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Frequently Asked Questions Q: What is a "Home Inspection"?
Q: Why do I need a home
inspection?
The purchase of a home is probably the largest single investment you will ever make. You should learn as much as you can about the condition of the property and the need for any major repairs before you buy, so that you can minimize unpleasant surprises and difficulties afterwards. Of course, a home inspection will also point out the positive aspects of a home, as well as the maintenance that will be necessary to keep it in good shape. After the inspection, you will have a much clearer understanding of the property you are about to purchase, and will be able to make a confident buying decision. If you have owned your home for a long time, a home inspection can identify problems in the making and recommend preventive measures which might avoid costly future repairs. In addition, home sellers may opt for having an inspection prior to placing the home on the market to gain a better understanding of conditions which the buyer's inspector may point out. This provides an opportunity to make repairs that will put the house in better selling condition. Q: What will it cost? The inspection fee for a typical one-family house is based upon the MLS square footage of the house, certain special amenities of the house, on the age of the home, etc. My fee is compatible with the amount of time devoted to the inspection, preparing the report, and my expertise. The value of my fee is reflected in the extent of details provided during the inspection, in the written report with photos, and in the extensive knowledge and experience that I bring to the inspection. Do not let cost be a factor in deciding whether or not to have a home inspection, or in the selection of your home inspector. The knowledge gained from an inspection is well worth the cost, and the lowest-priced inspector is not necessarily a bargain. The inspector's qualifications, including his experience, training, and professional affiliations, should be the most important consideration. Q: How do I choose a Home Inspector? Call up and ask about their credentials and experience. If for some reason you don't feel comfortable asking this of the inspector when speaking with them on the phone, then how will you feel asking questions at the inspection?. You must feel that the inspector is qualified, experienced and attentive of your needs. I pledge to make your inspection experience as free from stress as possible by answering your questions before, during, and after the inspection. The better you understand the home you are looking at the better decision you will make. Q: Why use my Services? The purchase of a new home is one of the single most costly investments that a family will make. Along with the extra stresses this will add, there is also the fear factor of, "Will This Home Stand the Test of Time?" It is also important to know what YOU, as the primary investor, are getting for your money. Mountain High Home Inspections make it about YOU. You are the client and it is my goal to serve you. My tag line; “What you don’t know can hurt you”, is more than a marketing tool. My goal is to provide you with the best possible information I can to assist you in your purchase. A home inspection is an excellent tool for you, the home buyer, to help determine not only the condition of the home, but to also help foresee any immediate unnecessary additional cost that may go unnoticed without the help of a home inspection. Home inspections are not a prediction of future performance, but can pinpoint existing problem areas. Q: What qualifications or credentials should a home inspector offer? The best qualifications and credentials consist of inspectors who are industry trained, experienced, and who are actively involved with home inspection industry associations. I am: ITA (Inspector Training Associates)- Trained and Certified NHIE – National Home Inspection Examination- Certified NACHI – National Association of Certified Home Inspectors- Active Member CERTI-Center for Environmental Research of Technology, Inc.- Radon Certification NEHA-National Environmental Health Association- National Radon Exam Certified Q: When do I call Mountain High Home Inspection Services? Typically I am called right after the contract or purchase agreement has been signed. Before you sign, however, be sure that there is an inspection clause in the contract, making your purchase obligation contingent upon the findings of a professional home inspection. This clause should specify the terms to which both the buyer and seller are obligated. Your realtor should provide you with the names of several inspectors, however you are not obligated to use any of them. I would advise you to make your own arrangements with whichever inspector you chose. Q: How long does your typical home inspection take? A typical inspection requires roughly 2-4 hours. The size of the property and the amenities can add additional time to the process. I provide a finished report including photos the same day as the inspection. Q: Do I have to be there? It is not necessary for you to be present for the inspection, but it is recommended. By following me around the house, by observing and asking questions, you will learn a great deal about the condition of the home, how its systems work, and how to maintain it. You will also find the written report easier to understand if you've seen the property first-hand through my eyes. Q: Should the seller be