Inspection Tips, Residential & Commercial

Home Inspection Tips 101:

Inspection tips Residential & Commercial for you to consider, There are so many reasons to hire a Professional Home or Commercial Property Inspector. On this page, you will find reasons why you should get an Independent & Professional Inspection before you purchase. Call us today for more information, Black Hills Professional Home & Commercial Inspections
605-209-6766

 

The main reason to hire a Professional Inspector is to give you piece of mind when purchasing a property and to inform you of the overall condition of the property you are looking at to buy. Here you will find important things to look out for and be aware of during your search for the right property. There are many tricks being used out there to sell a property that you should keep in mind while Property Shopping. 

 

A Professional Commercial or Home Inspection is vital to help you make the right choice when purchasing any property in the Black Hills or anywhere in the state of South Dakota. The purchase of any property is a huge investment and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Make sure you make your offer conditional upon an inspection or get one done before you make a bid or offer on the property you are looking at. You don’t want to buy a money pit that will break the bank or cause you all kinds of headaches after purchasing the property.

 

Properties come in all Shapes & Sizes and they all come with their own issues and needed repairs. No Home or Commercial Property is in perfect condition and should always be inspected by a quality inspector that will look out for you and your needs. Never let anyone talk you out of an inspection, New or Old! Passing up on an inspection or finding the cheapest inspector out there can cost you thousands more than you saved. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make! Get an Independent Professional Inspector that is on your side, not on the side of the sale.

 

You want to hire the best inspector out there that has all the right tools and equipment to provide you with the best inspection possible. You want your inspector to be knowledgeable, Highly Certified and one that will NOT be persuaded by any agent to overlook vital items of the structure. You want an inspector that knows what to look out for and report on what they see & find. You want an inspector that excels in continuing education and one that follows a Strict Code of Ethics in EVERY inspection conducted.

 

Although we do offer Custom Inspections to our clients, a typical inspection might not uncover hidden problems such as pests, mold, asbestos, these services are a specialized service. It also won’t turn up flaws in areas that are below ground or otherwise inaccessible to the inspector, like wells, septic tanks or any hidden items under concrete, buried under insulation, behind walls or items hidden during construction. While an inspection will give you a good idea of a properties overall condition it is just humanly impossible to locate every flaw in a structure, but we will do our best and can customize inspections to fit your needs.

BLACK HILLS THERMAL IMAGING

A typical inspection will not be exhaustive and will not in most cases conduct testing that will require a Certified & Licensed tradesman within a certain field such as HVAC Technician, Plumber, Electrician, Roofer, or Sewer Scoping. These fields are required by the State to be Licensed & Certified in their field to conduct such testing. If your inspector does offer these type of inspections in addition to a typical inspection they will more than likely be a separate service & charge. Wood Destroying Insect Inspections can identify termites, carpenter ants, and other pests. RADON Testing, Thermal Imaging, Air Quality, Water Testing, are all a separate service & fee. We do all types of Custom Inspections to fit your needs, ask us how we may be able to help you: 605-209-6766 

We offer the Highest Quality Thermal Inspections in the Black Hills and Rapid City. Our Thermal pictures, video & reports are the best in the area and won’t send you on a wild goose chase with a poor quality resolution camera. Resolution & Training from the world’s leader in Thermal Cameras is key when it comes to Thermal Imaging. FLIR 

All homes in the Black Hills should be tested for Radon. High levels of radon can be found in many areas in the Black Hills and the Rapid City areas. We highly recommend having your home or place of business tested for Radon. Give Black Hills Professional Home Inspections a call to have your home tested for Radon. Don’t risk your health to the cost of testing for Radon. Radon testing is a Specialized Service. A Quality Inspector should offer Radon Testing for your safety.  

 

What Should You Do During the Inspection Process?

You should make every effort to be present for the inspection. You can follow the inspector around and see exactly what the inspector is looking at and finds. If you can’t make it for the inspection, you should meet with the inspector to go over the report in detail towards the end of the inspection process. 

If you have questions about potential issues or how to take care of parts of the home, feel free to ask the inspector. Take care, however, not to get in the inspector’s way, refrain from bringing 10 of your family members & kids if possible, you don’t want to distract your inspector. Don’t start inspecting the home yourself either, this can cause problems with any investigative work. You don’t want to interfere with the inspection process! If the inspector you want to hire doesn’t want you there is a HUGE Red Flag and we Highly suggest finding another one!

 

CODE OF ETHICS:

 

The Code of Ethics applies to both Inspectors & Real Estate Agents and is set in place to protect you as a consumer. Do NOT hire an Inspector that is pushed on you by your realtor, that is exactly what they want you to do. Most of the time that type of inspector is working for the realtor, not you! They want you to believe that they are doing you a service by finding the cheapest inspector when inturn it is a Huge disservice to their clients. The cheaper inspector or most used inspector by agents are typically the least qualified and are the soft inspectors that provide useless information within their soft reports. These types of inspectors & realtors are not looking out for you, Beware! 

