Services
Total Pictures Home Inspections provides six home inspection service offerings: Pre-Purchase (Buyer) Inspection, Pre-Drywall (New Residential Construction) Inspection, 6-Point Inspection (Seller), State-of-the-Home Inspection, and Post Purchase Home Inspection.
Pre-Purchase (Buyer) Inspection
Whenever you are buying a home you need to have the property thoroughly inspected before you close the deal. If you neglect this important task, you could end up discovering that the home has many problems that you were unaware of. These problems could be quite expensive to repair. By hiring Total Picture Home Inspections you will be hiring an experienced company to inspect the home, identifying existing problems before you take ownership.
Pre-Contract Walkabout
Market conditions are such that a pre-purchase home inspection may not be advantageous to having your offer accepted by the seller. Multiple offers are anticipated, and the seller may lean towards accepting an offer that does not have a contingency pre-inspection. Not having this contingency is challenging for the potential buyer as you certainly want to know the condition of the property prior to submitting an offer.
So What Do You Do?
One way to address the challenge of not having a contingency for a home inspection is to have a Pre-Contract Walkabout. A home inspector will accompany you on your planned walk-through just prior to your submitting a contract should the walk-through and other conditions prove satisfactory. While the time allotted for a routine home inspection is not available, the hour available during the walk-through can be used by the inspector for what is referred to as a Walkabout – not a Home Inspection but a “walkabout” to observe the condition of the property.
The Walkabout provides a limited evaluation of major home systems, designed to find notable defects and assess the working order and capacities of major systems, all contributors to post purchase expenses. Areas of evaluation can be pre-agreed between the potential buyer and the inspector, fully recognizing the approximate one-hour time constraint. Generally the review will include such areas as: 1) review of external features from landscaping to roofing, including adjoining structures (e.g., patios and decks); 2) assessment of observable structural components; 3) assessment of any moisture intrusion from the foundation to roof sheathing; 4) noting the condition, capacities and age of utilities (HVAC, plumbing, main service electric).
While not a full home inspection adhering to established standards of practice, the Walkabout provides the prospective home buyer a wealth of information on the condition of the residence, aiding in the decision of whether to provide an offer on the residence.
Pre-Drywall (New Residential Construction) Inspection
6-Point Inspection
If you’re looking to sell your home, we are sure you’d like to get the most return on your investment and maybe a bit above the asking price. By getting a seller’s home inspection prior to engaging with prospective home buyers, you can be prepared and have a chance to get important things repaired before listing. This can help reduce the amount of concessions you give during the negotiation process.
- It allows you to see your home through the eyes of a critical and neutral third party
- It alerts you to immediate safety and other issues before agents and visitors tour your home
- It permits you to make repairs ahead of time without being rushed and paying too much because of a time limit contingency; or you will have the time to make the repairs yourself if qualified
- Defects won’t become negotiating stumbling blocks later
- It helps you to price your home realistically
- It may relieve prospects’ concerns and suspicions
Further, this gives buyers more confidence in your listing’s condition and helps avoid a full home inspection contingency.
The 6-Point Inspection is an evaluation conducted by Total Picture Home Inspections, limited to six primary concerns most often shared by potential buyers:
- Structure
- Roof
- Electrical
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC)
- Plumbing
- Moisture Intrusion
The inspection is an evaluation of your home structure to your roof. The evaluation checks out the condition and lifespan of your heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and plumbing components; looks for moisture intrusion throughout the home; and an inspection of your electrical system.
The 6-Point Inspection will be used in multiple ways. Are there any issues a prospective buyer will see during a walkthrough that have been overlooked? Are there any issues their home inspector will find that could stop the sale or create an unwelcome negotiation point? If so, pre-listing is the time to make these corrections so that the probability of a smooth sale is increased. If there are no issues, or where issues are corrected and a follow-up mini-inspection is performed giving a ”thumbs up” inspection, the declaration can be shared as part of the sales process, paying for itself many times over.
Engaging Total Picture Home Inspections to perform a 6-Point Inspection is a prudent move. Peace of Mind. Safety. Knowledge. And less stress!