present during an inspection? I recommend against having the seller present. Having one's home scrutinized by a stranger, who could possibly be considered the cause of a failed sale, is an emotional situation for the seller. If a broker is involved, it is a professional courtesy to arrange for the seller to be absent during the inspection. If it is a sale by owner, some ground rules may need to be set to assure that no adversarial confrontations occur. Q: If the house proves to be in good condition, did I really need an inspection? Absolutely. Now you can complete your home purchase with peace of mind about the condition of the property and all its equipment and systems. You will learn numerous things about your new home from my report, and will want to keep that information for future reference. Included with my report is a booklet on taking care of your home. Above all, you can feel confident that you are making a well-informed purchase decision, and that you will be able to enjoy your new home. Q: What if the report reveals problems? No house is perfect. If I find problems, it doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't buy the house, only that you will know in advance what to expect. Many times the problems I find are maintenance issues that are relatively minor problems. A seller may be flexible with the purchase price or contract terms if major problems are found. If your budget is very tight, or if you don't wish to become involved in future repair work, this information will be extremely important to you. It is important to realize that as an inspector I do not determine value. I speak only to the physical condition of the property. It is our function to inspect and report on our visual findings of the condition of the property. Q: What if I find problems after I move into my new home? A home inspection is not a guarantee that problems won't develop after you move in. However, if you believe that a problem was already visible at the time of the inspection and should have been mentioned in the report; your first step should be to call me to clarify the situation. Misunderstandings are often resolved in this manner. If necessary, you might wish to consult with a local mediation service to help you settle your disagreement. Q: Why can't I have someone in my family who is very handy or a contractor, inspect my new home? This is the biggest mistake many potential new homeowners make when purchasing a home. Although the person you are considering may be very skilled, they are not trained or experienced at professional home inspections. Professional home inspection is a unique skill like no other. Professional inspectors get what we call an “inspector's instinct” for problems. That instinct takes extensive training and lots of experience doing inspections to develop. Many contractors, and other trades professionals hire a professional home inspector to inspect their homes when they make a purchase. As a professional inspector who practices the NACHI (National Association of Certified Home Inspectors) Standards of Practice, I am required to complete continuing education classes each year. I personally exceed that standard to be the best inspector you can hire. Q: Can't I do it myself? Even the most experienced home owner lacks the knowledge and expertise of a professional home inspector. An inspector is familiar with all the elements of home construction, proper installation, and maintenance. I am trained to understand how the home's systems and components are intended to function together, as well as how and why they fail. Above all, most buyers find it very difficult to remain completely objective and unemotional about the house they really want, and this may affect their judgment. For the most accurate picture, it is best to obtain an impartial third-party opinion by an expert in the field of home inspection. Q: Can a house fail inspection? No. A professional home inspection is a visual examination of the current condition of your prospective home. It is not an appraisal, which determines market value, or a municipal inspection, which verifies local code compliance. A home inspector, therefore, will not pass or fail a house, but rather describe its physical condition and indicate what may need repair or replacement. Q: Do you recommend or furnish names of contractors who can perform repairs on the property? Yes, I will advise clients on how to find and select a prospective contractor or tradesperson. In some instances I will provide several names of contractors that I know perform excellent work. Q: How do I find a home inspector? The best source is a friend, or perhaps a business acquaintance, which has been satisfied with, and can recommend a home inspector they have used. Real estate agents are also generally familiar with the service, and should be able to provide you with a list of names from which to choose. Whatever your referral source, be sure to ascertain the home inspector's professional qualifications, experience, and business ethics before you make your selection. I am a member of NACHI, and as such adhere to a high set of standards and ethics. Since there are no licensing requirements for home inspectors presently in the State of Colorado, you will want to make certain that such an association has a set of nationally recognized practice standards and a code of ethics. This provides members with professional inspection guidelines, and prohibits them from engaging in any conflict of interest activities which might compromise their