The real estate sales market has toned down dramatically since
the 80’s, yet now in the late 90s there are clear signs of
renewed home buyer activity and care in the purchase of homes.
Home inspectors have reported a significant increase in the
number of pre-purchase inspections, according to the American
Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), the most respected national
organization of independent home inspectors….
In homes 20 years and older, ASHI experts say that roof
shingles, electrical wiring, and surface water drainage
systems are the items most commonly cited on inspection
reports as needing repair or modification.
In new construction, inspectors frequently find water
seepage into basement/cellar or crawl space, inadequate attic
ventilation, poor roof construction, and substandard masonry
and finish work.
In response to a growing awareness of the dangers posed by
certain substances, such as radon gas, asbestos fiber, and
urea formaldehyde foam insulation, many consumers are paying
extra to have special tests performed to make sure their new
home doesn’t pose a health hazard to them and their family.
Although a standard ASHI home inspection does not include
environmental items, many home inspectors offer environmental
assessment as an optional service, or recommend further
evaluation.
What is the difference
between a home inspection and an engineering inspection?
Which is appropriate for the home buyer?
Considerable confusion surrounds this question,
particularly since in some areas, home inspections have been
inadvertently referred to as engineering inspections or
evaluations, and engineers sometimes perform home inspections.
But the two, according to home inspection and engineering
authorities, are actually quite different.
Engineering evaluations are usually specialized by
discipline (such as chemical, structural, electrical) and
involve exhaustive scientific measurements and calculations
for confirming the design of the systems. Home
inspections, on the other hand, tell buyers what they really
need to know: “what is the condition of the home
today?”. The home inspection, performed by a
professional engineer (P.E.) or a non-engineer professional
inspector does not involve engineering analysis of the
original design, but deals instead with the in-service
operation or failure of a home’s systems and components, as
well as the type of maintenance that has been and should be
performed. It is based on established criteria of
performance and training specific to the home inspection
profession.
State agencies, which are typically responsible for
regulating professional activity, have not undertaken to
license home inspectors, except in Texas. Home buyers
must therefore carefully review an inspector’s background
and credentials to determine if he has the appropriate
training and professional ethics to perform home inspections.
This Homebuyers Tip was excerpted from:
Banker & Tradesman, May 1997
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