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 Need immediate assistance?
This FAQ answers many of the questions we are frequently asked,
and we recommend you read it before your inspection. If you
need an immediate answer to a question, need pricing information,
to schedule or re-schedule an inspection or have other
time-sensitive queries, please feel free to call us between 6AM
and 9PM central time weekdays, or 9AM to 6PM weekends, at
847-721-0776. We welcome questions, and we promise you will
never be pressured to buy our services.
Home Inspection Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Paragon Property Services
Inc.
The
Paragon Inspection:
At Paragon we believe the ultimate test
of an inspection is its usefulness to our clients in making
informed decisions - we understand that even the most
technically skillful inspection is of little value
unless our client can understand and act upon our findings.
Our goal is an inspection that identifies all major issues at a
property and a report that explains our
findings in a way that can by understood by clients without
extensive knowledge of construction
practices ,while still providing the level of technical
detail needed for our findings to be clear to
construction professionals.
This approach means that we put clients first.
Because we don't know in advance of an inspection how
long it "should" take, we do not attempt to
schedule inspections "back-to-back" with only
travel time between them. Because we don't know
what
we will be reporting, and how long it will take to prepare your
report, we don't attempt to prepare
and print reports on site. Because we don't know
what we will find, we don't limit the amount of time
we
are willing to spend discussing our findings after the
report is delivered.
This approach does mean that our services will be a bit more
expensive than some others - but it's
the only way we know to consistently provide the level of
service we would want a member of our
own families to receive.
The measure of our success is that we often save our
clients thousands - and sometimes tens of
thousands - of dollars by identifying major deficiencies in
properties we inspect and the reporting
them in a form that can be readily understood by our
clients, their attorneys, other real-estate
professionals and the contractors and specialists who provided
estimates to correct problems we
discover. top
A word
of caution:
As you surf our competitor's internet
sites you will find that some that appear to be offering more
comprehensive services that ours for a similar or even lower
price.
We suggest that you apply the test of common sense to such
claims, and a magnifying glass to
the fine print.
For example, some promise condominium buyers
to "protect your investment by inspecting all
of the building including the common elements". While
this seems like an attractive offer,
ask yourself if it's likely that in three hours they can
actually inspect a roofing system, the
commercial boilers and hot water heaters, all of the common
elements of the electrical, gas, and
plumbing systems, the lobbies, hallways and elevators, the
entire building exterior and the stairs,
porches, decks, walkways, hallways, etc. -
while also thoroughly inspecting the interior of your
condominium unit at the same time.
Or, if someone offers a "guaranteed" inspection, check
the fine print. You will likely discover that
you are agreeing to a absolute cap on the inspector's
liability unless you pay thousands of dollars
for a special "technically exhaustive inspection", or
that you are also required to pay for
expensive "mandatory arbitration services" if
you attempt to collect on the "guarantee", or both.
You will not find such promises on our web site or in the
FAQ below - instead you will find our best
effort at an accurate description of what can be
realistically expected at a real estate inspection
and in the report of the results, including some suggestions
about additional steps you should take
in addition to an inspection to protect yourself and
your investment.
If after reading this FAQ you feel you need services
that exceed those of our standard inspections
please give us a call so we can discuss you needs - usually
we can provide the additional services
you require or direct you to an individual or
organization that can. top
Where will we
meet?
Your inspector will meet you at the
property. If you need to reach Paragon on the day of
the inspection you can contact us via our office number,
847-721-0776. top
Is there anything I
need to do prior to the date of inspection?
Please review our standard inspection
contract. It describes the scope of the inspection
and establishes our responsibilities to you.
Your inspector will bring two completed
copies to the inspection for your signature. If you have
questions about the contract please give us a call prior to the
day of the inspection. top
When is payment for the
inspection due?
Payment is due at or before the start of
the inspection.
Payment can be made by personal or business check,
Visa, MasterCard, Discovery, American
Express or PayPal . top
Is
there anything I should bring?
If you wish to accompany the inspector we suggest wearing
casual clothing and flat soled,
lace-up shoes.
