Ann Arbor Home Inspection
HOW I PERFORM A HOME INSPECTION
As I conduct your home inspection, I will provide you with a thorough, in-depth visual examination of the structure and operating components of the home you ask me to inspect - from top to bottom, inside and out. I follow the standards of practice and code of ethics provided by the National Association Of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI) to perform my analysis.
I will provide you with a detailed and thorough inspection of your home's: structure, exterior, roofing system, interior, plumbing, electrical system, heating and cooling system, and insulation and ventilation concerns following NACHI's standards of practice for conducting a home inspection.
At the conclusion of your home inspection, I will deliver to you a printed home inspection report that will list and summarize my findings as well as provide valuable information regarding the various systems that were inspected. I will also upload this report to the Internet so you can view it and share it with your realtors, advisors, or anyone else including family or friends.
YOUR PRESENCE IS IMPORTANT!
I highly recommend that you accompany me during the inspection so that I may discuss my findings before delivering your final written report of my examination and analysis.
MY INSPECTION GOALS
My role is to be an impartial third party and to report on the condition of the home you are considering buying (or selling if you are engaging me to perform a pre-sale inspection). Some of the concerns that become resolved after performance of the home inspection are:
- Whether the home has any structural and mechanical defects, both obvious and hidden.
- Whether any discovered problems or defects are of minor or major concern.
- What, if any, major repairs or replacements might a new homeowner be expected to deal with in the future.
- Whether any problems or defects could have an effect on the sale's negotiations. That is, if the buyer can renegotiate the sales price or have the seller make repairs before the sale is final.
- In addition to the above important concerns, my expertise provides you with an excellent opportunity to become thoroughly acquainted with your prospective new home. Perhaps at no other time is a home buyer as intensely interested in all aspects and details of a home than when he or she is about to make a purchase. At no other time are these details so vital to know. It is my responsibility as your home inspector to make sure that you understand the findings included in the written report.
MY HOME INSPECTION PROCESS
When I begin a home inspection, I try to arrive early to put the seller at ease about the inspection process and to gather general information about the house that will help me during the inspection (i.e. age of home, when the roof was last replaced, etc.) I also will unload inspection tools and discuss my methods with the seller to make sure that we don't track in dirt, mud or snow which might concern both the seller as well as the potential buyer.
My inspection starts outside with walks, driveways, attached structures, and the foundation of the house. It then moves to the roof as I try to determine many things that will be used later as we move inside the house to continue our process.
I then concentrate on the siding, trim, windows, and doors. I check the exterior electrical system, the air conditioning compressor (if there is one), and finally the garage.
From there, the inspection moves to the interior living spaces. The kitchen is inspected first, then the remaining rooms on the first floor, and finally the rooms upstairs (if there is a 2nd floor). While going through each room, certain aspects of the plumbing, electrical, and heating and cooling systems will be inspected as well as windows, doors and other structural systems.
The attic will be inspected next and it is here where I am able to obtain the best information about the roof structure, the chimney condition and the condition of ventilation and insulation.
The last part of the inspection involves a thorough examination of the basement to check foundation structures, the visible plumbing, the electrical main panel, and the heating (and cooling) system. If the house doesn't have a basement, I will attempt to do an inspection from within any available crawl space to evaluate these same items.
THE SYSTEMS BEING EVALUATED
During my inspection, I am evaluating a number of systems contained within the house. These systems can be categorized and the objective for each one identified as follows:
1. Structural Components - To identify major deficiencies in the condition of structural members which affect their load bearing capacity, and major deficiencies in the structural assembly or sub-assemblies.
What I Observe: Foundations, floors, walls, columns, ceilings, and roofs.
2. Exterior Systems - To identify major deficiencies in the condition of exterior components of the property, including attached structures.
What I Observe: Wall claddings, flashings, and trim. Entryway doors and a representative number of windows. Garage door operators. Decks, balconies, stoops, steps, areaways, and porches including railings. Eaves, soffits, and fascias. Vegetation, grading, drainage, driveways, patios, walkways, and retaining walls.
3. Roofing System - To identify major deficiencies in the condition of the roofing system.
What I Observe: Roof coverings, roof drainage systems, flashings, skylights, chimneys, and roof penetrations. Signs of leaks or abnormal condensation on building components.
4. Insulation and Ventilation System - to identify major deficiencies in the condition of the insulation and ventilation systems.
What I Observe: Insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces. Ventilation of attics and foundation areas. Kitchen, bathroom, and laundry venting systems.
5. Interior System - To identify major deficiencies in the condition of the interior living structure, including walls, ceilings, floors, windows, and doors.
What I Observe: Walls, ceilings, floors. Steps, stairways, balconies, and railings. Counters and a representative number of cabinets. A representative number of doors and windows. Separation walls, ceilings, and doors between a dwelling unit and an attached garage or another dwelling unit.
6. Plumbing System - To identify major deficiencies in the interior plumbing system.
What I Observe: a. Interior water supply and distribution system including: piping materials, supports, insulation; fixtures and faucets; functional flow and leaks; cross connections. b. Interior drain; waste and vent system including: traps, drain, waste, and vent piping; piping supports and pipe insulation; and leaks and functional drainage. c. Hot water systems including: water heating equipment; normal operating controls; automatic safety controls; and chimney, flues and vents. d. Fuel storage and distribution systems including: Interior fuel storage equipment, supply piping, venting, and supports; and leaks. e. Sump pumps.
7. Electrical System - To identify major deficiencies in the electrical system.
What I Observe: a. Service entrance conductors. b. Service equipment, grounding equipment, main overcurrent device, main and distribution panels. c. Amperage and voltage rating of the service. d. Branch circuit conductors, their overcurrent devices, and the compatibility of their amperage capacities and voltages. e. Polarity and grounding of all receptacles within 6 feet of interior plumbing fixtures, all receptacles in the garage or carport, and on the exterior of inspected structures.
8. Heating System - To identify major deficiencies in the central heating system which do not require detailed heat-loss analysis.
What I Observe: a. Permanently installed heating systems: heating equipment; normal operating controls; automatic safety controls; chimneys, flues, and vents; and solid fuel heating systems. b. Heat distribution systems: pipes, fans, ducts and piping, with supports, dampers, insulation, air filters, registers, radiators, fan-coil units, and convectors. c. The presence of an installed heat source in each room.
9. Cooling System - To identify major deficiencies in the central air conditioning system.
What I Observe: a. Central air conditioning: cooling and air handling equipment; and normal operating controls. b. Distribution systems: fans, ducts and piping, with supports, dampers, insulation, air filters, registers, radiators, and fan-coil units. c. The presence of an installed cooling source in each room.
SUMMARY
As you can see, a home inspection is a very important process which must be done correctly and in a thorough and professional manner. Because of my many years of experience with home remodeling and building and my great interest in performing home inspections, you will receive an excellent inspection. I will also enjoy making your acquaintance and in helping you properly evaluate your prospective home so that you know what you are getting into before finalizing your sales offer.
If you are are selling a home and are looking for a pre-sale inspection, I will work with you to provide the same exhaustive analysis so that you know how to properly approach making your home attractive for a new prospective owner.
Thank you for the opportunity to share some of the background that goes into conducting a professional and thorough home inspection. I hope you have gained an appreciation for process involved and its importance for making an educated purchase decision. If you would like to schedule a home inspection, please feel free to contact me to discuss your needs.
Call (734) 369-3003
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Ann Arbor Home Inspection Inspector
2121 Highland Rd, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Phone: (734)369-3003 • Email: richard@annarborhomeinspection.com
