What Buyers Should Know About The Home Inspection Process

You've found the perfect home but now it is time for the most stressful part of purchasing your new home, the home inspection.  This blog will give you the run-down of what a buyer should be doing before and after the inspection !

Step 1: Pick The Right Home Inspector For You 

• You want to make sure that you don't choose your inspector strictly by price, they range from $500 - $800.  The cheapest is more than likely not the best, but that doesn't mean the most expensive is the best either.  Ask them how they document what they find, and what kind of things are included on their report ? (EX: Do they take serial numbers of the appliances, Do they give repair estimates) 

• All homes in NYS that are being purchased with the help of a mortgage will require a termite report, you should ask your prospective inspectors if they are certified for the termite inspection or will you need to hire a 2nd inspector. 

Step 2: Make A List Of Questions

• Before your home inspection you should sit down with all the decision makers that are involved, and have a list of questions you have about the home prior to the inspection.  Once your at your home inspection you will be overwhelmed by the amount of information you will be receiving so making note of your specific questions will help you to get the answers to what is important to you. 

Step 3: Decide Who Will Be Attending Your Home Inspection

• Remember your home inspection is not a showing of the home, if your a first time home buyer you may want to have a relative accompany you who is more knowledgable.  The decision makers are the most important people, and really the only one who should be attending the inspection.  Their are 2 reasons why your home inspection should not be treated as a showing.  First your inspector will be trying to move thru room by room with you, and family/friends tend to distract the buyer from the important process that is going on with other less important cosmetic items in the house.  The 2nd reason is really very simple, you will be living in this home and doing the work - not them, I abide by this same rule during the home inspection although I am their by opinion on the priority of importance of things to myself.  

Step 4: Reviewing The List Of Items From The Home Inspection 

• You will have 3 different options after your home inspection: Option 1: Come up with a list of all items to be fixed, big or small and attempt to have them fixed or given a credit.  This is rarely recommended but price plays a large part if your paying top dollar you will/should expect a big more.  Option 2: Come up with a list of structural/safety items that need to be fixed or credited for.  This is normally what is expected, remember certain things will be required of the sellers for any buyer so it will be their responsibility.  Option 3: Take the home as is and continue with the purchase, this is most common with cash deals or homes priced significantly under market value because the sellers have already made large credits on the price prior to the home inspection.

My best advice to buyers is to remember that every home will have recommendations of things that should be or need to be done.  What you choose is acceptable is entirely up to you, but remember be reasonable at some point you will be selling a home too ! The best way to make it thru a real estate transaction is by being fair and honest with everyone involved !  

Fire Safety Tips For Homeowners

It is time for us to touch on some more safety tips, after the brush fires that we have been having over the passed 2 weeks I want to take the time to not only speak on fire safety but some important things for first time home-buyers to look out for.  Most people know that when you buy your first home that you want to make sure that your smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly but there are more precautions you can take to ensure your family is safe.  

Doors 

This is often over-looked by many homeowners but you should try to be sure that all the doors in your home are solid doors rather than hollow.  This is Fire Safety 101, a solid wood door will keep the fire out of a room !  If you can not have them in all rooms your bedroom doors should be the first ones you change ! 

Fireplaces

Now if you are purchasing a home with a fire place there are many different kinds but the safest fireplace be in my opinion is a coal fire place.  This is because when the coal burns it turns into ash, and will not have any embers to fly out while you are keeping warm and cozy! Many coal fireplaces will also have a "burn setting" that allows you to safely use this fireplace to heat your home, throughout the winter.  

You will also want to know if your fireplace is "Radiant Heat" or "Convection Heat".  Radiant heat is where the heat radiates out from the fireplace and will warm all things close to the fire.  This will often cause the fireplace itself to get very hot, the hearth, even walls or surrounding furniture.  To be safe you will want to make sure that this fireplace has a proper screen and you have surrounding furniture a safe distance.  Convection heat is the common kind of heat you will get from a coal fire-place it takes longer to heat a room this way but it is much safer if you will be using it as a main source of heat.  This kind of heat will cause the air itself to get warm, and pulls the cooler air closer to the heat source - this allows it to heat the entire space while avoiding specifics areas becoming dangerously hot as it may with radiant heat.  

When you have your home inspection done, they will always check the fireplace but it is also important that you have it checked annually once you have moved into your new home.   A chimney could have build up causing improper ventilation, a build up of a flammable substance called creosote, or a loose chimney cap could allow animals, rains or leaf build up in your chimney.  

Garage

Now this is usually some debate for people, because how do you keep a garage safe when it is used to store all those things that you don't want to risk having in your home (ex: spray-paint, propane, sealers, gas).  If you do not have a shed to put these items in you want to make sure that you set aside a specific area to store these items, be sure that they are in a secured non-flammable cabinet.  You can find these kinds of "lockers" and your most Home Depot or Loews stores.  You should also always keep a fire extinguisher handy anywhere you are storing these kinds of items! 

If you are buying a home with a garage that was added-on or newly constructed you can ask them if they had fire-grade Sheetrock installed, many garages are constructed with full brick wall  to ensure the attached home is protected if a garage fire were to happen.  I would always recommend if you do not have a shed, and you have the fund to purchase one to do so, that is the best way to protect your home from any mishaps !

Outdoor

If you will be using your outdoor shed to store all of those things that could potentially ignite or fuel a fire the most important thing is the location of where you will be putting the structure.  You want to be sure that it is built on a cement slab, and not in close proximity to the home.  The safest place to put your shed is in one of the back corners of your yard, with enough room that it is not right on top of your fence, be sure to check your towns zoning to see how large of a shed your allowed, and what restrictions they have on placement.  

Whether you are storing these items in your shed or garage you should make sure everything is properly marked, and clean out the area annually.  

Outdoor fire pits are also becoming a big back yard amenity that many people like to have.  There are some very important things you should remember before using your fire-pit.  First is to make sure that it is a level surface ideally you want this on a patio to ensure any embers that fly out of the fire are on a solid safe surface.  You want to also make sure that it is at least 10 feet away from any flammable structure such as your home, swing sets, or sheds.   Most important is when you are lighting a fire in this you do not want to use any additional igniters such as gas or lighter fluid, you can pick up easy start logs that have small igniters to make getting your fire going very easy! 

You should also be sure that your outdoor water lines are hooked up properly.  Ideally you want to make sure that you have a hose in not only the front of your home, but the back as well.  Whether the fire is small or large always call your local fire department, even though you may think a fire is out it is best for them to come and be sure.  

There are a few other precautions you should take in your home to be sure your family is protected to find out more you can check with your local library or fire-stations they often have classes or seminars to help keep you informed.