As many clients find it useful to take notes, we will supply a
clipboard and a tape measure. You
may also find it useful to bring a camera.
top
How long will my
inspection take?
Inspection time will depend on the size
and condition of the property. A typical inspection of a
1
bedroom, 1 bath condominium takes around 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
A 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath residence
takes about 3 to 4 hours. A two flat often requires 4
hours or more.
Generally, the "rougher" the condition of the
property, the longer the inspection. top
Can I accompany the
inspector?
Absolutely. In fact, we prefer clients do so - there is a
great deal about a property that is easier
to explain clearly when we can discuss it at the time of the
inspection.
We do recommend that clients not enter areas that present a
significant safety hazard. This
includes most roofs, many attics and some crawl spaces.
If your inspector believes an area is hazardous for a client to
enter, they will let you know.
However you should make and trust your own judgment as to what
is within your ability,
and you should never enter an area where you are not comfortable
just because your inspector
does so. top
Is there anything I
should avoid during the inspection?
Some owners are very sensitive about their property, and they
can be touchy and
sometimes even quite defensive if any shortcomings are
mentioned. Usually it is best for the
client to avoid comment on any deficiencies that are discovered
if the seller is within
earshot. If the seller must be upset with someone, let it be
us.
During your inspection it is safest if clients do not to operate
anything - the owner is
likely to feel that "If you broke it, you own it". If
you want something operated or tested
ask your inspector to do it for you, even if it is a small
items such as blinds. Things do sometimes
break (or are found to be broken) during inspections, and we
carry insurance to cover such
damage if it is our fault. You, on the other hand, are not
covered by our insurance, and are
potentially liable for any damage that might result from your
actions. So If something is going to
break, let us be the ones to break it.
Be especially careful not to disturb "collections" or
personal items such as family photographs
or ceremonial displays such as shrines and urns; the occupants
of homes and apartments
can become very upset with even minor disturbances or
rearrangement of such items. We have
also encountered tenants and sellers who were upset when they
returned home and detected
tobacco odors, or even remaining traces of perfume.
Please do free to ask questions during the
inspection and to point out any areas of
concern you would like your inspector to evaluate. Your
inspector will be looking at the property
for only a few hours - simply not enough time to observe and
report every aspect of the property
in detail. It is common for a client to be concerned about
something they have noticed but on
which the inspector has not commented verbally because it
will be included it in the written
report or because the inspector judges that it is not
significant enough to mention. If you have a
question about something you notice, just ask. top
Are there limitations
to the inspection?
At Paragon we make every effort to
provide a through inspection and report, however feel
we owe
our clients candor about what we can and cannot do, and to be
clear about the practical limits of a
home inspection.
In our experience when a knowledgeable inspector goes through a
property with a client it's not
unusual for the client to assume that the
inspector can evaluate some areas they can't - and
the
more technically skillful the inspector, the more likely
this is to happen even if the inspector
attempts to clearly state the limits of the
inspection.
To help prevent such misunderstandings, within this FAQ you will
find explanations of various
common circumstances in which your inspector may not be able to
observe defects.
Most often this is because the problem is not visible, or
would require a guess about happened in the
past or a prediction about what will happen in the future when
there is just not enough information
available to make such a determination.
We have placed then in the FAQ as reminders that
despite our best efforts there are practical limits
to what even the most dedicated and skillful inspector can
discover within the scope of a home
inspection. top
Will the inspection find
everything that's "wrong" with the property?
No. It is just not physically possible to inspect every aspect
of a property in detail within
a reasonable time frame for an inspection.
Our focus will be on three things: health and safety issues that
can put you and you family
at significant risk, defects in the property that prevent it
from functioning properly, and
defects which will likely incur significant costs to repair. For
example we will inspect all
electrical panels in detail, but only inspect a
"representative sample" of windows, electrical
outlets and cabinet drawers. top
Are you able to
inspect every aspect of a property?
There are some aspects of inspection and testing at a property
that require specialized
knowledge or equipment, or require more time than is
practical during a home inspection.
