Professional
Home Inspections
For Sellers
You are selling your house and deserve the best chance at getting the price it deserves. Serious home sellers seek a professional pre-market home inspection to give themselves an edge.
Hire Inspect Your Real Estate to smooth out bumps in the process and give you the chance at a fabulous outcome.
WHEN YOU INVEST IN A PRE-SALE HOME INSPECTION FROM INSPECT YOUR REAL ESTATE, I CAN HELP YOU:
- • Save money
• Speed up the process from listing to sale
• Attract buyers by eliminating issues and creating curb appeal
• Find and resolve issues before the buyer’s inspector discovers them
HOW A PRE-MARKET HOME INSPECTION ACCOMPLISHES SELLERS’ GOALS:
As the seller, you receive the same detail-oriented, comprehensive inspection the buyer would get, but before you list the property. If you discover issues that might discourage potential buyers, Inspect Your Real Estate can advise you about:
1. Issues you might want to fix before they derail your sale
2. Conditions an average buyer might accept, saving you money.
For Buyers
You are hoping to purchase a new home. Congratulations! One of the things that happens next is a professional pre-purchase home inspection. Inspect Your Real Estate can help you buy with confidence.
So, what should you expect from a home inspection? A professional home inspection helps you discover the unknown about the home you want to purchase. Reach out on our Contact Us page if you have questions or you can download and complete the Inspection Agreement Form.
BEFORE THE HOME INSPECTION:
To help you get ready for the inspection, here is a home inspection checklist for buyers like you:
- Look for maintenance needs that are easy to recognize. Does the house need to be painted, or does the deck need to be refinished? Consider the costs of doing the work yourself.
- Ask the seller questions about visible concerns they may have answers to.
- Are there signs of moisture in the basement? What caused the stains on the ceiling? Is there a history of water seepage? Have the issues been corrected?
- Has the heating/cooling system been regularly serviced?
Once you have found a house you love that meets your needs, give me a call at 914-474-7695 to discuss what home inspection services you will need. I’ll get you on the schedule quickly.
DURING THE HOME INSPECTION:
- Let me know about any questions you have prior to the inspection. My inspections are thorough and meet exceptionally high standards, but my knowing your concerns and thoughts in advance can only improve your satisfaction.
- Who should attend a home inspection? On the day of the inspection, you will want to be present so you can get feedback and ask questions in real time. You will receive your written home inspection report within a few days.
POST-INSPECTION:
When you receive your home inspection report, give yourself time to read it thoroughly. Some tips:
- If you don’t understand something, call me. I’m happy to clarify anything at all and answer your questions.
- Make a list of issues and concerns to share with your realtor.
- Discuss with your agent how best to address any issues revealed in the report.
- An experienced realtor will help you prioritize which, if any, issues you want to ask the seller to address.
Remember, no house is perfect. Figuring out what you are comfortable with and what might be potential deal breakers is much easier with a comprehensive home inspection report to refer to.
For Agents
WHY RECOMMEND INSPECT YOUR REAL ESTATE?
When I inspect the home your clients wish to sell or buy, I help protect them and your reputation.
Why?
- I share a common goal with you, the agent— to assist our mutual client, either in finding a house that can become their home or selling a home so they can move on with their lives.
- I am a highly trained and experienced home inspector who will protect your clients from adverse conditions in a home they are considering purchasing.
- You can rely on me to report issues to your client in a reasonable manner, without minimizing significant issues or overstating minor issues.
- Your clients will appreciate that you are looking out for their best interests, which will promote trust, future business, and referrals from clients on both sides of the table.
- I have years of experience and continue my training on a regular basis, making me a trusted expert.
What's covered in your inspection?
