| The real estate sales
market has toned down dramatically since the 80’s, yet now in the late 90s there are
clear signs of renewed home buyer activity and care in the purchase of homes. Home inspectors have reported a significant increase in the
number of pre-purchase inspections, according to the American Society of Home Inspectors
(ASHI), the most respected national organization of independent home inspectors….
In homes 20 years and older, ASHI experts say that
roof shingles, electrical wiring, and surface water drainage systems are the items most
commonly cited on inspection reports as needing repair or modification.
In new construction, inspectors frequently find
water seepage into basement/cellar or crawl space, inadequate attic ventilation, poor roof
construction, and substandard masonry and finish work.
In response to a growing awareness of the dangers
posed by certain substances, such as radon gas, asbestos fiber, and urea formaldehyde foam
insulation, many consumers are paying extra to have special tests performed to make sure
their new home doesn’t pose a health hazard to them and their family. Although a
standard ASHI home inspection does not include environmental items, many home inspectors
offer environmental assessment as an optional service, or recommend further evaluation.
What is the difference between a home
inspection and an engineering inspection? Which is appropriate for the home buyer?
Considerable confusion surrounds this question,
particularly since in some areas, home inspections have been inadvertently referred to as
engineering inspections or evaluations, and engineers sometimes perform home inspections.
But the two, according to home inspection and engineering authorities, are actually quite
different.
Engineering evaluations are usually specialized by
discipline (such as chemical, structural, electrical) and involve exhaustive scientific
measurements and calculations for confirming the design of the systems. Home inspections,
on the other hand, tell buyers what they really need to know: “what is the
condition of the home today?”. The home inspection, performed by a professional
engineer (P.E.) or a non-engineer professional inspector does not involve engineering
analysis of the original design, but deals instead with the in-service operation or
failure of a home’s systems and components, as well as the type of maintenance that
has been and should be performed. It is based on established criteria of performance and
training specific to the home inspection profession.
State agencies, which are typically responsible for
regulating professional activity, have not undertaken to license home inspectors, except
in Texas. Home buyers must therefore carefully review an inspector’s background and
credentials to determine if he has the appropriate training and professional ethics to
perform home inspections.
This Homebuyers Tip was excerpted
from:
Banker & Tradesman, May 1997
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