For example, a suspect gas furnace or boiler requires
substantial disassembly for complete
inspection, a process that can take hours. Another common
example occurs when an inspector
discover conditions which lead them to recommend
that a plumber inspect the sewer line out
to the street by running a special camera down the
line.
When your inspector encounters a current or potential defect
that they believe requires
further inspection or repair by a specialist they will note this
fact in your report, along with
the type of specialist required and our recommendation as to
what should be done.
Occasionally it may not be possible to
inspect some areas or components due to limited
access,
safety concerns, or because inspection may damage them.
When we are unable to inspect an
area or item normally included in our inspections, we will note
what we could not inspect, and
why, in your report. top
Will you be able to
tell me how much longer systems or appliances will last?
When a major component or system can be identified as at
or near the end of its
average service
life this fact will be noted in your report.
We look carefully for present signs that there may be
future problems, but it is often
difficult or impossible for us to predict if, or when,
they will occur. For example we have seen
furnaces operate for a decade or more past the end of
their "expected service life", and we
have also seen furnaces only a few years old which required
expensive repair so frequently that
their frustrated owners replaced them as soon as the
warrantee expired. top
Will you be able to
detect previous problems, such as wet basements or leaking
roofs?
During your inspection we will look carefully for evidence of
previous or intermittent
problems. Unfortunately such problems sometimes cannot be
detected unless they are
actively present at the time of inspection and
when evidence of previous problems is
found it may not be possible for us to predict if or when they
will re-occur. This is especially
true of water intrusion into basements and crawl spaces and at
the undersides of roofs. top
Do you
provide estimates for repairs?
We report each observed defect in clear, concise language,
illustrated with annotated
photographs as required, so that you can clearly communicate our
concerns to service
providers and contractors providing estimates
to correct defects we have discovered.
We are also available to discuss our findings with those
interested in bidding such work if
they are uncertain as to exactly what defect(s) we have
identified.
In addition, we can supply general estimates for repair or
replacement of common items and
systems such as furnaces and roof coverings, and these may be
useful in giving you a general
sense of the "average" cost of such work.
"Average", however, means just that - for many such
replacements and repairs there is a
wide range of options and alternatives available depending on
your selection of materials and
the quality of the desired result. As a result, estimates for
"similar" work - even from the same
contractor - can cover a wide range depending on the options you
select. It is common to
obtain wide price ranges for roofing, painting, foundation work
and many other common
repairs and improvements.
Also, it is often not be possible to fully determine
the scope of the work required to address
a problem based on a visual inspection, for example it
may not be possible to accurately
estimate the cost of repairs until portions of the structure not
visible during a home inspection
have been exposed to view. (Water stains on walls and ceilings
are a common example, frequently
it is not possible to determine the cause of the problem or the
extent of the damage and the
required repairs before the wall or ceiling has been
opened.)
For these reasons, in our experience the only
"estimates" you should rely on when
budgeting for repairs or improvements are those made by a
contractor or tradesperson
after their own inspection and analysis of the work required,
and which specifies in
writing exactly what will be done, and how it will be
guaranteed. top
Is a
"pre-closing" inspection included in the cost of the
report?
We used to do this, believe it was valuable service to
the client, and wish we could still do it.
However it is currently the opinion of our insurance carrier
(and every major carrier we have
asked) that if we reenter a property after delivery of our
report we are incurring liability for
anything which many have occurred since our inspection,
and unless we sign a new contract
and perform a complete re-inspection of the entire property to
the same standards as the
original inspection, our insurance coverage for the original
inspection is void.
We don't like this, but there is nothing we can do about
it... chalk it up to our increasingly
litigious society. top
What is
included in the inspection of a condominium?
Condominium inspections include the visible interior of
the condominium unit from the walls
inwards. Also included are readily accessible portions of
mechanical, plumbing and electrical
systems dedicated to the condominium unit (for example,
electrical panels serving the unit only)
even if these are located in common areas.
Incidental to the inspection of your unit we may also
observe features of the common elements
that we believe may be of interest, and if so we may report them
as a courtesy to you as our client.