Foundation
The inspector shall describe:
- Type of foundation
- Access to the under-floor space
The inspector shall report as in need of correction:
- Wood contacting or near soil
- Active water penetration
- Possible foundation movement, such as sheetrock cracks, brick cracks, out-of-square door frames, and unlevel floor
- Cutting, notching, or boring of framing members that may present a structural or safety concern
Heating
The inspector shall inspect:
- Heating and cooling systems, using normal operating controls
The inspector shall describe:
- Location of the thermostat(s) for both the heating and cooling systems
- Energy sources
- Heating and cooling methods
The inspector shall report as in need of correction:
- Any heating or cooling system that does not operate
- Inaccessibility of heating or cooling system if applicable
Roof
The inspector shall inspect from ground level or the eaves:
- Roof-covering materials
- Gutters
- Downspouts
- Vents, flashing, skylights, chimney
- General structure of the roof
Insulation
The inspector shall inspect:
- Insulation in unfinished spaces, including attics, crawlspaces, and foundation areas
- Ventilation of unfinished spaces, including attics, crawlspaces, and foundation areas
- Mechanical exhaust systems in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry area
The inspector shall describe:
- Types of insulation
- Approximate average depth of insulation in the unfinished attic floor area or roof structure
The inspector shall report as in need of correction:
- General absence of insulation or ventilation in unfinished spaces
Exterior
The inspector shall inspect:
- Exterior wall-covering materials, flashing, and trim
- Exterior doors
- Adjacent walkways and driveways
- Stairs, steps, stoops, stairways, ramps
- Porches, patios, decks, balconies, carports
- Railings, guards, handrails
- Eaves, soffits, fascia
- A representative number of windows
- Vegetation, surface drainage, retaining walls, and grading of property
Electrical
The inspector shall inspect:
- Service drop
- Overhead service conductors and attachment point
- Service head, gooseneck, and drip loops
- Service mast, service conduit, and raceway
- Electric meter and base
- Service-entrance conductors
- Main service disconnect
- Panelboards and over-current protection devices (circuit breakers and fuses)
- Service grounding and bonding
- Representative number of switches, lighting fixtures, and receptacles, including receptacles observed and deemed to be arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI)-protected using the AFCI test button
- All ground-fault circuit interrupter receptacles and circuit breakers deemed to be GFCIs using a GFCI tester
- Smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors
The inspector shall describe:
- Main service disconnect's amperage rating, if labeled
- Type of wiring
Fireplace
The inspector shall inspect:
- Readily accessible and visible portions of the fireplaces and chimneys
- Lintels above the fireplace openings
- Damper doors, by opening and closing them, if readily accessible and manually operable
- Cleanout doors and frames
The inspector shall describe:
- Type of fireplace
The inspector shall report as in need of correction:
- Evidence of joint separation, damage or deterioration of the hearth, hearth extension, or chambers
- Manually operated dampers that do not open and close
- Smoke detectors absent in rooms with fireplaces
- Carbon-monoxide detectors absent in rooms with fireplaces
- Cleanouts not made of non-combustible materials such as metal or pre-cast cement
Interior
The inspector shall inspect:
- Representative number of doors and windows by opening and closing them
- Floors, walls, and ceilings
- Stairways, steps, landings, and ramps
- Railings, guards, and handrails
- Garage vehicle doors and the operation of garage vehicle door openers, using normal operating controls
The inspector shall describe:
- Garage vehicle door as operated manually or with an installed garage door opener
The inspector shall report as in need of correction:
- Improper spacing between intermediate balusters, spindles, and rails for steps, stairways, guards, and railings
- Photo-electric safety sensors that do not operate properly
- Any window that is obviously fogged or displays other evidence of broken seals
About Chip Barrett, Your Inspector
Home inspection is about having the necessary know-how and experience, but it’s also about relationships. For me, home inspection is a calling. With 30 years of construction and contracting experience and over a decade as a real estate inspector, I know that knowledge is power. When I started doing home inspections in 2013, I was helping friends and neighbors understand everything they needed to know to either buy or sell a home, which is undoubtedly the largest financial transaction ever undertaken by everyday people like you and me.
Since 2013, my home inspection business has expanded. I am licensed in New York, Connecticut, and Florida and trusted by new and second home buyers, sellers, and realtors. I treat my clients the way I want to be treated—offering honesty and transparency with compassion and a deep understanding of both the technicalities and emotions involved in home buying and selling.
My contracting background means I know what to look to ensure a house is safe and cost effective. Plus, I like people. I want to help by sharing my expertise to make your decisions less stressful.
Let’s inspect your real estate!
Bona fides:
· Licensed: NY, CT, FL
· Licensed: FEMA
My License Numbers:
CT State License HO10000716
NY State License 16000061732
FL State License HOI.0000716