Arizona Home Inspection & Construction Blog ACSI

The weather is beautiful and the weeds, insects and allergies are all going to try and keep you from enjoying it. don’t let them. Here are some simple tips you can use to help keep your home happy.

Check your exterior paint. Now is the time to fix it before it gets too hot.

Caulk the exterior, not just the joints around your doors and windows but also where the concrete joins with the perimeter of the home. This will help prevent moisture from entering those cracks and help keep the ants from using the concrete sidewalk or driveway as the roof to their new condo.

Check the weather stripping around the doors and replace it where needed. This nice weather isn’t going to last and you don’t want to be cooling the great outdoors this summer. (Did I sound like your mother?)

Check the wood trim around the windows and doors for damage. Use a screwdriver or ice pick and probe the wood, if it is damaged the metal will puncture it. Replace the damaged wood then caulk and paint.

Check out your roof. Look for birds nests, loose shingles or tile. You may not even need to go on the roof. Walk across the street and use a pair of binoculars to view the roof. Not only is it safer but it will make the neighbors wonder what your doing. (I don’t recommend looking at your neighbors roof with binoculars, they may not understand)

If you have gutters, clean them and make sure they are secure. If you don’t have gutters I would consider adding them. I see lots of damaged foundations that could have been prevented with gutters and downspouts directing the water at least 5 feet away from the home.

Change your air filter. While you are there, get out the vacuum and use the attachments to clean the box the air filter goes in as well as the accessible duct work.

Have the Air conditioning serviced now before it gets too hot and the contractors are too busy to get to you. While your at it check the outside of your air conditioning unit and make sure it is clean and free from debris and damage, dirty coils restrict air flow and end up costing you more money.

Trim the plants away from the home. This prevents the plants from damaging the home and keeps those pesky insects from using the branches as a bridge to get to the home.

Check out your toilets, place a few drops of food coloring in your tank and wait a few minutes to see if it drains into the bowl, if it does then it is time to change the flush valve or you will be wasting lots of water over the next few months.

If you need help determining what needs to be done, think about calling a home inspector. Unlike a contractor, the home inspector does not make money off of the repairs so they are likely to be a little more practical.

For more information about Arizona home inspections or our other services please visit the Phoenix Home Inspection Web site

You made an offer on a home and it has been accepted, Your real estate agent is recommending you have a professional home inspection. They even recommended 3 different Arizona inspectors they you could hire, but can you trust your agents recommendation?

In every industry there are good and bad people, I am sure you know of a bad hair dresser or car salesman and you may even know a bad real estate agent or home inspector. I am also guessing you still get hair cuts and and own a car. The philosophy I recommend is one that Ronald Regan used to say, “trust but verify”. Your agent may provide you with 3 different business cards or brochures, but what does that really tell you? I suggest you get the information from your agent and then do a little homework. It wont take long I promise.

Experience:
First check out the inspectors experience. In many states inspectors need to pass an exam (just like hairdressers and real estate agents) however Home inspectors that are Certified Members of ASHI (The American society of Home Inspectors) have completed over 250 fee paid inspections. It is possible that the inspector you are checking on has years of experience, but doesn’t belong to ASHI but you may want to ask why. ASHI Inspectors are required to get a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education every year, it is a professional association for home inspectors, to put it simply, ASHI is to home inspections what National Association of Realtors is to real estate.

Communication:
One of the most important duties of the home inspector is to communicate the condition of the home. You can not tell by looking at a business card or brochure how the inspector will communicate the information you need to make your decision. Ask your agent if they have any reports you can look at, if not, then call each of the inspectors your agent recommended and ask for a sample of their report. You will be surprised at the wide range of reports that are out there from checklists to books, hand written 3 part carbonless copies to computer generated reports with photos.

This is one of the most overlooked details. If you need someone to help you understand the sample report, how are you going to understand what the condition of the home is that you want to purchase.

Are they Licensed:
Many states now license inspectors, however many inspectors that used to be licensed are no longer current with the state and therefore my be operating illegally if thy perform an inspection for you. In some states you can check to see of the inspector is licensed. If you are in Arizona you can check at the AZ Board of Technical Registration, if you are in a different state check out ASHI’s site (here)to get the contact information for your area. You may also be able to check to see if the inspector has been disciplined by the state in the past but this will take a little more time.

What is included in the home inspection?
Most state now have standards that professional home inspectors must meet and most of these standards are based on the ASHI Standards of Practice. But do you want someone that just meets the standards or exceeds them. Can they perform thermal imaging, mold or radon tests, and at what additional cost?

Cost
This is the item that many people base their decision on, however in my opinion, it is the least important factor. People that are professional and are in high demand cost more than the new guy that has does not have the experience, or has more claims against him than clients. This is the most expensive purchase most people make, I do not understand why many base their decision on the lowest priced inspector they could find.

The bottom line is both the home inspector and the real estate agent have liability when they work for you. Most agents (and inspectors) in business today are not looking for a quick buck. The downturn in the housing market has flushed most of the non-professionals from the business. I would hope that you can trust your agents recommendation however, like I said before it is a good idea to trust but verify. It is possible that your agent doesn’t know that the inspector they recommended is no longer in compliance with the states regulations or has been disciplined by the state, I am pretty sure the inspector didn’t tell them.

If your agent did not recommend a home inspector, or if you are not happy with the recommendations they provided, use ASHI’s find an inspector and find a ASHI Certified Inspector near you.

Scott has served in several positions of leadership in Arizona ASHI, and currently is on the Board of Directors for The American Society of Home Inspectors He is state certified and serves on the BTR Enforcement Advisory Committee for Home Inspectors. You can find him at www.acsillc.com