Home Buyer Inspections

A home inspection is an objective visual examination by a licensed professional consulting service that determines the present condition of the home’s major systems, at one point in time, based on a visual inspection of accessible features. It focuses on the performance of the home, rather than cosmetic, code or design issues. Inspections are often performed during a real estate transaction, but may be done anytime.

Home Inspections are intended to identify components that are significantly deficient, unsafe or near the end of their life and documented with a written report.

The standard home inspector’s report will cover the condition of the home’s heating system; central air conditioning system (temperature permitting); interior plumbing and electrical systems; the roof, attic and visible insulation; walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors; the foundation, basement and structural components. The Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics outlined by TN law is what you should expect to be covered in your home inspection report. A copy of your report will be provided to you.

You’ll want to learn as much as you can about the newly constructed or existing house before you buy it. A home inspection may identify the need for major repairs or builder oversights, as well as the need for maintenance to keep it in good condition. After the inspection, you will know more about the house, which will allow you to make buying decisions with confidence.

If you already are a homeowner, a home inspection can identify potential problems and suggest preventive measures that might help you avoid costly future repairs.

Download and view a full sample home inspection report.

If you are planning to sell your home, a home inspection can give you the opportunity to make repairs that will put the house in better selling condition.

Eventually, your buyers are going to conduct an inspection. Being upfront about the condition of the home will help to eliminate conditional offers or issues with negotiations. Don’t let the buyer get the upper hand in negotiations. Having an inspection performed ahead of time helps in many other ways, such as:

• It allows you to select an inspector who’s thorough and trustworthy
• It allows you to see your home through the eyes of a critical and neutral third party.
• It alerts you to immediate safety issues before agents and visitors tour your home.
• It may alert you to items of immediate concern, such as radon gas or active termite infestation.
• It permits you to make repairs ahead of time so that defects won’t become negotiating stumbling blocks later.
• There is no delay in obtaining the Use and Occupancy Permit.
• You have the time to get reasonably priced contractors or make the repairs yourself, if qualified.
• It helps you to price your home realistically.
• It may encourage the buyer to waive his inspection contingency and close faster.
• It reduces your liability by adding professional supporting documentation to your disclosure statement.

So, call today for an estimate!

Radon Is a Cancer‑Causing, Radioactive Gas. You cannot see, smell, or taste radon. But it still may be a problem in your home. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General of the United States has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that you know what the indoor radon level is in any home you consider buying or selling. You can fix a radon problem. If you find that you have high radon levels, there are ways to fix a radon problem with mitigation. Even very high levels of radon can be reduced to acceptable EPA levels.

If you are having a new home built, there are features that can be incorporated into your home during construction to reduce radon levels.
Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the United States. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Radon can also enter your home through well water.

Any home can have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. In fact, you and your family are most likely to get your greatest radiation exposure at home. That is where you spend most of your time.

So, call today for an estimate!