Property Archives

The Basics of A Home and Building Inspection

AAPI ( All American Property Inspections) explains the basics of home and building inspection, along with the essential things every good inspection should cover.

Understanding all there is before purchasing a potential house, investment property or commercial property will make certain you steer clear of issues and higher expenses that may be related the issues of the property. In the vast majority of instances, the simplest method of attaining this is to retain the services of a certified home inspector. A skilled building inspector will invest a substantial quantity of experience, knowledge, and understanding in evaluating the exterior and interior of the home. This may often consist of roofing, flooring, fencing, and the garage.

AAPI offers outstanding home inspection services, to meet your needs. Do not skip past the need for an inspection to save a few dollars. Preventing this essential part of buying a house can have serious consequences.

The initial things to do when ordering a home or building inspection would be to locate the correct individual to perform the service. A home inspection must be performed by a suitably certified individual, which may consist of a licensed home inspector, or in some areas without licensing, an architect or a builder. Locating an experienced inspector is usually a case of looking on-line, or taking an individual recommendation from a friend, family or colleague. Make certain the inspector you choose to employ has significant experiences within the industry, and has the correct trade qualifications as well as holds any essential insurance coverage. AAPI contractors are certified and licensed to bring quality service.

These certified experts are totally conscious of what requirements must be met and what an inspection should cover, and are in a position to identify problems that need to be addressed as well as to potentially explain certain remedies. Unseen or unknown issues possess the ability to consume up a sizable amount of a budget, and you should have advance notice of this possibility}.

The type and kind of paperwork provided may differ depending upon the type of home, its age and square footage. Many inspectors may also differ between the way the report is written, prepared and delivered. Each of those elements has a direct influence on the general price you can expect to pay an inspector. AAPI’s inspection reports are comptrehensively written out with high resolution photos for easy understanding.

In general, the inspection report write-up should not be looked at as a document capable of detailing each and every little imperfection of a house. Rather the report ought to be though of as a realistic review for any substantial issues that were detectable from a visible and accessible point of view during the inspection process.

Hopefully you have a better understanding about the basics of home and building inspection. It is definitely an important process that should not be bypassed or overlooked, however its goal is to find major issues or at least issues that can cost significant money and that you as the buyer were unaware of. Call AAPI today to schedule your consultation.

Advantages of Having an Inspection Performed on Your Home

by Bill Ostoyic | Property

Home inspections are advantageous to the seller and also the purchaser in almost all cases. Getting a high-quality inspection can expedite the sale by presenting to a purchaser disclosure of a pre-listing house inspection report that they don’t have to pay for, which can give them confidence in you and your property. It could possibly sway their choice toward your house instead of toward a home that did not have a pre-listing inspection. AAPI professionals are here to answer your questions and guide you through a quality home inspection.

An inspection carried out prior to a home that is placed in the marketplace can determine possible issues which you might be unaware of. Nearly each and every home, particularly one that is not brand new, will have some kind of problems or issues that may need attention sooner or later. Having knowledge of things in advance of listing provides you time to address problems. It enables you time to pursue numerous estimates and repairmen to ensure that the repair may be carried out rapidly and for a fair cost. When the issues are found by a potential buyers inspector, the chance to evaluate estimates and select a particular repair business might not be there, as it would be if it was done before listing the home for sale.

As soon as you place your house on the market, you will be eager to get a fast sale. Without a house inspection, problems could arise which may often delay the sale of one’s house. Potential purchasers which have an inspection carried out prior to finalizing a sale might be deterred from investing in your house if issues are discovered. Even when an agreement may be reached regarding repairs, you’ll nonetheless need to cope with the time delay brought on by the negotiating procedure.

On the home buyers side of the table would be the advantages of getting a high-quality pre-purchase inspection carried out if you’re seeking to purchase a home. It is simple to be awed from the beauty of a house. Nevertheless, you’ll need to provide severe consideration towards the elements from the house which are much less visible. In numerous instances, the problems that are likely to cost the most to repair are items which you are most likely to overlook. An educated expert knows what to inspect for. They are able to spot possible security hazards and poor workmanship from previous repairs.

As a possible purchaser, you might be unqualified to properly check the roof and roof drainage. You might not possess the essential understanding to understand the electrical, appliances, and plumbing. Water evidence can occasionally be very hard to identify. Any of those problems can cost you an arm and a leg to repair. They are not costs you would like to incur instantly following your closing and moving relocation costs.

If a house inspection reveals issues, you might not need to run from your dream house. You will be able to attempt to negotiate over issues through your realtor in hopes that the other party will pay for the repairs or meet you half way, concerning the list price and the estimated cost of repairs. The professionals at AAPI will conduct quality inspections, and help you through the process. Call today for a consultation!

Making Your Home Pest-Proof

by Bill Ostoyic | Property

There are plenty of reasons homeowners should be actively seeking out ways to pest-proof their homes. For example, if you have any chance of passing a home inspection from an Orlando home inspector, having your home free of all pests is a must. Making your home pest-proof doesn’t have to be time-consuming, either. Following these steps could potentially end up saving you lots of time and money in the long run.

