Dan Kopp, ASHI Certified Inspector
Serving Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Eagle, Kuna, Star, and surrounding areas Call 208-941-0243
Certified Professional Inspector NACHI CPI #18092023 ASHI Certified #244451

Home Maintenance Inspections

by Corrie Reed

Regularly-scheduled preventative maintenance inspections can keep small problems from turning into huge ones.

Although your home isn't alive, it is still very much like a "person". It can have its bad days and good days. It can get "sick" when systems break down, and it can become "temperamental" when there are hidden problems in need of repair. In most cases, you will not know what is wrong until something breaks or someone is injured. And as with the human body, a symptom is usually a sign of a bigger problem. If that symptom is not treated or repaired, symptoms may worsen and lead to bigger problems down the road.

Ironically, our homes are maintained far less frequently than our cars (though your house often costs ten to twenty times as much as your car). A home rarely receives a "check-up". Problems that occur in a home are typically only addressed after something breaks or after extensive damage forces you to make repairs. Most homeowners don't consider that, if found early on, repairs will often be less expensive. Turning a blind eye to problems can lead to extensive repairs where the costs may cause a financial strain.

How do you know something is wrong with your home if there are no symptoms? Based on various facts such as weathering, normal wear and tear, and the planned obsolescence of construction materials and mechanical systems, it is recommended that you schedule a home inspected every two years. A maintenance inspection will provide you with a detailed report about any damage found to the systems and structure in your home. It will also give you an indication of the overall condition of your home.

FYI

In a recent survey, it was discovered that the number-one reason that homeowners don't get their homes periodically inspected is because they aren't aware that the service is available outside of the real estate transaction period. Home maintenance inspections have always been available, but they aren't typically marketed by realtors or home inspectors.

Home-buyers and sellers have been led to believe that only time they should be concerned about the "health" of a property is when a property is being sold or purchased. No one suggests to the new home owner that he or she should have the home periodically inspected to head off costly repairs.

Of those that know the service is available, many current-occupancy homeowners do not get a home inspection because of fear. They believe that the home inspector will find thousands-of-dollars in damage.

Regardless of what the home inspector finds, you need to know the condition of your home. The home inspector cannot force you to fix anything, nor can they condemn your property- there is no pass or fail. Most homeowners are pleasantly surprised that a home inspection reveals only minor problems or damage that can often be addressed or repaired for a minimal amount of money.

Did you know?

All of the following problems are likely to occur on some level, after you sign a closing contract on your home.

Every Two Years

It is recommended that you receive a home maintenance inspection every two years after the purchase of your home or immediately following inclement weather.* For about the cost of a basic automotive tune-up, a home maintenance inspection can help identify problems and damage in your home before they become extensive. Get a home maintenance inspection- it just makes sense.

Heat waves, high winds (especially from tornados and hurricanes), torrential downpours, severe ice storms, heavy snow drifts, and earthquakes can all lead to home damage that may be unnoticeable right away.

Some things are obvious. For the things that aren't, you need a professional home inspection Expertise Badge