Structure
Frame, Foundation, Beams, Bearing Walls, Joists, Columns/Piers/Posts, Subflooring, Steps/Stoop/Porch, Deck, Balcony, Retaining Wall, Vegetation, Landscape
Roof
Type, Observations, Shingles/Roofing Material, Flashing, Skylights, Plumbing/Heading Vents, Chimney, Gutters & Downspouts, Sheathing, Roof Framing, Ventilation, Insulation
Electrical
Service Entrance, Exterior/Interior Lighting & Outlets, Main Service Examination, Main Service Disconnect, Capacities, Main Service Wiring, Branch Service Wiring, Breakers/Fuses, Bonding, Subpanel Components
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Air Conditioning
Type, Compressor/Evaporator, ID, Age & Capacity, Refrigerant, Lines, Disconnect, Operation, Condensation, Return Air Supply, Temperature Differential, Thermostats
Heating
Area Served, ID, Age & Capacity, Operation, Condensation, Distribution/Duct Work, Venting, Fuel Source, Return Air Supply, CO Detector, Thermostats, Temperature Differential
Ventilation
Distribution/Duct Work
Plumbing
General
Pressure, Deliver/Drainage Lines, Distribution, Connections (Dishwasher/Dryer, etc.), Faucets, Sinks, Tubs, Showers, Spas, Toilet, Sump Pump, Grinder, Spigots
Water Heater
Area Served, ID, Capacity & Age, Operation, Distribution Lines, Fuel, TPR Valve, Enhancements, Venting, CO Detector
Moisture Intrusion
Foundation Walls, Basement, Slab, 1st Level Flooring, Roof Sheathing. Mold-like substances observed will be reported.
State-of-the-Home Inspection
You’ve been in your home for 10 to 20 plus years. If you had a home inspection it was one if not two decades ago. The condition of your home has changed. Key systems are aging and need replacement, but when? Are HVAC temperature differentials within acceptable ranges? Water and gas lines deteriorate over time; what is their condition now? Do leakages put the house, if not you personally, in danger? Have electric branch circuits been added? Are they properly bonded to reduce the possibility of electrocution? Do you have GFCI and AFCI outlets in place? Do you know the effectiveness of insulation decreases over time. Adding or replacing insulation reduces energy costs. Would an infrared scanner pick up moisture penetration hiding behind a wall or roof sheathing? Does your sump pump have a backup system in case the power goes off for an extended period? Is your deck secure to the structure? You’ve seen the failures. Do you have ready access to emergency cutoffs? Finding problems now can prevent major costs later?
Do I need this if I have semi-annual checkups on my AC and heating systems? You bet as these are but two of the many home systems from cladding to plumbing to ventilation to moisture intrusion to fire prevention measures to deck, attic and roof structures.
These are just some of the considerations the average homeowner faces who has been in their home for some time. Engaging Total Picture Home Inspections to inspect your home even though you have no plans to sell it would be a wise decision. Peace of Mind. Safety. Knowledge. Budget planning.
POST PURCHASE HOME INSPECTION
What you don’t know about your home purchase can hurt you. Many people purchased their home without a home inspection.
What You Need To Know:
- Do you have any moisture intrusion?
- Do you have any structural issues?
- Gas and water pipe condition
- Roof and attic condition
- Electrical issues
- Plumbing issues
- Ages and useful life of systems
- And more
The buying frenzy is over. You prevailed. You bought your dream home – and everything that comes with it. That includes the internal systems like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, and the external systems like the roof, foundation, insulation and cladding. Given you passed on a pre-purchase inspection, do you know their condition? Now is the time to find out not only if there are issues with these systems, but what are their lifespans. Are major replacement costs just around the corner or are they a ways off? You need to know for budgeting.
Your bidding posture was just like those of other home purchasers. To be competitive you needed to forego the traditional home inspection. Sure, you looked at the property. You looked at the roof, but did you look at the attic sheathing for moisture intrusion? Did you look at the trusses and connecting gusset plates? How about the insulation? How old is the insulation and what is its depth? How do you think it will read with an infrared scanner? How about the all-important venting? Ridge and soffit, gable or roof mounted fan? How about the duct work? Metal or tubular? Any holes, tears or restrictions that can drive up HVAC costs? How effective is the visible flashing? Any leaks around plumbing vents or the chimney chase?
These are some of the considerations of just one of the twenty-some home systems that homeowners face. Engaging Total Picture Home Inspections to inspect your home now that you are getting settled in is the prudent move. Peace of Mind. Safety. Knowledge.
