful. New construction can be the most risky type of home to purchase.
Yes. It is a small cost to test. New homes are just as likely as old homes to have elevated levels of radon. Radon is a correctable problem. Even if you don't believe radon is a significant risk, if you don't test and a buyer tests and finds high levels when you go to sell, you may get stuck with the cost of remediating the home. (The cost of remediation, in most homes, will run about $1000-1400).
Radon can be found in well water as well as in the air of the home and you may find one and not the other. If you have high radon in water levels, your principal exposure may come in the shower or when running water from a faucet. Radon in water, unlike radon in air, usually is in the thousands of picoCuries, so you can't compare the units of measurement (the EPA action level for radon in air is 4.0).
While it is desirable to test for radon in water when the home gets its water from a well, this is not an easy issue, as no EPA standard currently exists for radon in water. Each state has its own guidelines for radon in water, but these vary widely from state to state, and they are just 'guidelines', not official standards. Massachusetts, for instance, has a guideline whereby the state's radon office recommends steps to lower the levels (or exposure) if the levels exceed 10,000 picoCuries/liter (pCiL); Maine and Vermont recommend steps to lower levels if they are higher than 20,000 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends measures to lower levels if they are higher than 2000. A proposed EPA standard, which at this date has not been implemented, is to recommend remediation if the levels are 4000 pCi/L or above.
Very confusing, isn't it? The problem is, if the radon in water levels are high (above the state guidelines or the EPA standards), the cost to the correct the problem, a water aeration system, typically runs over $3500. I recommend that you test, as you may be able to negotiate this if the levels are high, but you have to understand some of the difficulties on this issue.
No, there is no pass or fail. In many cases the overall condition of the home is reflected in the price. But typically, conditions are found that are were not known prior to making your bid, and these may affect your desire to buy the home or, more commonly, your willingness to pay the for cost of the repairs on deficient items.
Briefly, have your heating system serviced once a year to make sure that it is running properly. Second, buy at least one and ideally two carbon monoxide detectors. Place one in the basement (assuming you have one), but not next to the heating system. And place one in the hallway outside bedroom areas. Third, don't run vehicle engines in a garage, unless the door is open and you are just pulling out, as the fumes may enter the house. Fourth, be aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, as these mimic flu-like symptoms. Fifth, have the chimney checked by a sweep or your heating system technician to ensure that it is in good condition. Do more research.