Whether you are buying, selling or maintaining your home, Home Inspections of Florida provides professional and quality service from the moment you call us. As a licensed home inspector, I will walk through your home with you and teach you as much as you want to learn. We strictly follow the Standards of Practice for home inspectors established by the State of Florida.
After we walk through the home together, we will explain the general condition of the home and systems with you and your agent. We will talk through any major issues that need to be addressed sooner rather than later. We will also mention the items that you will want to keep an eye on for deferred maintenance. All of this will be detailed in our easy-to-read report, which will be delivered within 24 hours. From that report, you will be able to see the items we discussed, with images for reference.
What to Expect During the Inspection
Our process is broken into three phases.
Click each phase to learn more!
If you book an appointment online or if you reach out to us directly prior to booking, we will take the time to schedule a conversation to get a bit more information about the situation. For example, if you are the buyer or seller, what your specific needs are, and if there are any questions we can answer for you on the front end? We want to ensure you understand what is covered in the home inspection, as we want our clients to be completely satisfied with their service. While we off an all-encompassing home inspection that includes wind mitigation and a four-point inspection, there are other types of inspections that might be necessary. We will be glad to advise you of those and what services we can assist you with.
If you are the buyer and you possibly saw potential issues when viewing the home it is helpful to share this information with us in the initial conversation. We certainly want to address your areas of concern.
We are happy to meet outside before we begin to discuss any concerns in person. The inspection takes a few hours. It is helpful if you hold questions and concerns until the end in order to get through the whole house to be sure nothing is overlooked. We welcome your questions and hope to alleviate your concerns, and we are happy to address those at the end of the inspection.
Once the inspection is complete we will do a verbal recap with you and or your agent to discuss any major items that we came across that you should be aware of. We will revisit what is in the agreement noting what we did and did not inspect, for example, cosmetic items such as paint.
Once the report is complete, within approximately 24 hours, we will send this via email to the purchaser of the inspection. If there are any insurance inspections that were required those will also be included. We are happy to answer any questions you have once you receive the report and after the inspection. The service we provide extends beyond the time inspecting the home, and while we cannot assist with any repairs we certainly can make recommendations.
How to Prepare for an Inspection
Prior to the inspection, please:
- Let us know in advance of any known or potential safety hazards we may encounter in the home or on the property.
- Provide reasonable access. Areas that will need to be inspected and photographed are around the yard, attic hatches, garage, HVAC unit(s), electrical panel, and hot water heater. Having clear sightlines to these items is helpful!
- Provide documentation with dates associated with roofing, windows, storm panels, HVAC, additions, remodels, home improvements, and other major repairs. Any previous inspections associated would be beneficial as well.
- Provide access to typically locked spaces such as sheds, sprinkler systems, closets, attics, etc.
- If this is a pre-listing inspection, we welcome you and your agent to be present during the inspection.
- Leave the major utility services (electric, water, gas, etc.) connected.
- An unclean home can infer that the home or property may have lacked proper care, it is helpful if the house is clean.
- Confine all pets in a secure area, if at all possible.
- If the home is in a gated community, please ensure we have the gate code or other access 24 hours prior to the appointment. This would include information for a lockbox for buyers if an agent is not present.
- The Inspection Agreement and payment must be completed before the appointment. We are not able to enter the property without these items being completed due to liability concerns.
If you are the buyer, make sure your offer was accepted and that you are officially “under contract” to purchase the home, before scheduling an appointment. You will be asked to provide documentation, for example, the Seller’s Disclosure for verification. You and your agent are welcome to be present during the inspection, but this is not required.
Home Inspections of Florida Thoroughly Inspects and Reports on The Following:
ROOF
We inspect roof coverings, structure, gutters, downspouts and more.
EXTERIOR
Walkways, exterior doors, eaves, soffits, fascia and more.
HEATING/COOLING
All major heating and cooling systems to make sure you get them in working order.
PLUMBING
Sinks, tubs, faucets, shut-off valves and more.
ELECTRICAL
We check the service drop, mast, meter & base, grounding, outlets and more.
INTERIOR
Built-in appliances, doors, windows, flooring and more.