FAQs

The purchase of a home is probably the largest single investment you will ever make. You should learn as much as you can about the condition of the property and the need for any major repairs before you buy, so that you can minimize unpleasant surprises and difficulties afterwards.Of course, an inspection will also point out positive aspects of a home, as well as some maintenance that will be necessary to keep it in good shape. After the inspection, you will have a much clearer understanding of the property you are about to purchase, and will be able to make a confident buying decision. If you have owned your home for a long time, an inspection can identify problems in the making and recommend preventive measures which might avoid costly future repairs. In addition, home sellers may opt for having an inspection prior to placing the home on the market to gain a better understanding of conditions which the buyer’s inspector may point out. This provides an opportunity to make repairs that will put the house in better selling condition.

A home inspection typically takes two to three hours to complete. However, the size, age, an characteristics of the home, and additional services requested may change the amount of time needed on site. Our office team will add additional inspectors as needed to keep the inspection time as close to two to three hours as possible.

The primary inspection report and reports for any added services (excluding environmental testing) will be completed and sent to you on the same day as the inspection. Usually reports are sent out between 5pm-8pm and will be accessible as soon as the inspection agreement is signed and payment has been made. Reports for indoor air quality tests and radon tests take 48-72 hours to receive from the lab that the tests are sent to for analysis.

Even the most experienced home owner lacks the knowledge, objectivity and expertise of a professional home inspector who has inspected thousands of homes in his or her career. An inspector is familiar with all the elements of home construction, their proper installation, and maintenance. He or she understands how the home’s systems and components are intended to function together, as well as how and why they fail. Above all, most buyers find it very difficult to remain completely objective and unemotional about the house they really want, and this may affect their judgment. For the most accurate picture, it is best to obtain an impartial third-party opinion by an expert in the field of inspection.

No. A professional inspection is an examination of the current condition of your prospective home. It is not an appraisal, which determines market value, or a municipal inspection, which verifies local code compliance. A home inspector, therefore, will not pass or fail a house, but rather describe its physical condition.

It’s not necessary for you to be present for the inspection, but it is recommended that you be present for the inspection. By observing and asking questions at the wrap-up, you will learn a great deal about the condition of the home, how its systems work, and how to maintain it. You will also find the written report easier to understand if you’ve seen the property first-hand through the inspector’s eyes.

No house is perfect. If the inspector finds problems, it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t buy the house, only that you will know in advance what to expect. A seller may be flexible with the purchase price or contract terms if major problems are found. If your budget is very tight, or if you don’t wish to become involved in future repair work, this information will be extremely important to you.

In relation to a four-point inspection, most insurance companies will want a “clean” report before they are willing to insure the home. If deficiencies are noted on the four-point report and the seller makes repairs, an inspector will need to return to the home to verify that the repairs have been completed. Then an updated four-point report will be created to send back to your insurance company.

In relation to a full home inspection report, you may choose to have a repair verification inspection to verify the seller had repairs completed professionally on deficiencies noted in the report. However, this is not required.

In either instance, there is a trip charge if the inspector needs to go back to a home to verify repairs have been completed.

Absolutely! A pre-listing inspection can identify concerns with the house and give the seller the opportunity to correct the problems prior to the sale. In this way, there will be no ‘suprises’ that come up during the buyer’s inspection. Concerns identified by the buyer’s inspection are often blown out of proportion due to the additional stress and time constraints involved with the real estate transaction. The pre-listing inspection allows the seller to address concerns in a rational and effective manner outside the real estate transaction environment thus ensuring the successful sale of your home.

Definitely. Now you can complete your home purchase with peace of mind about the condition of the property and all its equipment and systems. You will also have learned a few things about your new home from the inspector’s report, and will want to keep that information for future reference. Above all, you can feel assured that you are making a well-informed purchase decision, and that you will be able to enjoy your new home the way you want to.

Although builders do offer a warranty on their home, it is up to the buyer to identify problems to be corrected by the builder. Generally, builders allow the buyer to complete a walk through inspection to identify cosmetic concerns that are readily visible to the new homeowner. A professional inspection identifies functional problems related to the major systems that would not be identified during the walkthrough inspection. For example, is there sufficient insulation in the attic, are the electrical plugs wired properly and GFCI protected where required, roof issues, structural problems, etc. The new home inspection allows you to correct problems under the builder warranty, save you costly repairs and to provide you with peace of mind after you move in and when you eventually sell the house.

A home inspection cannot determine the true condition of the main sewer pipe. With a sewer line camera inspection, we can discover any type of problems that exist inside the pipes themselves.

When we conduct a sewer line camera inspection, only the main sewer line is inspected. The sewer camera runs from the clean-out to a maximum of 130 feet or until it encounters a blockage, the city’s sewer connection, or the septic tank. All other drain lines, such as secondary drain lines, interior drain lines, and septic tanks, are not a part of this specific evaluation.

The clean-out is typically found either installed inside the home in the basement or crawl space, in the garage, or somewhere in the yard. Our inspection team will find the clean-out, remove the cap, and insert the camera.

If there is no clean-out, if the clean-out is inaccessible, or if the clean-out cannot be removed, we will not be able to perform a sewer line inspection. Once any necessary repairs are made to allow our camera to enter the sewer line, our team will return to complete the sewer inspection.

Our sewer line inspector will insert a camera into the clean-out of the main sewer pipe. The approximate location of any problem within the pipe will be reported in the sewer line evaluation report. This report will be available within 24 hours of the evaluation and will include any photos taken during the inspection as well.

Although you are purchasing a new home, we highly recommend a sewer line evaluation. The condition of the main sewer pipe is a complete unknown, even for newer homes in the Central Florida area. There could be issues related to tree root intrusions, problems with improper installation, or breakages, clogs, or sags within the sewer pipe, regardless of the age of the home. In new homes, we typically find incorrect installation and construction debris in the line.

At Orlando Home Inspection, we highly recommend sewer line inspections for older homes, as there could be several unknown issues within the main sewer pipe. Many older homes have cast-iron pipes. These pipes typically have an average life expectancy of 40-60 years.

If there is an issue inside the sewer pipe, the video camera may not be able to pass through the sewer line. At that time, we will halt the evaluation and recommend further inspection by a plumbing contractor.

No damage will be caused to your sewer line, as we will only be running a small camera down the pipe. The clean-out cap will be removed for this service but will be promptly replaced and left in its original condition once the inspection is completed.

If and when any problems are found within the sewer line, we will document them in our detailed sewer inspection report. This report will include photos as well as detailed notes. We will also make note of how far, in approximate footage from the clean-out, the problem can be found. The next step will require a plumbing contractor to thoroughly inspect and evaluate the home’s sewer line.