As a landlord, you should know that home inspection is a visual, non-invasive examination of areas where the home inspector has access to in a residential property. This service is performed for a fee, which includes identifying the defects by using high-tech tools to help the process. Landlords should bear in mind that home inspection is based on the observations made on the day of inspection, which means any future defects should not hold inspectors accountable for.
Despite home inspection being a thorough process, there still are limitations to the scope of the procedure. In fact, it provides a general overview of the more obvious repairs that may be needed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list. The ultimate decision of what to repair or replace is yours. One homeowner may decide that certain conditions require repair or replacement, while another will not.
In this article, we have made a list of the things that you should NOT expect from snagging engineers:
- an inspection is NOT technically exhaustive;
- an inspection will NOT identify concealed or latent defects;
- an inspection will NOT deal with aesthetic concerns or what could be deemed matters of taste, cosmetic defects and etc.;
- an inspection will NOT determine the suitability of the property for any use;
- an inspection does NOT determine the market value of the property or its marketability;
- an inspection does NOT determine the insurability of the property;
- an inspection does NOT determine the advisability or inadvisability of the purchase of the inspected property;
- an inspection does NOT determine the life expectancy of the property or any components or systems therein; and
- an inspection does NOT include items not permanently installed.
Also, there are a few things that you CAN NOT expect the inspection engineer to determine:
- property boundary lines or encroachments;
- the condition of any component or system that is not readily accessible;
- the service life expectancy of any component or system;
- the size, capacity, BTU, performance or efficiency of any component or system;
- the cause or reason for any condition;
- the cause for the need of correction, repair or replacement of any system or component;
- future conditions;
- compliance with codes or regulations;
- the presence of rodents, birds, animals, insects, or other pests;
- any manufacturers' recalls or conformance with manufacturer installation, or any information included for consumer protection purposes;
- acoustical properties;
- correction, replacement or repair cost estimates; and
- estimates of the cost to operate any given system.
If the inspector was asked about the reasons behind not stating the above-mentioned points in the report, he would protect himself according to the transparency of his report – which specifically stated in the report why inspection of certain areas was limited. Including photographs illustrating the limiting factor in the report is always prudent. Therefore, professional home inspectors make things clear from the beginning and state the limitation of the inspection procedure to avoid any conflicts with the landlord or the buyer.
We strongly recommend that you consult a qualified licensed contractor or engineering specialist. These professionals can provide a more detailed analysis of any conditions noted in the report at an additional cost. fäm Snag It provides you the best home inspection service all the way. It is a professional snagging home inspection company expert in inspecting for pre-handover defects in your new home unidentified by regular senses.
Hire our professional home snagging engineers, connect with us: [email protected] or call us: 04-3691718