Inspections
Information on the Inspection of your Real Estate Purchase, whether it be a house, a condo, an apartment building or raw land. . This page offers a brief overview of the Inspection process in the Georgia Association of Realtors Residential Contract, and some tips on how to make the most of your inspection.
Single Family Home Inspection
Professional Home Inspections is big business today. The average homeowner spends between $300 and $1000 getting a home inspection in the typical Atlanta home purchase. The price depends on the size of the home and the scope of the inspection. The least you will pay for a Professional Home Inspection will be approximately $275.00 and that is for any size or price home. Over $300,000 you should expect to pay about 1/10 of 1% of the sales price ($475 for $475,000 etc).
A good inspector will take 3-4 hours for an average 2-3000 square foot home, documenting his findings with digital pictures and clear explanations. Reputable companies will not recommend contractors for repairs as this could be a serious conflict of interest. But a good inspector can give you a range of cost that you should expect to pay to address these concerns.
Most of the larger companies have websites which detail the maintenance steps required to take care of your largest investment, your home. They work like operating manuals for your home. Some offer programs which email homeowners reminders and maintenance alerts, reminding you to clean your gutters, or change your furnace filters etc.
It is always important to find out what is the errors and omissions policy of the inspection company. All of the companies will ask you to sign a contract before they do the inspection which details what they will do if they do miss something or make some kind of error. Generally they limit their liability to the cost of the inspection, so all they would have to do is refund the price of the inspection. There are some inspectors who have a bond ($500 or $1000) that they will pay toward repairs if they miss something, ask before you hire an inspector.
There are several environmental issues that can be addressed with an inspection, and generally there is an additional charge for each extra inspection. These are: Asbestos, Radon, Lead Based Paint, Mold, and contaminated groundwater.
Asbestos: Most home inspectors are familiar with asbestos and will tell you if they see something that needs to be tested further. Asbestos tape is common on old galvanized steel ductwork. Asbestos insulation on radiator piping, asbestos underlayment in old linoleum applications and asbestos shingles on the roof are all occasional problems. If the inspector is suspicious of any of these he will tell you to test further. The EPA has a wealth of information on all of these issues and there are a number of licensed asbestos abatement companies who can remove it safely if asbestos is found.
Radon: Radon is a gas produced by low levels of uranium in the soil. It breaks down and is released into the air. It is found throughout the U.S. and can get into any building. It is the second leading cause of Lung Cancer (approximately 15% of Lung Cancers are caused by radon worldwide!) and it is especially dangerous to those who smoke. It is relatively easy and inexpensive to get rid of and people are wise to test for it. Generally the solution involves ventilating pipes which may run in the $800-$2500 range when installed by a competent radon mitigator. The EPA has a very complete website which explains more than you ever wanted to know about radon. It has a publication called "A Citizens Guide to Radon" which you can download and print that has diagrams of the systems and solutions. To go to the US EPA’s Radon site click here.
Lead Based Paint: Homes built before 1978 have the possibility of lead based paint. Older homes built in the early part of the century are very likely to have lead based paint somewhere in the layers. Sometimes the wallpaper and natural trim means that there is no lead based paint, but it is good to assume that the home probably has it if it is an older home. The places where lead is most likely to cause a problem is where there is friction such as window frames where the windows slide up and down, and door frames etc. There is a lot of info on line about the subject the EPA’s website offers some advice HERE. HUD also has a lot of information available and you will see some their forms when you are reading the Georgia Association of Realtors disclosure statement. There is a pamphlet produced by the EPA about how to Protect your family from the risks of lead based paint. You should read this before you buy an older home!
Mold: This is the latest health risk that has emerged over the last few years. There has been a rash of new companies which have sprung up to deal with mold remediation. The EPA’s page on Mold in the home begins here. Its important to know that only a few types of mold are actually harmful and they primarily adversely affect people who are older, immune deficient, ill, or allergic to mold.
RE/MAX of Buckhead
DAN Connolly
404-370-0050
O. 404-233-4633
Fax: 404-370-0377