Home or apartment Inspection is an important step before buying a new house, or after renovation. Defects that seem minor at first can quickly become dangerous and damaging, and fixing them before they get out of hand is the smart thing to do. But, how do you go about finding minor (and major) issues with your house? You hire an inspection company. If you are purchasing a commercial space, there are dedicated commercial building inspection services that you can seek.
A building inspection company is a group of professionals you hire to inspect your property and they prepare a safety report which details the overall condition of the building at the time of the inspection. This gives you a comprehensive understanding of how much more money you might have to spend on repairs once you purchase the house. Here, we will look at five things to check when hiring a building inspection company.
1. Appropriate Equipment
Building inspection, while mainly a visual process, is not limited to that. Proficient building inspection companies have specialised equipment that helps them analyse the condition of a building and give you a thorough report. They carry tools that help them inspect spaces that are not visually reachable. They have tools like thermal image cameras, moisture detection monitors, along with regular inspection equipment like ladders, high-powered torches, tapping sticks, etc. for holistic monitoring of a property.
2. Licensed Practitioner and Building Inspection Agreement
Signing a building inspection agreement is a standard practice and if a company does not agree to provide one, they are probably not legitimate. A regular inspection agreement document contains the total amount charged, the name of both parties (you and the company), and the terms and conditions of the contract. Another legal document to check is the license and insurance of the company and inspector in charge.
3. Sample Report
Once the inspection is complete, a building inspection company must hand over a detailed report of their findings and suggestions. It is wise to ask the company you intend to hire for a sample report they created for an earlier client. This should give you a clear picture of what to expect once you hire them. Read the sample report and look for their comments and suggestions. Some companies are known to copy and paste templates to create dummy reports, which becomes evident in the comments, so make sure you look out for these small details.
4. Cost of Inspection
The last thing you should do when getting building inspection services is to go for the cheapest option. A company that oversees damages or faults will end up costing you much more in the long run. Make it a point to compare prices and the number of services each company has to offer before you select one.
5. Time taken for Inspection Report
You hire a building inspection company when you intend to buy a house, and time is usually of the essence at this point. If you take too long to make an offer, you might end up losing the apartment or the house. That is why it is imperative to ask the inspection company the time they will need to prepare the report before you hire them. The inspection itself usually takes anywhere from a few hours to a day or two. But what you need to make a decision is the report, so ensure you find out the time needed before hand.
Always Inspect a House Before Buying
It’s better to spend a small amount of time and money on inspection before you buy a house, than spend a lot on repairs later. While you might think inspecting the house yourself is easy, without the proper tools, you can easily overlook potential damage risks. This is exactly why hiring an inspection company is the smart thing to do. Now that you know the important check-boxes to tick, you should be able to make an informed decision when selecting an inspection company. With a green light from the inspection company, you can move in to your new home in peace.