Home Inspections
Buyer Inspections & Seller Inspections
Purchasing a home is one of the largest financial commitments many will ever have to make, which is why it is important to know the home by having CNHInspections inspect the home's major structure, systems and components for defects and safety hazards. Our detailed home inspection process has been designed to assure you a thorough, easy to understand overview of the conditions of the home you are looking to purchase.
What do our home inspections include?
Exterior Conditions of Home, Decks, Porches, Balconies, Surfaces/Grading
Garage, Driveway and Walkways
Roof, Attic, Insulation and Ventilation
Foundations, Basements, Crawl Spaces, Structural Components
Visible Portions of Fireplaces and Chimneys, Lintels, Damper Doors, Hearths
Plumbing System, Supply and Waste; Water Heaters
Electrical Systems, Panels and Outlets
Heating and Cooling Systems, Venting
Living Spaces, Doors and Windows
Infrared Thermal Imaging
A DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE HOME
Our detailed home inspection process has been designed to assure you a thorough, easy to understand overview of the conditions of the home you are looking to purchase. Buying a home is typically the biggest investment you will ever make, which is why it is important to have a professional inspect the home for defects and safety hazards that may not be obvious to you as a prospective buyer. Such defects can range from simple replacements or repairs, to severe damage or safety concerns. Additionally, many mortgage companies require a home inspection on a property before approving the home loan.
HOW DOES CNHINSPECTIONS PERFORM THE INSPECTION?
A home inspection is a visual examination of the home's major structure, systems and components that are visible and safely accessible. We begin our home inspections on the roof. The roof inspection is one of the most crucial areas of a home inspection. CNHInspections will walk all roofs that are safely accessible. We will then report on the type of roof covering material and the visible condition of the roof covering. We will evaluate the visible flashings, the roof drainage and gutter system; the chimney system, roofing trim, soffits and fascia boards. We will identify any obvious deficiencies of roof penetrations and through-the-roof components and their flashings; as well as any visible deficiencies in the underlying structure.
We will continue the roof inspection in the attic looking for any visible roofing problems that can be inspected from accessible areas of the attic, such as signs of sheathing problems, evidence of moisture intrusion; or damaged structural components, such as split rafters and damaged trusses. After the roof inspection we will begin inspecting exterior walls, the driveway, deck, and more. We will then move inside to examine the walls, ceilings, floors, doors, and windows. The heating, air-conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems will all be examined to ensure they are safe and functioning as intended. Additionally, we inspect all bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms, along with the basement or crawl space. Along the way we tag the main water shut-off valve and the automatic lawn sprinkler shut-off valve.
INFRARED THERMAL IMAGING
All of our inspections include Infrared Thermal Imaging. Thermal imaging is simply the process of converting infrared (IR) radiation (heat) into visible images that depict the spatial distribution of temperature differences in a scene viewed by a thermal camera. All objects emit infrared energy, known as a heat signature. An infrared camera (also known as a thermal imager) detects and measures the infrared energy of objects. The camera converts that infrared data into an electronic image that shows the apparent surface temperature of the object being measured.
WHAT DO WE INSPECT WITH OUR INFRARED CAMERA?
Our thermal imagers are used to inspect sites of possible plumbing leaks, mainly through walls and pipes; possible roof leaks, as well as heat loss from walls or HVAC equipment. We temporarily remove breaker panel coverings and inspect the panel for abnormal heating associated with high resistance or excessive current flow, which is the main cause of many problems in electrical systems. Infrared thermography allows us to see these invisible thermal signatures of impending damage before the damage occurs.
Two basic thermal patterns associated with electrical failure are: A high resistance caused by poor surface contact and an over loaded circuit or multi-phase imbalance problem. When current flows through an electric circuit, part of the electrical energy is converted into heat energy. This is normal. But, if there is an abnormally high resistance in the circuit or abnormally high current flow, abnormally high heat is generated which is wasteful, potentially damaging and not normal. Having CNHInspections see through the lens of an infrared camera may reveal plumbing leaks not seen to the naked eye and electrical hazards unknown to the occupants.
CLIENTS ATTENDING THE INSPECTION
We encourage clients to attend the end of the inspection for a walk-through with our professional inspector. A home inspection is a key component in making an informed buying decision. Therefore, CNHInspections will make sure the walk-through is giving you a clear, full view of the actual condition of the home and its systems. During this time you can learn information and ask questions about the home's maintenance, systems and components that may provide useful for the transaction. By attending the inspection, you will gain a better understanding of the home's condition, which will give you insight into its potential selling points and defects.
SELLER INSPECTIONS
Home inspections are not only important for buyers but also for sellers. With our detailed inspection, we will make you aware of any potential issues that a buyer may bring to the table. By taking charge in the process, you can avoid the headache and make the home-selling process easier. Having an inspection performed ahead of time allows you to see your home through the eyes of a professional inspector, which permits you to make repairs ahead of time so that defects won't become negotiating stumbling blocks later. Copies of the inspection report, along with receipts for any repairs, may be made available to potential buyers.
By hiring CNHInspections for your inspections needs you will be confident in your home when you are ready to sell.
OUR REPORTING SOFTWARE
CNHInspections uses the industry leading reporting software called Spectora. Our reports are conveniently interactive web-based with HD photos and videos included. Our professional report layout is clean and easy to navigate. All the defects and safety hazards are categorized, and a summary report is included. Once the inspection and report is completed you will be notified by email. In the email you will be prompted to open your web-based Client Portal. The Client Portal makes it simple and easy for you to manage the home inspection process. You will have access to view your services, add services, sign agreements, conveniently make an online payment and view your reports indefinitely. If you would like to download your report, PDF versions are available in your portal. We are available to address any questions you have about your report.
REPAIR REQUEST BUILDER FOR AGENTS
CNHInspections’ Repair Request Builder allows agents to quickly create professional-looking repair request lists from our home inspection reports; adding their own requests for credit, repairs, or replacements. As an agent you can select which recommendations from the home inspection report to include in your custom document to send to the listing agent. You will be able to quickly grab our report language to copy/paste into the document. To generate your report, open our HTML report, click on the ‘Report Tools’ button and on ‘Repair Request Builder'. Select which recommendations you want to include in the report. Here you can choose to ask for a credit amount. Click preview to see what the document will look like. Click Create to get the link to copy/paste into your own email or conveniently send directly through our system. Our repair request tool makes an agent's job a little easier. Let us know if you have any questions.
CNHInspections will provide you with a professional, visual examination of the home's major structure, systems and components that are visible and safely accessible. We will then deliver to you a web-based
report detailed with pictures, videos and descriptions of material defects and safety hazards; to enable
you to make an informed decision in your home buying process.
Schedule now to 'Know The Home'.