Home Inspection Services

When you hire Home Analyst, you are hiring the most highly trained and experienced professionals in the business. Home Analyst inspectors have two major priorities in serving our clients -- evaluation and education. Whether you are a home buyer, seller or existing owner, a comprehensive home inspection will provide the valuable information you need to make an informed decision. And at Home Analyst, our mission is to provide "Better Information for Better Decisions." 

Home Analyst offers a wide range of inspection services including the following:

Pre-Purchase Inspections
Pre-Listing Inspections
New Construction Inspections
One-year Warranty Inspections

Pre-Purchase Inspections

Buying a home is probably the biggest investment you'll ever make. And it's a decision that will affect you for years to come. The process can be extremely stressful and confusing. And of course, there is always considerable risk involved when making such a large purchase decision. A professional home inspection will significantly reduce your risk and help make the entire home buying process easier and less stressful. At Home Analyst, we really enjoy helping our clients in this process and providing critical information and superior customer service are our highest priorities.

A pre-purchase inspection is performed before the purchase of a property. It is usually completed after a formal offer is made. You should make sure that a pre-purchase contingency is in the sales contract. A pre-purchase inspection will reduce the risk of costly surprises and help in budgeting future costs associated with maintaining the home. The ultimate benefit of a pre-purchase inspection is that you will have a sound basis on which to make an informed decision regarding your investment in the home.
We strongly encourage our clients to accompany us during the inspection. You should feel free to ask the inspector any questions you may have during the inspection process. The inspector will point out problems and explain them to you. The inspector will also show you the positive points of the house as well. Plus, we will explain what routine maintenance is needed to keep the house in top condition. This will help you to get the most benefit from the inspection and gain the best understanding of the systems that make up your home and how to maintain it.
After the inspection is completed, you'll receive a comprehensive report that is easy to understand. All critical information identified during the inspection will be included in the report. Armed with the information provided in our report, you can make your decision with confidence.

A Home Analyst home inspection includes a visual inspection of the following:

Call (404) 978-2266 or email us at Info@yourhomeanalyst.com to schedule an appointment.

Pre-Listing Inspections

Whether you are selling your own home or using a realtor, it is a good idea to have a professional home inspection before you place the home on the market. Knowledge is power. All homes have strengths and weaknesses; we give you the information to help you decide how serious the problems are, which ones must be immediately addressed and which ones can wait. The home inspection process can also help you identify the positive items about your home so you can highlight them in your marketing materials. The more you know about your home, the more prepared you will be for the negotiation process. A quality home inspection can actually help with the sale of a house and reduce the risk associated with a buyer's home inspection. A pre-listing inspection lets buyers know that the sellers are committed to selling the home and are sincere in their efforts to present their home's condition fairly and accurately. 

Seller's Disclosure

The Seller's Disclosure form is part of the standard real estate contract. This form requires the homeowner to list all the known defects in the home. For most purchasers, this form is of little value because although most people are honest, some are not, and most people are not aware of the true condition of their home. This is where a qualified home inspector can help by confirming the seller is being honest, revealing unknown issues and just as importantly, letting buyers know that what they may think is a problem is in reality not a problem at all. As a seller, having your property inspected ensures you have done everything you can to properly represent your property. The inspection can then be used in conjunction with the Seller's Disclosure form. The pre-listing inspection helps you avoid potential legal liability for not disclosing problems with your home to interested buyers.

The Home Inspection Process for Sellers

The home inspection process is a great cause of concern for many sellers. The main reason is fear of the unknown. What will the inspector find?  Will the items found by the inspector be reasonable? These concerns are understandable. When a buyer has a home inspected, it is after the contract has been negotiated and all of the defects of the house were supposed to be listed in the Seller's Disclosure form. Therefore, based on the results of the buyer's inspection, there are several actions the buyer can take. The buyer can . . .

• Request that the seller correct the problems.
• Request that the seller provide funding so the buyer can correct the problem after closing.
• Terminate the contract without forfeiture of their earnest money.

Had the results of a pre-listing home inspection been presented prior to the signing of the contract . . . 

• Buyers would be unable to use the inspection as an excuse to get out of the contract
• Renegotiations after the home inspection should be minimal.
• Buyers would not be alarmed by undisclosed conditions of the house.
• The sellers would have time on their side. They can get several quotes for repairing any defects found. The sellers have the opportunity to make adjustments to the selling price or repairs can be made on the seller's terms and not the terms of the buyer or available contractors due to time constraints.

Above all, a Pre-Listing Inspection is the ultimate gesture of full disclosure. It will help protect and assist the seller through the process of selling the home and is the best way to minimize the number of contingencies in the sales contract.

