Home Inspections St. Paul | Townhouse Inspector
651-368-7971
The purpose of the Townhouse inspection is to identify any problems within the town home that you’re not willing to accept. When you make an offer to buy a house, the offer should be contingent upon a successful home inspection. In other words, if the inspector finds something you’re not comfortable with, you should be able to back out of the deal. That’s what it means when the offer is “contingent” upon the home inspection.
Generally, the inspection takes place after you’ve made an offer to purchase a home, and the sellers have accepted your offer. You should schedule it as soon as possible after this step.
The home inspector will check the electrical system in the house. He will ensure that the system is safe, and that there are no overrated fuses, overloaded circuit breakers, or faulty connections. And, of course, he will make sure everything works. He will go room by room and turn on all of the lights and electrical fixtures, throughout the entire house.
The home inspector will look at the HVAC system, if there is one. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and cooling. He will look for proper function of any system that’s currently installed — central air, furnace, baseboard heat, etc. When he walks into the house, he will probably turn on the air conditioner or heater to make sure it works. This is often the first thing they do upon arrival. The inspector will let the system run while he’s performing the rest of the inspection. This allows him to test the thermostatic controls as well.
The inspector will look at the plumbing system inside and outside of the house. This includes the sinks, toilets, bathtubs and outdoor spigots. He’ll go room by room, systematically, to make sure all of these items work. He will also look for any leaks around plumbing pipes and fixtures.
The inspector will check any installed systems inside the house. In this context, “installed” means anything that is attached to the home where its removal would require tools. Garbage disposals are a good example. If the house has a sump pump in the basement for removing moisture, he will check it for proper operation.
The inspector will look for water leaks, or evidence of water leaks. He will check all the areas where water leaks generally occur. Inspectors know exactly where to look for this kind of thing — on floors, along the foundation, in basements, etc. Leaking water can be a sign of two problems. First, it can suggest that the pipes need repair or replacement. Additionally, the water itself can cause damage and erosion to floors, ceilings and foundations.
This is just a bare minimum. The inspector will probably look at some additional areas, above and beyond the items on this list. When he’s done checking these things, he will give you what’s known as the home inspector’s report. He will explain what the problem was, and what might be required to fix it. The potential repairs are obviously important to you, because they bring additional costs along with them.
Home Inspections St. Paul | Home Inspector