Award-Winning Home Inspections in Connecticut

Let us help you understand what home inspection is. American Society of Home Inspection (ASHI) defined Home inspection as “An objective visual assessment of a home's systems and physical structure, from the roof to the foundation.” A brief description for you to understand, you will learn more as we course through each of the FAQs about home inspections.

The cost of home inspection in Connecticut usually ranges from $400 to $500. This amount, of course, differs depending on the age of the property, where it is situated, its property value, its total square footage and the detected defects that may cause potential hazards determined by the home inspector. Generally, the size of the property is one of the important variables in determining its cost.

It should be the home buyers prerogative to pay & request a home inspection. You can’t simply rely on the word of your seller that this property is perfect and ready for you to live. The purpose of a home inspection is to make sure that there are no hidden damages that might add more to your expenses in the future. Purchasing a property is a big investment and by uncovering potential hazards or defects, it will help you decide whether to proceed with the deal or not; or to negotiate with your seller to cover the repairs that needed to be done. The state of CT implemented a sellers’ disclosure that will give you an overview of issues that occurred during the sellers occupancy. That said, this information is not up-to-date, which is alarming because the situation could have worsened throughout time.

Going back to the definition of home inspection by InterNachi (The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors): “Home Inspection is non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a property, performed for a fee, which is designed to identify defects within specific systems and components defined by these Standards that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector.” They are not allowed to go beyond the services that you require them to perform and that they are bound by set limitations, exceptions & exclusions. Here are some of these limitations, exceptions & exclusions.

A home inspector cannot:

• Help you examine any aesthetic issues or decide whether the home design is of bad taste.
• Establish if a piece of property is suitable for a certain use
• Appraise the property
• Determine the property's eligibility to be insured
• Establish if buying the inspected property is a wise decision or not (although you can decide yourself based on the home inspection report)
• Determine the life expectancy of a property, or any of its systems or components
• If there are any damages found during the inspection, they are not allowed to remedy or fix them for you The inspector is not required to:
• Determine property boundary lines or encroachments
• Inspect the condition of any component or system that is not readily accessible
• Determine the service life expectancy of any component or system, the size, capacity, BTU, performance or efficiency of any component or system
• The cause or reason of any condition
• The cause for the need of correction
• Repair or replacement of any system or component, future conditions, replacement or repair cost estimates, & estimates of the cost to operate any given system. The inspector is not required to operate:
• Any system that is shut down.
• Any system that does not function properly
• Evaluate low-voltage electrical systems, such as, but not limited to:
  • phone lines
  • cable lines
  • satellite dishes
  • antennae
  • lights
  • remote controls
• Any system that does not turn on with the use of normal operating controls
• Any shut-off valves or manual stop valves
• Any electrical disconnect or over-current protection devices
• Any alarm systems
• Moisture meters, gas detectors or similar equipment.

The inspector is not required to:

• Remove any personal effects or other impediments, including but not limited to throw rugs, carpeting, wall coverings, furniture, ceiling tiles, window coverings, equipment, plants, ice, trash, snow, water, filth, pets, or anything else that could impair the visual inspection
• Open, disassemble, or expose any system or component
• Enter or approach any location that the inspector deems to be risky
• Enter crawl spaces or other potentially dangerous or difficult-to-access regions
• Verify any subsurface objects, whether they are in operation or not, including lawn irrigation systems, underground storage tanks, or any signs of their presence
• Perform anything that could, in the inspector's judgment, be risky or harmful for the inspector or others, or cause damage to property, including but not limited to: climbing ladders, entering attics, or haggling with animals
• Examine the ornaments
• In multi-unit housing, look over common elements or areas
• Examine security, speaker, or intercom systems
• Provide assurances or warranties
• Providing or carrying out any engineering services
• Other than a house inspection, provide or carry out any trade or professional service
• Examine the property's past, or provide information on its possibilities for modification, extension, or suitability for a particular or projected use for occupation
• Distinguish between the original construction and any ensuing extensions, modifications, renovations, or replacements. Determine the age of construction or installation of any system, structure, or component of a building
• Establish whether a property is insurable
• Do or provide environmental audits or Phase 1 audits
• Any system or component that is not covered by these Standards should be inspected.

These were laid out by InterNachi. https://www.nachi.org/sop.htm

A single-family home inspection typically takes 2-4 hours to complete. After the inspection is complete, the inspector will provide the customer a report detailing their findings, replete with images, analysis, and recommendations (typically within 24 to 48 hours).

Once the inspection report is ready and it has already determined what must be repaired, the buyer can provide list that he/she wishes to be done before closing the deal. And if, only if, the seller refuses to have them fixed, buyer can always back-out from the deal. So, what are these mandatory fixes after a home inspection? These can include, but are not limited to:

• Faulty wiring
• Roofing Issues
• Mold/Mildew
• Faulty heating and cooling systems
• Cooling & Heating System HVAC
• Plumbing problems
• Attic ventilation and insulation are inadequate
• Poor house maintenance
• Poor drainage system
• Minor structural damage

The responsibility as to who should pay for the repairs is always negotiable during the home buying process. Buyers should be able to identify which parts of the defects found that he/she wished to be fixed. The Seller, on the other hand, can also weigh whether spending for the repairs it worth it. Sellers are likely expected to pay for any existing major damage or potential hazards. It is always important to consult with your realtor to the best decision for this, whether you are the buyer or the seller.