objectivity, such as using the inspection as a means to obtain home repair contracts. NACHI has a strong Standards of Practice, and a strict Code of Ethics. The association should also have rigorous membership and continuing education requirements to assure consumers of an inspector's experience and technical qualifications. Mountain High Home Inspections is my company, and I am the inspector that will inspect your home. I am a member of NACHI, the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. I make the financial and time commitment to meet or exceed industry standards in membership policy and industry continuing education requirements. Q: Do you have any affiliation with real estate agents? No. My client is you, the home buyer. You may have heard my name from a real estate agent but they really should be giving you a list of home inspection professionals to choose from and then you decide. My mission is to make sure that the client knows everything he or she needs to know about the physical condition of property. In doing that, you are then armed with a component of information that when combined with all the other variables and considerations of a real estate transaction allows you to make an informed decision. Q: Do you climb onto the roof? Yes. However there are certain safety issues that I consider, and therefore I reserve the right to determine the degree of those conditions which may be unsafe. Surfaces that are wet or contain snow or ice are obviously conditions that would prevent climbing onto the roofing. Slate, metal, or wood shingles are not walked on due to their generally fragile nature. If I cannot climb onto the roof, I will at least attempt to get to the eaves for a closer observation of the roofing. I will always be able to make a proper determination about the condition of the roofing. Q: What kind of written report do you provide? My report is computer generated onsite using InspectNow software that generates the Matrix Deluxe report. This software is a proprietary data system developed specifically for home inspectors and can be customized to meet the personal style of the individual professional home inspector. My reports are about 25-40 pages long and contain digital photos of key deficiencies. This software is taught as part of Inspection Training Associates’ curriculum. With these valuable tools, I can provide you, the client, with a professional report upon which you can make an intelligent decision about the property. Q: How soon will I receive the report? I send the reports out the same day as the inspection by email or uploaded on my web site. If the client does not have email capability, I can overnight mail the report. This will extend delivery by one business day. Additional charges will apply to weekend delivery by Express Mail or Federal Express. I can also generate a full report on-site, but this adds some additional time to the process to allow me to finalize and proof the report before I release it. Q: Does your report include digital photos of visible defects? Yes. I take photos of certain visible conditions for documentation, and to help the client visualize the nature of the existing condition of the property. Q: What additional services do you provide? Radon Gas Inspections: I am a CERTI (Center for Environmental Research of Technology, Inc.) certified inspector for radon gas. Colorado is a state that has significant areas of high radon gas levels. The only way to determine the level is to perform a minimum 48 hour radon test. The additional fee is reduced when included with a home inspection. It should be noted that homes with high levels of radon can usually be mitigated. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in soils, rock, and water throughout the United States. Radon causes lung cancer, and is a threat to health because it tends to collect in homes, sometimes to very high concentrations. Almost all risk from radon comes from breathing air with radon and its decay products. Radon decay products cause lung cancer. There is no safe level of radon -- any exposure poses some risk of cancer. In two 1999 reports, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded after an exhaustive review that radon in indoor air is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after cigarette smoking. The NAS estimated that 15,000-22,000 Americans die every year from radon-related lung cancer. For more information, read the EPA's A Citizen's Guide to Radon and How to Find a Qualified Radon Service Professional in Your Area. Q: How can I set up an appointment? You can call me at 720-851-2812. I work by myself but I try to answer the phone immediately, and I do check my messages and e-mail regularly. You can also request an inspection and take a minute to complete an information section giving a brief description of the property, such as address, age, number of rooms, and gross living area. An MLS number for the listing can also be helpful. This can also be found by returning to home page and clicking on the “Request Inspection” button. Q: What if I have questions after the inspection? Please keep in mind that when using Mountain High Home Inspections I am available for questions after the initial service. I try very hard to put you at peace by answering your questions during the inspection; however, I understand that the technical nature of an inspection can lead to some confusion. You can call me or email me and discuss all the aspects of your new home whenever you like. My service is about you. |
