FAQ

A home inspection is a detailed examination of a residential property. Most home inspections take place when a person is building or purchasing a new home. Buying a new home is one of the most important purchases you’ll ever make, so it’s wise to make sure a knowledgeable expert assesses the property. While a house may look pristine to the average person, a certified home inspector knows where to look and what clues to check for to make sure you’re not purchasing a giant collection of expensive repairs.
What Do KJS Inspections Uncover?

Check out our gallery to see a small sampling of the thousands of photos we’ve snapped during home inspections. These photos were included in our reports, which helped the buyers make informed decisions regarding their real estate purchase and negotiations.
Inspect Our Gallery
What Does A Home Inspector Do?

At KJS Inspections we do a thorough examination of your home’s electrical, plumbing, and structural features. From inspecting the insulation and roofing in your attic to making sure your appliances and water heaters are installed correctly, a certified home inspector will notice details that could effect the value and desirability of the home. Should we find a costly repair item, such as a roof leak or cracked foundation, it could considerably effect your negotiations with the seller.

How Can A Home Inspection Save Me Money?

In addition to helping you avoid purchasing a home that requires too many costly repairs, we will also provide you with a thorough report which you can leverage during negotiations. For example, based on our findings, you may request that the seller purchase a new water heater, or replace a faulty light fixture. You may even request a price reduction should the home require a particularly costly repair, such as a new roof or plumbing. While a home inspection does cost money, it can save you a vast deal more.

What is a General or Residential Inspection?

The most important inspection is the residential inspection or home inspection. KJS Inspections will inspect your home structure, exterior, roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, interior, insulation, and ventilation. We will then provide you, the buyer, with a report containing photos and descriptions of our findings. The report will suggest any improvements or repairs that we consider desirable or necessary. The report achieves two main goals:

It educates you regarding the property you’re about to purchase.
It provides you with documentation that you may be able to use to negotiate a better deal.

“As the buyer you may be able to negotiate the price dependent on what the inspector has found. If flaws were found within the home, the buyer now would have a couple more options in negotiations. A buyer could negotiate a credit with the sellers, have the seller pay for repairs before the closing, purchase the home as is, or walk away from the purchase if the issues seem too problematic.” ~ American Home Inspectors Training Institute

Should I Attend My Residential Inspection?

We highly recommend that you attend at least part of your inspection. This gives us the opportunity to show you first hand what issues we see, and answer any questions you may have. Our goal is to protect your interests, and we want to be sure that you see and understand the scope of any problems we uncover.
Contact KJS Inspections to find out which inspections we recommend for your property: 713.588.5969

Why should you have a new home inspection? I recently had a long discussion with a builder. He made the statement that he does not see the need for a third party inspection on a brand new home. He stated that builders use “their own inspectors” to make sure each stage of the building process is “right.” While I will admit that there are many great builders today that are building well built homes, there are some that either cut corners or use sub contractors that cut corners thereby giving the customer an inferior built structure.

 

About 25% of my inspections are done on new or newly built (less than a year) homes. I have not found a home yet that did not have some items that were improperly installed. Here is a short list of some items I have found.

• Wires in boxes with no strain relief
• Gas pipes run in contact with recessed can lights
• no bonding to gas supply lines
• improper fittings on water heater lines
• improper installation of attic stair cases
• improper service decking to equipment in attic
• missing structural supports for roof
• drain pan lines not connected
• improper ground clamps on service
• engineered beams cut out for duct work to pass through
• bathroom vents terminated in attic
• lack of tempered glass where required
• improper clearance for electrical panels
• bowing in walls
• windows not properly flashed
• improper roof flashings
• furnaces mounted in the attic on top of bricks

This is by no means an exhaustive list.

 

Here are several reasons I believe third party inspections are valuable.

• It puts the builder on alert that there will be someone checking behind his work. He is more likely to take the extra time to check on his sub contractors to make the “list” as short as possible. As I stated above, there are many great builders who want to build a great home. It comes down to how well their subs do.
• It gives the buyer a peace of mind that there is an advocate on their side looking out for their best interest. A third party inspector is not paid by the builder. He has no incentive to let things go because he wants to keep his job or make himself look good. The only person the inspector is concerned about being happy is the buyer.
• If one safety issue is caught and prevented the money spent on a third party inspection is well worth it.

Here is a great plan for inspecting a new home:

• Inform the builder of your plans so he is aware that your inspector will be working for you.
• Negotiate with your inspector for a “phase” inspection plan. Inspect the slab before its poured, the house before it is drywalled, and a final inspection before you close.
• You may even include an “11 month inspection” just before your warranty expires. This will give you a detailed list of everything you want the builder to address before the one year warranty expires. Things like drawers and doors that need adjustment, cabinets that don’t work right, leaks in your roof, drainage issues that were not apparent at first, etc. Often an inspector will give you a great price when you make such a plan.

If you are buying or considering building a new home, take control of your investment. Hire an inspector that will work for you.