Integra's Home Inspection Services
Buyer’s Inspection
The home buyer’s inspection service is what most people think of when they hear the term home inspection. Integra’s Buyer Inspection services are available for both existing and new-construction homes. These examine the same components but have slightly different reports and inspection processes. Contact me for a sample report.
See What I Inspect and My Inspection Process
Also see this helpful resource: TIPS FOR HOMEBUYERS
Existing Homes
Inspection of established homes (over a year old) is focused on finding significant problems that can cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars after the sale.
Real estate contracts typically have a clause that require the seller to permit an independent inspection of the home by an third party of the buyer’s own choosing. Your agent often has a list of inspectors they recommend but this is controversial as it poses an inherent conflict of interest. Some experts recommend that you do your own research in choosing a home inspector.
The buyer can request repair of any “major” defects discovered during the inspection, defined as having a substantial detriment to health, safety, or function. Such defects include things like foundation problems, undisclosed prior fire damage, malfunctioning furnaces, mold infestations, and safety issues such as unsafe wiring. Home inspections are first and foremost concerned with finding this class of severe problem. They are the problems with the greatest potential to cause harm to health or pocketbook.
- Arm you with information you need to make an informed purchase decision with confidence and peace of mind. You and your agent use the inspection report to create a formal Repair Request for the seller to respond to. Typically this contains the most expensive defects to repair as well as those affecting health or safety.
- Create a prioritized to-do list of repairs not listed in the Repair Request. You can address these deficiencies and maintenance items after moving in and have the time and money to deal with them.
- Help you understand the home better, its maintenance needs, and components that could use improvement down the road. Attending the inspection gives you exclusive access to additional information beyond the report’s contents.
New Construction
This kind of buyer’s inspection is intended for brand-new homes and is typically scheduled upon the home’s completion and 2-3 days before your initial walk-through with the builder. An optional “pre-drywall” inspection service is also available once the home is framed but right before siding and exterior wall covering is installed.
Should you inspect a newly constructed home? Absolutely.
Many new builds I inspect have insufficient or poorly installed insulation, missing caulk/sealant on exterior components, loose hardware, plumbing leaks, and other issues.
While most homes have “finish level” defects such as loose doorknobs and misaligned cabinetry, I also commonly find more impactful issues such as roof leaks and electrical faults.
The primary goal in new construction inspection is to find defects and deficiencies in construction and installation so the builder can quickly address them. Builders grudgingly appreciate an independent inspection. This saves them expensive warranty claims later and you much headache and inconvenience. Some defects, such as roof issues, can turn into significant problems down the road unless caught and corrected early. A secondary purpose is to help you understand the home better and its maintenance needs.
Integra is “on file” with all local major builders and meets all builder requirements for licensure and insurance.
Older Homes
Although inspecting old homes is essentially the same as with newer homes, extra time, care, and experience is needed. Unless properly upgraded, electrical and plumbing systems are often out-of-date and require significant expense to modernize. Many older homes in our area are well-built but suffer from deterioration of obsolete or neglected exterior materials such as fiberboard or even asbestos siding. Other issues include lack of attic insulation or ventilation and outdated windows.
I can help identify these issues for you to form a more accurate idea of the future costs of upgrading and modernizing the home.
Contact Information
Business Hours
Mon-Sat: 6am-11pm
Sun: 2pm-7pm
Address
600 Boulevard South Sw Suite 104
Huntsville, AL 35802
