Home Inspections in North Carolina

Having a set of home inspection is an important part of the Real Estate process. When considering which home inspections are important for your purchase, it is important to understand the purpose and the limits of the various types of home inspections. In this article, I’ll briefly discuss a few types of home inspections that may apply to your transactions. I’ll cover the following inspection types:

1. General Home Inspection
2. Radon Gas Inspection
3. Termite / Pest Inspection
4. Survey
5. Specialized Inspections: Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, & Structural

The General Home Inspection:

By General Home Inspection, I am referring to a licensed home inspector who comes to inspect the property. All home inspectors have to be licensed by the state, and they must follow the guidelines appropriate to their licensing. The important thing for you to know is that you should have a home inspection done for any house that you purchase, unless, of course, you are the one in a thousand individuals who have the knowledge to do it themselves. The home inspector will cover just about everything, which will give you the information you need to proceed with the purchase. The inspection will also point you to whether or not you need additional inspections, such as one of the specialized listed above. It is important to note that home inspectors are not required to report on: wood-destroying insects, pools and spas, environmental contamination, or detached structures, which means there are limitations. You need to ask them what their inspection covers and does not cover. Be ready for your home inspector to find something. They are paid to find things; this doesn’t mean that they are making things up, but it does mean that they give really thorough inspections, and they look in the places that many buyers do not.

Radon Gas Inspection:

Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home can pose a danger to your family’s health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually (From EPA website). If you search the internet, you’ll find a number of different claims regarding radon gas. Some say it’s a myth, and I think you should be careful of sites that say such things. Here is a link to the EPAs website to provide you with more information. The important thing as part of this article is that radon can be mitigated through a system which can be installed and monitored by a licensed company.

Termite / Pest Inspection:

This inspection is fairly straight-forward. The cost to inspect is relatively small ($100-$300) in most cases, and the cost to repair varies depending on what needs to be done. If you have to replace wood, then it can obviously be more expensive than if you only have to treat. The cost of treating various by house size and the type of treatment to be done.

Survey:

Surveys are always a good idea, in my opinion, but aren’t always necessary. Sometimes a bank will require you to have a survey completed, but not always. If you have a general idea about where the line is, and you don’t want to pay for a survey, you need to make sure that you and your neighbor keep any type of permanent structure a good distance from where you think the lot line is. If you don’t, then you may encumber your neighbor’s property, or he may encumber yours, which is a bad situation. The best idea is to get a survey.

Specialized Inspections:

Depending on the property that you are purchasing and its condition, you may need additional inspections. For instance, my brother-in-law recently bought a home in northwest Indiana that was in foreclosure. The home needed a lot of work, and he was concerned about structural issues, so he hired a structural engineer to do an assessment of the property, which was a great idea. After you have the initial home inspection, question your inspector about the various components of the home to see if you need additional inspections by a licensed plumber, electrician, or HVAC contractor.