A Reliable home Inspection is also a vital step in buying a house. In today's market, home inspections can be performed before settlement or after settlement.
Did the sellers not allow you to have an inspection before buying the home? Did you have to waive your inspection to have your offer accepted? IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO HAVE YOUR HOME INSPECTED. A Post Purchase Inspection of your home can discover what defects are present and what you should budget for repairs to address first.
Whether you’re planning on living in the home for the next 30 years or are purchasing it as an investment property, you still want to know what you’re buying. For example, does the house have a solid foundation? Do all the light switches work? Are there soft spots on the roof indicating water damage? Do any of the windows or doors have wood rot? Are the structure and framing solid, or are some areas ‘improvised’ with unstable supports?
OUR thorough home inspection will answer all these questions and more.
And unlike some other inspection companies, we will NEVER upcharge or add on additional fees for Saturday Home Inspections.
A Home Inspection is an Objective Visual Examination of a House’s Physical & Mechanical Structures & Systems.
Our ASHI Certified Inspectors will Examine and Inspect:
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Framing (structure)
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Roof : The inspector will WALK the roof.
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Attic
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Foundation
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Walls, windows, and doors
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Electrical system
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Plumbing system
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Heating and air conditioning systems
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Kitchen
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Bathrooms
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Exterior
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Attached structures (decks, etc.)
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All mechanical systems
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Crawlspace: The inspector will go INTO the crawlspace
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Grounds, Drainage & Grading
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Inspect and report the quality & life expectancy of all major systems
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General Interior of the home
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For mobile homes and trailers, inspections will go UNDER the home
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Additional Permanent Structures can also be inspected: Please contact the office for information & cost
Why is walking the roof important?
The roof protects the rest of the home from water damage, insects, mold, and more. Keeping the roof in good repair prevents other repairs entirely.
Boots on the roof are more likely to find soft spots than a drone is.
The roof is one of the most expensive home repairs. A new roof can cost between $10,000 and $15,000.
We strongly encourage you to walk with your inspector and ask them any and all questions about the components of the home. Many of our clients find that the inspection is also an excellent time to learn about the operation of their home. Your inspector will go over essential home operation items such as how to shut the water off, the location of major plumbing shutoff valves, how to shut off power and gas, how to change the filters on your HVAC system, and more.
Throughout the inspection, our inspector will take pictures of any areas of concern and create a detailed report on the conditions of the home. The inspection process generally takes around three hours. We’ll deliver your digital report on the same day as the inspection. We’ll also discuss our findings with you as well as the care and maintenance of the home. If you cannot attend the inspection, your inspector will happily review the report and their findings over the phone at your convenience.
Why Choose a Reliable Home Inspection?
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At Reliable, we’ve inspected homes in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania for over 30 years. We have inspected more than 10,000 homes and commercial properties. We are experienced.
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Our inspectors are ASHI Certified Inspectors, the highest American Society of Home Inspectors membership level. We are qualified.
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We will give you the full report, including items that need to be repaired today, items that will need repairs tomorrow, and items to monitor over the next few years. We are detailed.
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We work for you. We coordinate with agents, but we work for you. We are unbiased.
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We will go everywhere; we will walk your roof*, and we will crawl your crawlspace. We are thorough.
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Every home inspection is conducted with the utmost care and consideration. We treat your house like it’s our house. We are Reliable!
What You Need to Know Before Your Home Inspection
TIME
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Please allow three hours for the inspection.
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You will receive the thorough, photographed report the same day we do the inspection.
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We also do inspections on Saturday.
THE CLIENT
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You don't need to attend the inspection, but we do recommend it so you can ask questions along the way.
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If you can only attend part of the inspection, we recommend the end so the inspector can go over their findings with you.
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If you can't attend the inspection at all the inspector will be happy to go discuss the results with you over the phone.
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Your agent can attend the inspection.
THE INSPECTOR
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Our inspector will be in a blue uniform Reliable Home Inspection uniform and work truck.
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They will meet you onsite and on time, and begin the inspection with the exterior areas of the home.
HOMES
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We inspect all kinds of homes; Single-family, duplex, townhouse, apartment, mobile, condos, modular, luxury, and everything in between!
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We walk the roof and we crawl the crawlspace!
WHERE WE SERVE
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We conduct home inspections in Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Delaware Valley, and Chester Counties.
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Delaware - All counties
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Maryland - Cecil county
WEATHER
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We will inspect your home rain or shine.
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If necessary, we'll make a second trip to inspect your roof at no extra charge if the weather prohibits the roof inspection at the original appointment.
OTHER SERVICES
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We offer these separately or with a Reliable Home Inspection for a significant discount. Please contact our office for more information on which additional service(s) and environmental testing may be right for you.
THE REPORT
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Your thorough report will be emailed to you on the same day as the home inspection. Printed reports are available upon request,
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Your Home Inspection report will be organized by the following categories. Your ASHI-certified Home Inspector will also include a photograph of each defect along with a detailed description.
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Major Defects - These are big-ticket items, most contracts will require the seller to fix these before closing. ASHI definition: An item that is broken and will have a substantial monetary value to repair, or needs evaluation to determine the cost of a likely expensive repair.
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Safety Concerns - May or may not be expensive to fix, but they could be the cause of injury or harm. The seller is also required to fix these . ASHI definitions: An item that affects the safety of the occupants of the home and is in need of immediate repair.
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Service and Repair Items - These are smaller ticket items in need of repair. The seller does not fix these. ASHI definition: An item in need of repair or maintenance, the expected cost of which should be at a level less than that of a major defect, at the time of inspection. Also noted, may be some inaccessible items or items not working.
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Monitor and Maintain Items- Keep an eye on these, they're not broken yet, but they could use a little TLC. The seller is not required to fix these, ASHI definition: An item that will require immediate maintenance and should be carefully monitored to avoid larger problems.
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UTILITIES
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In order to inspect and test all of the systems of the home (electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling), we need the utilities to be on.
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If your utilities are not on at the time of your original home inspection, please call our office to inquire about a reinspection.
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Please note that reinspections are subject to an additional fee and are ONLY for items that were not able to be inspected at the original inspection.
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*Not all roofs can be walked, although most can. Clay and slate shingles are too fragile to be walked. Additionally, 12-pitch/metal roofs may be unsafe to walk. If we can't walk your roof then one of our licensed drone pilots will do a high-resolution drone roof inspection for no additional cost.