Long Island Home Inspection Blog

This is an outline of the differences between an appraiser and a qualified licensed home inspector.

 If you’re purchasing a home with a government insured mortgage like an FHA or VA mortgage, the lender will send a qualified appraiser who will evaluate the value of the home for the lender. Usually the appraiser will get recent sale values with comparitivly priced homes.When these appraisers look at the condition of the property they are primarily looking at safety issues such as trip hazards, peeling paint that may contain lead, asbestos covered heating pipes, hand rails on stairways and other readily visible defiencies. They also look for obvious defects in the structure such as a leaky roof, but they usually will not climb the roof like a professional home inspector, to identify, if possible, the cause. By no stretch of the imagination is this a comprehensive inspection of the property by an Appraiser.

A private home inspection is something that you as the buyer have a contract for. Part of the negotiating process should include a window of opportunity to complete this inspection. The inspection time frame runs from a couple days to two weeks depending on the individual property. A bank owned property might not have the utilities turned on, or winterized. That fact alone may require re-inspection after the house is in working order. Typically with an owner occupying the house, selling to a buyer, a window of five to seven days would be sufficient.

Home inspectors must be licensed by New York State in order to perform home inspections New York State. In choosing a home inspector its important that the inspector is licensed and has liability insurance.

A typical home inspection will start outside the house with a observing eye and walk the perimeter of the home and yard. Weather permitting the inspector should climb the roof, inspect the building envelope and the interior and exterior of out buildings (sheds, cabanas, etc.)and garages. Once inside the house, your inspector will go floor-to-floor, room by room inspecting doors and windows, flooring, lighting, switches and plugs.

He will go into the attic to look at the condition of the structure and even report back on the amount of insulation that is observed.

The inspection will likely end in the basement with an overall inspection of the exposed foundation, plumbing, electrical and HVAC system. If the inspector is trained properly he will remove the service panel covers and inspect the breakers and wiring to uncover any electrical hazards that may be pesent. If the wiring is in good order that will be noted.

It is obvious that when a first time home buyer gets the opportunity to make an offer on a house that they are interested in,  they want to know what conditions exist with the structure, systems, components and electrical. A wise choice of hiring an experienced, licensed Home Inspector will ease the fear of purchasing the unknown.

Initial Home Assessment

An experienced home inspector will start by observing the property itself. Is the property going to drain away from the house or towards the foundation? Is the property adjacent to or near water, pond, river, creek or beach? Are tree limbs directly over the house or is an in-ground oil tank fill pipe present? These are  few areas that are assessed before an inspection of the house even begins.

By addressing the information observed before even entering the structure, a different kind of view is now going to give us clues to what may be found in the basement or crawlspace.

Does consistent water infiltration plague the basement or are the foundation walls dry? If the property sloped towards the house, a reason for the water infiltration would be examined. Was the roof drainage far enough away from the foundation, or was water running down to the foundation due to the slope? A seasoned home inspector would recognize these clues that would help assist the potential buyer on how to repair, adjust or to compensate for the properties’ unique characteristics.

Informed Home Buyers

Just because a home owner or realtor tells you that everything works or the roof is only 6 years old, Do Not go without a home inspection! For the relatively low cost of a complete home inspection you can easily obtain a complete home inspection report written by a licensed home inspector. Every pro and con of the house will be described in detail and will include images and suggestions for repairs.

Saving Energy in Your Home

Save Electricity with CFL Bulbs

Most people don’t realize that it is easy to make their homes run on less energy, and here at L.I. Expert Home Inspections, we want to help you change that.

Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, which most homeowners can do themselves. For homeowners who want to take advantage of the most up-to-date information and systems in home energy efficiency, L.I. Expert Home Inspections energy auditors can perform in-depth testing to find the best energy solutions for your particular home.

 Incentives to make your home more energy efficient

Here are a few good reasons:

• Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions’ financial incentives, such as tax credits, and LIPA financing your upgrades are very beneficial for homeowners on Long Island.
• It saves money: It costs less to power, heat and cool a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient.
• It increases the comfort level indoors.
• It reduces our impact on climate change. Many scientists now believe that excessive energy consumption contributes significantly to global warming.
• It reduces pollution. Conventional power production releases pollutants that find their way into the air, soil and water supplies.

Find better ways to heat and cool your home

 As much as half of the energy used in homes goes toward heating and cooling. Here are a few ways that energy bills can be reduced through adjustments to ways of heating and cooling:

• Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans can be used with air conditioners, which will circulate air and reduce the amount of air conditioning needed which requires a large amount of energy.
• Periodically replace air filters in air conditioners and heaters.
• Set thermostats to a suitable temperature. Specifically, they should be turned down at night and when no one is home. In most homes, about 2% of the heating bill will be saved for each degree that the thermostat is lowered for at least eight hours each day. Turning down the thermostat from 75° F to 70° F, for example, saves about 10% on heating costs.
• Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat saves money by allowing heating and cooling appliances to be automatically turned down during times that no one is home and at night. Programmable thermostats in some climate zones, can save up to $150 per year in energy costs.
• Install solar electric panels which when installed, will save up to two thirds or more of your electric bill.
• At night, curtains drawn over windows will better insulate the room.
• Call us now for a FREE energy audit/assessment, you won’t believe the savings we can find! 516-233-6565

When buying a home, you have every right to know exactly what you are getting.

Long Island Expert Home Inspections will reveal any visible problems with the home so that they may be addressed before closing.

At the time an offer is made on your new home, you should request a home inspection. Make sure the contract has an inspection contingency, then hire Long Island Expert Home Inspections and pay close attention to the home inspection report.

Likewise, if you are selling a home, you want to know about such potential hidden problems before your house goes on the market for sale. Almost all real estate contracts are contingent upon completion of a satisfactory home inspection and termite inspection on Long Island. Most home buyers are going to insist that the home inspection be a professional home inspection, usually by a home inspector they hire. If the buyers home inspector finds some problems, it can help the home buyer to understand what needs to be repaired or upgraded before they make the investment. At best, problems uncovered by Long Island Expert Home Inspections will assure you that the house was inspected thoroughly,  professionally and with unbiased observations are assured.

Long Island Expert Home Inspections is proud of servicing the local community and communities such as: Massapequa, Farmingdale, Bethpage, Seaford, Wantagh, Melville, Hicksville, Islip, Bay Shore, Huntington, Old Westbury, Brookville, Old Brookville, Roslyn, Jericho and also servicing all of Long Island and Queens.

Purchasing a home is one of the most significant decisions and perhaps one of the largest investments you might ever make. Long Island Expert Home Inspections will give you a clear, unbiased evaluation of a homes condition, answer any questions you may have after the house is inspected and help give you peace of mind about your home purchase.

An inspection of the home you are considering will help you make an informed decision during the home purchase process. It will also provide you with the information you will need for any repairs and maintenance your new home may require. A professional home inspection will allow you to buy with confidence. When looking for a licensed professional home inspector, make Long Island Expert Home Inspections your final call.