A home inspection is an inspection that evaluates the overall condition of your home. The inspector will spend most of their time looking at visible components of the building, and while thorough, a home inspection can’t pick up all latent or concealed defects.
Instead, a home inspection is simply an opinion on the structural integrity and functioning of a building and its component parts. To get the best possible home inspection, we recommend using either a structural engineer or a professional with a license that allows them to provide an opinion on the state of a building.
Components of a Home Inspection
A thorough home inspection looks at every part of a home to identify any potential or existing problems that you may need to fix. A good home inspection includes a visual examination of every room in the home, as well as inspections of:
- Structural elements
- Foundation and basement
- Heating system
- Central air-conditioning
- Roof and attic
- Visible insulation
- Ventilation
- Gutters, chimneys, and siding
- Windows and doors
- The electrical system
- Grading and landscape
- Outbuildings and garages
- Kitchen appliances, vents, and elements
Once an inspector has examined the entire property, they’ll give you an in-depth report on their findings. This report includes everything from areas of concern, recommendations for maintenance priorities, the overall state of the home, and the service life of your equipment and appliances.
We also strongly recommend you accompany the inspector during the inspection so that they can point out issues as they find them. Not only will you feel more knowledgeable, but you’ll also understand how your home functions.
When Do You Need a Home Inspection?
At Alban Inspections, we mainly get called in to perform home inspections on a prospective new home purchase. Buying a home is a huge investment, and nobody wants to discover nasty surprises after the fact. A home inspection can help you learn about a property and its strengths and weaknesses even before you commit to buying it.
While most people use home inspections as a way to discover flaws, it will also help you identify good things about a prospective home. We’ll identify aspects that need attention, and those that may even save you money in the long run.
If you already own your home, a home inspection is a great way to identify potential problems and address them before they develop into serious issues. It will point out areas of concern, and we can even help you develop a maintenance plan that spreads out repair and maintenance tasks as needed.
If you’re selling your home, a home inspection can help you find problems that you may encounter during the buyer’s inspection. Fixing those before that inspection will make your house more appealing and a better proposition for potential buyers.
Why Should I Use Alban Inspections?
While other builders or structural engineers may view a home inspection as a boring, routine job, we feel that it’s an important service, and we treat it as such. We offer excellent customer service and a comprehensive inspection of your home, inside and out. Our team has Spanish speaking inspectors if you prefer to communicate in Spanish.
We’ve inspected thousands of homes and understand the types of problems that affect homes in Bethesda. We have a unique perspective and can provide advice suitable for your area and home.
We also provide customers with a 90-day warranty on their appliances, offered by Complete Appliance Inc. This warranty covers any appliances we inspect for up to 90 days, and if something goes wrong, our sister company will sort it out quickly and reliably.
Home inspections provide homeowners, buyers, and sellers peace of mind. We provide you with home inspections that you can trust, so give us a call today at (301) 679-3573 to schedule your next home inspection.