Code Of Ethics for Realtors  /  Code Of Ethics for Inspectors

Property Disclosure Information:

It’s also important to remember that “an inspection is only a snapshot in time on the day of the inspection,” Things & conditions may change after the inspector leaves the property after the inspection takes place. The home owner may decide to make repairs, or a systems component may fail. Always get a good look at the appliances & take pictures of the items listed in your disclosure. These items have been known to be changed out after the inspection process takes place to a lower grade of the product. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the disclosure form given to you by your agent & the seller. A good inspector will keep their eyes wide open for these items. Make sure you provide your inspector with the disclosure forms. 

The Property Report Card (Report)

Once our inspector completes the evaluation of the property you are going to buy, you will receive a report with the inspector’s findings. Don’t be alarmed if you see a lot of deficiencies noted. Home inspections are detailed, so reports often include several maintenance issues that will need attention for the entire lifespan of the property that is found during most inspections conducted, of which are relatively small. What you are most concerned about are the expensive or high ticket items in need of repair or replacement.

If the inspection finds more problems than you’re comfortable dealing with or that you simply cannot afford, you can choose to back out of the sale or try to negotiate to have the seller make the repairs or lower the price. If you’re satisfied with the condition of the home or the shape it will be in after the seller meets the arrangements of your negotiations, you can move into your new home with confidence knowing you made the right choice! We recommend getting any of the repairs made by a professional of your choosing so you can monitor the repairs being made. Do NOT let the homeowner’s or listing agent’s drunk uncle or husband do the repairs for you, in many cases, this does happen and you can end up with a bigger mess than it started out to be. We at Black Hills Professional Home Inspections designed Over-Site© Inspections to keep these types of repairs from being made. Ask for a credit for the repairs needed so you get what your paying for, Do not request to have the repairs made for you.
Highly Recommended!

Hire the Best Inspector Possible:

While it may be tempting to hire any Run-Of-The-Mill home inspector or use your realtor’s suggested inspector to get the job done, particularly if the price is low, could cost you thousands more than you saved on the inspection, the inspection is no time to cut corners! After all, buying a home is an enormous investment and you need the best inspector you can find. “Everyone does themselves a disservice when they shop by price alone,” Plenty of inspectors don’t know what they’re doing and set up shop because they are looking for a quick buck. These types of inspectors will overlook many important items and leave you with more questions than answers. If an inspector quotes you a low price for their services,  “Ask Yourself” What are they not reporting on? You only get one (1) Inspection, so make it count! Also ask the inspector how long the inspection will take, if an inspector tells you 45 minutes to an hour, run as fast as you can and look for a Quality Inspection Firm that will provide you with information you can use! NO home or property can be inspected in that amount of time, “NONE“!

First Time Home Buyers:

DO NOT FALL IN LOVE with a house until it has been inspected, Buying a home is one of the most exciting & daunting things you’ll ever have to do. With so many choices to make and so much at stake, it’s essential that you be prepared for what a Quality Inspector may uncover. Fall in love with a house after you move in and then make it your HOME! Don’t set yourself up for disappointment, no house is perfect. Retain a Quality Inspector, do your research on any inspector, and especially on the one your agent recommends to you. Highly Recommended!

Never let anyone talk you out of a Quality Inspection because the home is new, that is the BEST reason to get one! Hire an Independent Property Inspector to work for you, you will be glad you did! Black Hills Professional Home Inspections LLC is your leading & totally independent inspector in Rapid City & all of the Black Hills areas. 

Find a home that you can afford, do NOT let agents show you homes out of your price range or needs. Many times this is a friend of theirs or family members’ home or even a home they have a monetary interest in. Do Not let them pressure you or use High-Pressure Sales to try making you buying any home you are not interested in. If this happens to you, we highly suggest that you call the South Dakota Real Estate Commission, located in Pierre, South Dakota, and file a complaint against all parties involved in such activity. Call; 605-773-3600

There are many tricks played out on First Time Home Buyers & the Elderly in today’s Real Estate Market. You need to know your rights and use them when purchasing any property. Quality Inspectors and Agents are very hard to find, do your research, ask a lot of questions, and don’t just let that smiling face on a billboard make your decision for you! You can give Black Hills Professional Home Inspections a call anytime if you have any questions at all 605-209-6766. Arm yourself with the truth and your rights, don’t be mislead. 

After your offer has been submitted, a couple of things can happen: Ideally, the seller accepts your offer. Now you have an executed contract and you’re on your way to actually buy the property. Or, the seller may present a counteroffer, suggesting changes to some of your terms. This is your chance to continue negotiations or reject the offer, walk away, and keep searching for that dream home you want & can afford. Always have a contingency plan in place in your favor, not the seller. If your agent does not offer this to you, walk away! 

Black Hills Professional Home Inspections LLC

Call Black Hills Professional Home Inspections LLC Today for a Quality Inspection with information you can use, in most cases our inspections will pay for themselves, either a Home or Commercial Property. Our clients come before the sale, this provides us the opportunity to give you the Best Inspection Service Possible, located anywhere in the State of South Dakota. Our Clients Always Come First!

We look forward to meeting & working for you.
CALL TODAY  (605)209-6766

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605-209-6766