Using the Pre-Listing Inspection as a Sales Tool

When you have your home inspected by Home Analyst, your inspection report is confidential to you as the client. It is stored in a secure web server where it can be privately viewed or shared with anyone you choose. You will have the ability to provide potential buyers, agents, contractors or whomever you wish instant access to your report on the web by providing a user name and password. With Pre-Listing Inspections, you can also have the home inspector return to review and note any repairs you have made. Repairs can be photographed and documented and incorporated into the original report showing before and after comparisons. This revised report can become part of your sales and marketing efforts. You can even create a direct link from your marketing website allowing potential buyers to go directly to the inspection report. This has proven to be a great sales tool for FSBO sellers as well as sellers working with agents.

Call (404) 978-2266 or email us at Info@yourhomeanalyst.com to schedule an appointment.

New Construction Inspections

The metro Atlanta area continues to experience record growth in new home construction. If you are purchasing a brand new home, here are some of the reasons you should have the home inspected.

The building process is complex.
There are a large number of uncertainties when building a home. Was there adequate supervision and quality control?  Was there enough money in the budget to buy proper materials or hire the best contractors?  Did one subcontractor's work unintentionally compromise another's?  For these and other reasons, mistakes happen.

Builders are not required to be code certified.
Minimum building standards known as building codes are enacted into law by the State. These building codes establish the standards by which builders must build and municipal inspectors must enforce. Many people trust that their builders are constructing their new homes to code and that government officials are adequately inspecting homes to ensure the builders are adhering to the state guidelines. While most builders try to build a quality home, there is no requirement that builders or their employees be code certified or even educated regarding the contents and proper application of the Georgia Building Codes. At Home Analyst, our inspectors are code certified by the organization that writes the codes, the International Code Council (ICC), so you can rest assured that your home's construction will be evaluated according to this criteria.

Municipal inspections are less reliable.
The volume of work given to municipal building departments does not allow for adequate time at the building site. A private inspection firm has the liberty to thoroughly inspect each aspect of the home. Studies have shown that in the metro Atlanta area the combined time of all municipal inspections is usually less than one hour for the entire building process. A Home Analyst inspector usually averages 2.5 to 3.5 hours for each phase.

Defects can be seen before they're concealed.
If you hire us before the drywall is installed, we are able to view systems concealed by walls and ceilings, including plumbing, electrical, and structural components.

Builders often fix what we find.
If defects are found early enough, there's a higher likelihood that the builder will correct them.

Learn how to take care of your house.
Are you familiar with all the systems of your house? During our inspections, we'll show you where they are, how they work, and how to maintain them.

Phased Inspections of New Construction

Home Analyst offers our clients "Phased Inspections" of homes under construction. Phase inspections may include Footing, Foundation, Framing, Pre-siding, Final and Warranty inspections. Our knowledge of the building codes, the construction process and experience in working with builders ensure your new home will be the best possible. We pride ourselves in being able to effectively work with builders and back up our findings with actual building code documentation. Photos taken during the inspection are included in the report and highlight what needs to be corrected and where it is located. Additional information is often given to our clients to ensure they know what the proper construction or installation of a system should look like.

Footing and Foundation Inspection:  The Footing Inspection takes place after footings have been dug and reinforcing materials are in place but before the foundation is poured. The Foundation Inspection takes place after the concrete is poured, foundation drainage system has been placed and before the foundation areas have been backfilled.

Framing Inspection: The Framing Inspection takes place after the house has been framed, electrical plumbing and other major systems have been installed but before insulation and sheetrock have been installed. At this point in construction, your home inspector can actually see behind the walls and make you aware of potential issues before they cause serious damage to the home. Many home issues are easily resolved during framing because no walls have to be removed when completing the repairs.

Pre-siding Inspection:  The Pre-siding Inspection takes place after the house wrap and windows have been installed and before the siding has been installed. This is to ensure that the cross bracing, flashing and house wrap have been properly installed.

Final Inspection: The final inspection takes place after the home has been completed. At this point, your inspector will examine all of the home's major systems, just as he would in a standard resale inspection. The inspection can be completed after closing; however, it is best to conduct the inspection one to two weeks prior to your move-in date to allow the builder to make any necessary corrections.  

One-Year Warranty Inspections

Most builders provide a one-year warranty for new construction. During the first year of home ownership, the buyer generally develops a "punch list" of items for the builder to repair under the warranty coverage. Some defects will not be obvious to the untrained eye so it is prudent to retain a home inspector to help you prepare a thorough list of items to submit to the builder while the home is under warranty and the repairs are the responsibility of the builder. 

Call (404) 978-2266 or email us at Info@yourhomeanalyst.com to schedule an appointment.