Executive Summary

• A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive inspection regarding the condition of a home at a specific point in time.
• Inspectors are professionals trained in their craft.  
• Home Partners Inspections look at all accessible areas: Exterior, Foundation, Roof, Interior, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fireplace, and Attic

Intro

Troy and Shelby are first-time home buyers.  The entire process has been a bit overwhelming to them.  After a lengthy search, they finally landed a contract and their real estate professional encouraged them to contact a company like Home Partners Inspections to do an inspection.

Getting a well-trained, insured, and education-based inspector is a wise investment in the pursuit of your dreams of homeownership and financial stability.  The inspection will protect you and help you understand potential expenses in the near future.

A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive inspection regarding the condition of a home at a specific point in time. But, what does that mean?  Here’s some information regarding what a Home Partners Inspector looks at during the 2-4 hour inspection.
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Elements

Foundation – In a typical inspection, the inspector starts by looking at the foundation from the exterior. They’ll take two laps around the house focused on the foundation and note conditions as needed.

Exterior – After the foundation evaluation, the inspector takes at least two laps around the property to evaluate exterior elements.  This includes siding, windows, fascia, soffits, concrete, decks, fences, grading, vegetation concerns, garage components, etc.

Roof – Our inspectors then focus on the accessible areas of a roof.  Whenever they can do so safely, inspectors will get on a roof and walk it.  However, there are limitations such as weather, steep slope, and weather impacts (rain or snow) that may limit the inspector’s ability to walk the roof.  When any of these conditions are present, the inspector is trained in other methods to evaluate the roof to help protect buyers.  

Interior – When inspectors enter a home, they begin inspecting in the kitchen. From there, our team has a systematic way of navigating a property to help ensure they do not miss anything.  They are looking for defects in ceilings, walls, windows, doors, flooring, and cabinets.  Each property is different.  But, we train our inspectors to diligently navigate every property the same way.  This ensures they capture as much information as possible to educate the client on the property and its’ condition.

Mechanical – Includes components related to Air Conditioning and Furnace.  Our inspectors are looking for information regarding the age, maintenance, damage, or signs of defect.  Whenever possible, inspectors operate the units to see how they engage.  In air conditioning units, they check the temperatures and look for signs of concern.  In furnaces, they look for signs indicating maintenance concerns or damage that could result in significant repairs.  They’ll recommend repair or servicing when it is appropriate. 

Electrical – While the Standards of Practice only require an inspector to test a representative number of outlets, the Home Partners Inspections team will test every outlet they have access to.  They are also looking for light fixtures and switches that may show signs of defects.  When they have access, and the electric panel is safe to remove, the inspector will look inside the panel and see if there are concerns with how it is wired.  Inspectors are looking for defects that could cause safety concerns, require significant financial investment,  or hinder the function of the home.

Plumbing – Plumbing includes anything involving water.  Tubs, sinks, water heaters, Sump pumps, outdoor faucets, etc.  (Note: It does not include sprinkler systems.).  Inspectors are observing water pressure, drainage flow, conditions of drain plugs, signs of leaks, risk for leaks, loose toilets, and a variety of other concerns around these components. 

Fireplace – An inspector will do a visual inspection of a fireplace.  They’ll make observations around the safety (damaged firebox, hearth depth, flammable material within 16″, etc.) and necessary components.  The inspector is not allowed to turn on the gas supply, so it is important that the property owners have that system set to operate.  To the extent an inspector can see up the flue, they will attempt to look, but if a chimney is dirty, their visual inspection is even more restricted.

Attic/Ventilation/Insulation – An inspector can make observations about the roof, climate control, and airflow that impact the comfort of the home.  If an inspector can safely navigate the attic, they will attempt to do so.  However, we ask them not to disturb insulation that could impact the efficiency of the home. So a house with a lot of insulation could limit an inspector’s ability to walk through the attic.  However, they are trained to evaluate at a high level of excellence, even from the hatch access.

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Conclusion

When we finished Troy and Shelby’s inspection, they were amazed at the thoroughness of our inspector. But, the difference-maker is that Home Partners Inspectors take the time to move beyond information into education.  You can see how much other people love our education approach to inspections on our Google reviews page.

For a professional assessment of your home, whether you are buying, selling, or simply trying to maintain your property’s condition, Home Partners Inspections is the premier home education company in the Kansas City metro.  Call us at 913-390-3376 or go to our scheduling page to book your inspection today.