Just as you would go to a doctor if you felt ill or a mechanic if your car needed servicing, when buying a home (a much larger investment) you should also turn to a specialist.

Remember you probably lack the specialized training, experience and knowledge to conduct a thorough inspection of a house and its systems. You will also almost ceratinly lack the impartiality to conduct an unbiased inspection.

While builders and other construction contractors certainly have specialized knowledge in their respective areas, they are rarely trained to determine the condition of and installation status of the various appliances and components of the Home and how they are meant to interact with each other.

Nor are they generally trained to detect the signs &/or effects of many types of problems which Home Inspectors are trained and have experience in finding and reporting.

The short answer is No. But keep reading.

Buying a Home may very well be your family's single largest investment. Buying a house not knowing its condition would be as foolish as buying a car without knowing if the motor worked. And significantly more expensive.

Before you commit your family's wellbeing, happiness and security, not to mention your financial future it would be wise to ensure the house you are about to buy does not bring hidden and potentially expensive &/or hazardous surprises.

The average Home Inspection costs somewhere around one-tenth of one percent of the price of the house inspected. To put this in context it would be like having a complete diagnostic inspection of your $30,000 car for only $30.00.

In fact the price of a Home Inspection is probably the very best value for your money that you will ever spend, considering the knowledge you will gain about the viability of your potential investment.

The average Home Inspection will last anywhere from 2 and a half to 4 hours depending on the size of the house and any additional out-buildings or terrain which require inspection.

Additional services such as pool & spa inspections, lead paint, asbestos, mold and termite detection add time to the length of an inspection as well.

But in general terms schedule about 3 & 3 ½ hours for the inspection for a normal single family home. Condos generally take less time. Older homes & Historic properties will require additonal time to inspect properly.

We at Rn HomeTech strongly advise that you do, if at all possible, attend your Home Inspection. Although our Home Inspection Report is exhaustive nothing can replace the opportunity for you to experience the inspection in real time.

If you accompany the Home Inspector you will have the opportunity to ask questions, request clarification and see the same things the Inspector sees, which will later appear in the Home Inspection Report.

This is especially important if you are a first time Home Owner or relatively unfamiliar with the inner working of a home, as it will afford you the opportunity to learn a wealth of information about your future Home.

Any & all questions which come to mind. There is no such thing as a dumb question. Bring a pad & pen. Take advantage of your Home Inspector's knowledge as well as the accumulated knowledge of Rn HomeTech's experience.

Ask any questions which may address concerns you have. And remember if you have questions after the Home Inspection,we will be available to answer them for years to come, free of charge.

Ask just one friend or relative who has found moisture or water penetration in their basement or walls; or whose furnace broke down shortly after buying the house how much it cost them to repair it.

Or consider both the expense and harm to your family's health caused by undetected Mold or high Radon levels and the answer should be clear.

A Home Inspection is not an expense, its an investment!

Absolutely.

Houses are not built top to bottom, inside and out by the same contractor or crew. Over 30 different contractors and their crews, hundreds of people, may take part in the construction of a house.

Framers, Masons, Plumbers, Electicians and HVAC techs just to mention a few come in to work on your house. Unfortunately not all of them respect the previous contractor's work.

Its actually quite common to find as many or more issues in a new built home as in a 5, 10 or even 20 year old home. And now is the time to have your builder rectify these issues, before you move in.

Most reputable Builders will also give you a 12 or 18-month warranty on new homes. It is a very good idea to have your Home inspected before the end of the warranty to catch any defects which will certainly turn up as the house settles and its building materials dry.

A Home Warranty Inspection Report is a valuable tool when addressing these issues with the builder. You'll come armed with an Expert Professional Evaluation.

The short answer is; Yes!

Most home owners do a good job of maintaining their homes. But the truth is most potentially expensive problems are not visible to the untrained eye. And unlike your car, your home does not have a Check Engine (or Home) light to warn you. A professional Home Inspection can & will detect any issues which if left unattended may result in expensive repairs.

Settling, age, weather, rain, snow, wind, freeze & thaw, heat, storms, earthquakes, new highways nearby…all of these affect your home over time.

A Home Inspection should be viewed as an investment in the well-being of your single largest asset; your home.