Q: Should I get an Annual Inspection?
A: Yes! It is highly recommended to have your home inspector come back each year for an Annual Home Inspection– this is an essential service for all home home owners and is at the heart of any good home maintenance and repair strategy.
Home Inspectors are the best professionals for this service as they have the right tools, equipment, software, and knowledge for this service and can produce a detailed report with photos and videos that clearly illustrate the issues. This service is growing quickly in popularity as homeowners are becoming more aware of this service and its essential role in home ownership and protecting your home, family and equity.
Q: What are the benefits of getting an Annual Inspection?
A: Annual Inspections can help prevent financial and personal catastrophes from floods, fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, plumbing or gas leaks, disruption of service, electrical hazards, fall/injury hazards, renter liability, and a lot more. Many of these potential issues are located where occupants would never see them (attics, crawl spaces, etc…). Sometimes with health and safety items, issues are in plain sight of the occupants. It is also important to keep in mind that most of the time the biggest issues that manifest in homes were originally small issues that were neglected over the years and decades. For example, basic gutter and downspout repair/maintenance could prevent thousands or even 10’s of thousands of dollars in property damage over time. In this way a home maintenance inspection is like an excellent investment that yields compounding benefits over time.
Q: How often should I have my home inspected?
A: Generally it is recommended to have your property inspected every year. See below for more information.
- New Construction: 11 months after purchase just before the 1 year warranty ends. Make sure you give yourself time to schedule, follow up with other professionals and negotiate.
- Renovated/’Flipped’/Older homes: Annually or sooner
- Homes with a history of leaks or water penetration: Annually or sooner
- All other homes: 1-2 years
Q: When are other times to get an inspection?
A:
- When buying a property
- When someone else moves into your home
- After large renovations or repairs
- Before selling a property
- Before renting a property long-term.
- After renting a property long-term.
Q: What if there are a lot of complex or expensive issues in the report that I don’t have the money or time to deal with right now?
A: A good rule of thumb is that 1/3rd of the items in the report are ‘easy fixes’, these things can be fixed by the homeowner or otherwise resolved cheaply and quickly. Another 1/3rd of the items may take more time or money to resolve but are manageable in the short to medium term. Bigger issues in the 3rd category may have to wait– you might have to take out a loan to repair/replace or talk with many different contractors before settling on a final solution. Like everything in life, by tackling the small stuff early on you prevent larger issues down the road and with persistent effort even large issues can be broken down into small steps and resolved over time.
Q: How do I schedule an Annual Inspection?
A: 2 weeks before you would like the inspection performed you should reach out to your home inspector to get on their calendar. We offer discounts for Annual Inspections. You can schedule here
or at builderbuddyonline.com.