Seal Small Crevices That Serve as Entry Points for Pests
Small rodents and insects find ways to use the smallest holes to enter your home. By caulking small crevices throughout your home, you’ll do wonders in making it harder for pests to get into your home. These holes are typically found near windows, door frames, seals around the external dryer vent, anywhere pipes enter or exit the home and anywhere electrical cables or wiring can be found. Another great reason to seal these small homes is because you’ll be sealing spaces where heat tends to escape during the winter.
Using Sticky Traps
Using Sticky traps provides an easy way to not only catch pests, but to see how many there are in and around your home. Sticky traps are typically simple to setup and are known to catch a variety of adult insect pests that can infest homes relatively quickly. If you have a garden, another benefit to using sticky traps would be the fact that they can provide an early warning of pest presence before plant damage is observed. Homeowners also have flexibility in deciding where they’d like to place these traps. It is often recommended to use a minimum of one sticky trap for every 10,000 square feet.
Tidy Up Your Kitchen
Setting aside 10 or 15 minutes daily to wipe your kitchen countertops down can aid you greatly in fighting pests. Pests often come into kitchens seeking old leftover food which often attracts small insects. Once smaller insects make themselves at home that welcomes bigger ones like wasps and spiders because they tend to feed on smaller insects. Homeowners will find that simple upkeep of the kitchen will put a stop to a cycle of pests making themselves comfortable in your home.
Install Door Sweeps
A huge tool in keeping pests at bay is preventing them from entering your home through the gap between the bottom of the door and the ground. Door sweeps are relatively easily found, and are installed without drilling. After buying one from your nearest hardware store, simply stick it onto the door with an adhesive strip. This essentially performs the same duty as caulk in that it will prevent larger pests like mice from entering through the smallest crevices in your home.

These tips will go a long way in keeping out small pests without having to call an exterminator. Using these methods to keep pests out of your home will also prevent long-term infestations that arise once these pests have been given the opportunity to breed after being in your home for a prolonged period of time. By taking the small steps to protect your home now, you will certainly set yourself up for success once it’s time for your property to pass a home inspection.

Roof Gutters & Downspouts – Why Your Home Needs Them

by Bill Ostoyic | Property

While gutters may appear to have their shortcomings, they are a required staple for a home’s stability. Home and building repairs can be expensive. Without an effective gutter system in place, cascading water can easily soak the ground at the foundation causing settling causing damage to walls and foundations. It can also enter your home and drench the home’s interior.

Here in Florida you don’t typically see rain gutter systems on homes and as a home inspector I still can’t understand this. The amount of erosion I see around the foundations of homes because of no gutters is very high. Almost every week during a home inspection I’m finding all sorts of problems that could have been prevented if only a gutter was installed.

With all the rain gutter accessories that are on the market today, you can have a gutter system installed and add some extra accessories to spruce up your curb appeal.

Like anything made or manufactured, there will always be a need and time for a replacement. Damaged, clogged, or ineffective gutters can cause the following problems:

Accumulation of Debris – Debris, such as leaves, rocks, tree branches, pine needles, and dirt can matt-down and become a solid sheet. Accumulated debris can also cause a fire hazard during dry seasons. We have seen gutters clog with the material, and cause roofing to wear prematurely under the shingles.

Crawlspace Flooding – This is not as uncommon as some would think. Water easily overflows from clogged gutters and can flood crawlspaces and cause cracked foundations. Walls can also learn while soil erodes from water that has no proper drain off.

Mold – Mold, and mildew love wet conditions, and will easily grow where there is a constant supply of dampness. As everyone knows, mold can be harmful to a person’s health.

Soil Erosion – Soil erosion makes it easier for foundations to give way. Then, expensive repairs can empty your wallet as a result.

Dry-rot on Fascia Boards and Roofs – Fascia boards look unsightly if the wood is rotting. Not to mention, they can also devalue a property. It is the same with roofs suffering from rain damages.

If you’re home does not have gutters on it and you think there may be a problem with soil erosion as the foundation of your home, give me a call today. I’ll come out and inspect the foundation and give you some peace of mind. Also, the first chance you get, call a local gutter installation company and have those gutters installed immediately.

Call 407-902-7510 TODAY for an Inspection!

Why Should You Have Your House Inspected?

by Bill Ostoyic | Property

When you add all the fees that rack up when purchasing a home, it can be daunting. And what if you DON’T buy this house? Then you get to start all over. The professionals at AAPI understand your problem. The following is a list of reasons why it’s so important for you to have your house inspected whether you’re buying or selling the property.

As a percentage of the overall cost, a home inspection is a tiny fraction.

Consider the downside of not having one done. Not finding out that a major system that appears to be working now, is near the end of its life and will cost many thousands of dollars to repair or replace is not a good thing. The home inspection just brought that fault to your attention so you can budget for it or even use it to negotiate a better price. The Home Inspection may have just saved you that money so it was essentially free.

“The seller is required to disclose anything that is wrong”.

They are only required to disclose the things they know about, and many homeowners are not aware that there is a problem or suffer from “deterioration creep”, phenomena that occur as something gradually gets worse but you just compensate for it. “It’s always been that way, we are used to it so didn’t think to disclose it.” Others may not be totally honest or may even attempt to actually hide a known defect. I have discovered just such a thing in the past.

“It’s a brand new house, what could be wrong?”

Did you know that many local code enforcement inspectors only spend less than15 minutes at most checking the house? Compare that against a typical, thorough, 1-3 hour or more inspection by a qualified Home Inspection Expert. If there is a problem, it’s more likely that it will be found. Finding it can save you many thousands of dollars and many hours of anguish and stress, fighting with the builder to get it fixed after the deal is done and they have your money.

When it comes time to negotiate, does doing your own DIY Home Inspection carry as much weight as one done by a Professional Home Inspector that has done this every day for years?

Not really, it will more likely be viewed as an attempt to “grind” the seller for a lower price. The Independent Professional Home Inspector has no “ax to grind” so their professional evaluation is valid and is more credible.

AAPI is a reliable source for your home inspection needs. Call today to set a consultation!