However, it is important for you to understand that common
elements of the condominium will not
be inspected in detail - that in fact
it is not possible to perform a detailed
"inspection" of these
extensive building-wide components within the time
available for a condominium unit inspection.
(Paragon does perform such inspections for condominium
boards and management firms, and they
are often multi-inspector projects and can require days to
complete).
Because it is not possible for our inspection to protect you as
completely during a condominium
unit inspection as would be the case if you were purchasing a
property where it was practical for
us to inspect many of these items in detail, there are important
steps you should take to protect
yourself as prospective condominium owner.
At a minimum we strongly recommend that you obtain and
review all available information relevant
to the condition of the common elements. Some examples are
budgets, reserve studies, written
reports on common element condition or estimates for repairs and
improvements prepared by
contractors, engineers, architects and tradepersons, and the
minutes or other records of board
meetings relevant to the property's condition. It
is also wise to for check for litigation filed
against
against the condominium association (for example as
a result of unpaid bills for previous repair
work).
If you wish to determine if improvements and repairs to
your unit or the common elements were
performed with the required permits and successfully passed
municipal inspection, you can review
such records at the local building department or other
authority.
Additionally, as in all real estate transactions, we strongly
recommend that you retain an attorney
familiar with state and local law and regulations to assist you
in completing your purchase. top
How is a
"Pre-Listing" inspection different from a buyers
inspection?
We perform a pre-listing inspection and prepare the
report identically to the same inspection
performed for a buyer - our objective is to allow sellers to see
their property "through the eyes"
of a prospective buyer and the buyer's inspector.
When performing a "Seller's Inspection", at the
clients request we will review the report with the
client and their listing agent at no additional charge. top
Can
you provide an on-site verbal report?
We will spend as much time as you wish on-site after the
inspection discussing what we have
observed. Note however that this is not intended to be a
substitute for the written report,
which will contain additional information such as photographs
and supporting documents,
and may contain additional important information based on
research conducted after we have
returned to the office to write your report.
top
Can
you provide an immediate on-site written report?
We do not prepare on-site written reports - in our experience
it often requires 2-3 hours to
produce a high-quality report and we frequently spend
longer on a report if required. In our
opinion it is well worth the wait: a careful and through
inspection and report has frequently
saved our clients thousands - and sometimes tens of thousands -
of dollars by documenting
and clearly reporting defects that might not have been
discovered or which might have been
less clearly explained during a more hurried inspection and
reporting process. top
Will you be able to tell me if I should buy the
property?
No, we can't make that decision for you. For more
information see "Should I buy this
house?" . top
When
will I receive my report?
By law, you must receive your written report within 48 hours
of the end of the inspection.
Generally we will complete your report by 5:00 PM on the day
following the inspection. top
How
will I receive my copy of the report?
Immediately upon completion we will e-mail you a copy of the
report in .PDF format. A
printed copy will be provided upon request.
top
Who will have
access to the report?
No one else will have access to a copy of the report without
you permission.
If you wish a Realtor, attorney or other party to receive a copy
you can either forward the
copy you receive in e-mail or request in writing that we send
either an electronic or paper copy
to the designated recipient.
If you wish us to send a copy to someone other than yourself,
please provide the
recipients contact information in the appropriate section of the
contract we will sign at the
start of the inspection. top
Can I contact you with
questions after I receive the report?
The ultimate test of an inspection and report is its
usefulness the client, and we welcome questions
about the report or the property after the report is complete.
We do our best to write our reports
in plain English and free of "Inspector-Speak", but as
we often have to use technical language so
that our comments are clear to specialists, it is
likely that we will use terms unfamiliar to many
homeowners.
Please do not hesitate to ask if any portion of the report
is unclear, and we will spend as much time as
is needed to insure that your questions are answered to the best
of our ability. top
Thank you for your interest in Paragon's inspection
services.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
This FAQ was written for Paragon Property Services Inc.,
Evanston Ill, by Michael Thomas. I am always interested
in reader's comments on all aspects of property
inspection. If you have questions or comments about
this article please feel free to contact me by e-mail or at 847-475-5668.
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