HOME INSPECTION BLOG
Eco-Friendly Relocation
Relocation is often stressful and time-consuming, but rarely do we wonder about the impact the process has on the environment. This is amplified when moving to a smaller house or condominium, and additional decisions have to be made regarding items that must discarded...
Child-Proofing Your Home: 12 Safety Devices to Protect Your Children
About 2.5 million children are injured or killed by hazards in the home each year. The good news is that many of these incidents can be prevented by using simple child-safety devices on the market today. Any safety device you buy should be sturdy enough to prevent...
Home Energy Inspections for Home Buyers
Home inspectors help home buyers understand how much it costs to heat, cool, and operate the home they are about to buy.
An Introduction to Foreclosures
A foreclosure is a process by which a homeowner loses their property, usually to a lender or local government, for failure to pay agreed-upon taxes, payments or fees. Common reasons for foreclosures include: default on loan repayment. The most common way that...
Inspecting Aluminum Wiring
Between approximately 1965 and 1973, single-strand (solid) aluminum wiring was sometimes substituted for copper branch-circuit wiring in residential electrical systems due to the sudden escalating price of copper. After a decade of use by homeowners and electricians,...
Ant Inspection
Ants are among the most prevalent pests in households, restaurants, hospitals, offices, warehouses, and virtually all buildings where food and water can be found. While mostly harmless to humans, ants (especially carpenter ants) can cause considerable building...
Abrasive Blasting for Mold Remediation
Mold in the Home Health concerns related to the growth of mold in the home have been featured heavily in the news. Problems ranging from itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing to serious allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and even the possibility of permanent lung damage...
Home Sales Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels for the First Time
SEATTLE, July 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- (NASDAQ: RDFN) — Home sales surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time the week ending July 5, up 2% on a seasonally adjusted basis compared to January and February levels, according to a new report from Redfin...
Summer House Hunting? Here are Some Key Factors to Consider.
Summer is the priciest time to buy a home, but cost isn’t the only challenge in 2020. An uncertain economy and social distancing measures, both the result of the pandemic, have upended homebuying plans for some and changed the process for everyone. Despite the initial...
Buyers and Sellers can Both Survive the Home Inspection
ESCONDIDO – It’s very important for both a home seller and buyer that the property fare well on the inspection, because it means no serious issues have been discovered. But what exactly are the things to watch out for? What’s in the home inspector’s checklist? It...
Advantages of Solar Energy
Solar energy offers considerable advantages over conventional energy systems by nullifying flaws in those systems long considered to be unchangeable. Solar power for home energy production has its flaws, too, which are outlined in another article, but they're dwarfed...
Low Interest Rates Put Home Inspectors in Demand
WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWNY) - Homebuyers are swiping up “For Sale” properties just days after they are put on the market and interest rates are some of the lowest they have ever been. “Somebody calls, I’m able to schedule or get to the inspection I would say anywhere from...
A Garage Inspection
This is the exterior of a townhome I was asked to inspect. During the inspection, I ran into a neighbor who told me that the roof of another garage, identical to the one pictured above two buildings down, had collapsed the previous winter under a snow load. So,...
Aluminum Siding Inspection
Aluminum siding is generally in decline as an exterior cladding material because vinyl siding and other materials have become more popular choices. However, it is still among the most common forms of siding found today. It provided many advantages over other materials...
Air Sampling for Mold Inspections
Taking air samples during a mold inspection is important for several reasons. Mold spores are not visible to the naked eye, and the types of mold present can often be determined through laboratory analysis of the air samples. Having samples analyzed can also help...
Anti-Tip Brackets for Freestanding Ranges
Anti-tip brackets are metal devices designed to prevent freestanding ranges from tipping. They are normally attached to a rear leg of the range or screwed into the wall behind the range, and are included in all installation kits. A unit that is not equipped with these...
15 Tools Every Homeowner Should Own
The following items are essential tools, but this list is by no means exhaustive. Feel free to ask an InterNACHI inspector during your next inspection about other tools that you might find useful. 1. Plunger A clogged sink or toilet is one of the most inconvenient...
Making Your Offer Stand Out in a Hot Market
With a rapidly changing market and low inventory, homes are selling faster than ever. New listings can have several offers before your clients even have a chance to see the home. With this being the case, not only do you have to move quickly, you have to come prepared...
10 Easy Ways to Save Money & Energy in Your Home
Most people don’t know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, we want to change that. Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves. Of course,...
A Comprehensive Guide for First-time Homebuyers
Richard Stapleton got the keys to his first house a week before the country went into lockdown as the coronavirus spread across the U.S. Having decided in December to leave his 650-square-foot apartment in Buford, Ga., Stapleton and his girlfriend were ready to move...
