Home Inspection Process in The Florida Keys
You’ve been searching for a while and you think you have found your dream home in the Florida Keys. You’ve seen the house a hundred times online and even walked the property with your Real Estate Agent. The fresh paint makes the interior of the home seem bright and welcoming and the recent rains have made the grass green and vibrant. Everything on the surface seems great, but how can you be sure that there are no hidden problems with the house that will require costly repairs or replacement in the near future? The answer: having a home inspection performed on the property.
A home inspection is performed by a qualified Home Inspector with the intention of finding any potential issues with the property before you sign the contract.
Why Is It Important To Have A Home Inspection Before Purchasing Your Florida Keys Home?
The same reason you would take a used car to an auto mechanic so they can “kick the tires” before you buy it is the same reason you should have a qualified Home Inspector look over the home you intend to purchase. Let’s face it, a home purchase is probably the most expensive purchase you will ever make in your life. Buying a house is a monumental investment so it goes without saying that you should perform your due diligence before making such a huge commitment. It makes economic sense to know as much as you possibly can before signing on the dotted line.
Most of us know what the daily ins and outs of living in a house are, but for the most part, we are by no means experts in the mechanical, electrical, and engineering components to go into building the house. This is why we call in the pros to do the inspection. It is the job of the home inspectors to reveal issues that are hidden from the “untrained-eye” and provide home-buyers with a comprehensive list of the issues and status of the property. It has even become popular for sellers to have pre-listing home inspections. They use it as a marketing tool to attract potential buyers and give them peace of mind that the home has no major issues prior to closing.
Things to look for during your Florida Keys Home Inspection
There are many components that make up a house and each will have varying degrees of importance during a home inspection. Generally, a Home Inspector will go from roof to crawlspace and everywhere in-between but there are certain sections that usually get extra attention. These include:
HVAC System – (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) - An HVAC inspection is a thorough review and testing of your home’s heating and cooling equipment, as well as any whole-home indoor air quality systems. Every contractor’s process may be slightly different, so it’s smart to ask your preferred professional what they include in their cost of HVAC inspection. In general, HVAC inspections usually include the following:
Test the thermostat’s calibration
Check air filter
Inspect blower components
Test for correct airflow through units and home
Inspect electrical connections
Inspect quality of installation
Inspect areas where equipment is located
Inspect equipment condition
Inspect condenser and evaporator coils for air conditioning units
Evaluate system starting capabilities
Roof - A roof inspector will be looking for leaks, unusual wear and tear, damage caused by windblown debris, organic growth issues, and problems that may have occurred during shingle installation or subsequent repairs.
Electrical - An electrical home inspection provides a thorough examination of your entire electrical system, ensuring all electrical wires, systems, and components (such as appliances) meet legal safety standards. The inspector will check if wires are intact and identify any potential hazards that may lead to fires.
Plumbing - A quality home plumbing inspection will include checks anywhere water runs through your house. This includes sinks, toilets, tubs, lines, and pipes. Plumbing should be inspected underneath and outside of the house. Your Home Inspector will check both pipes for leaks, as well as check for proper sealing to ensure there are no hidden leaks. Toilets and water heaters get an additional inspection. Toilets will have their water levels, flappers, and filler mechanisms checked. Water heaters will receive water temperature checks and have pressure relief valves and pipes tested before being flushed.
Foundation – The inspector will examine the house’s foundation for cracks and determine their threat levels. They then examine support beams and load-bearing devices and test how snugly doors, windows, and vents fit. The Home Inspector assesses the integrity of concrete walls and floors within the foundation and looks for water damage, mold, and improper ventilation
Mold - A mold inspection consists of a visual inspection for mold growth, moisture mapping for hidden leaks, air sampling, surface sampling, and checking the air conditioning for mold.
Radon – Radon is an odorless gas that appears naturally and can seep into the house via cracks and vent holes. To check for elevated levels of radon gas a testing device is set in the home to monitor the radon concentration.
Depending on the type of home a sewer inspection may also be needed. Some future home-owners neglect this step but we don’t have to tell you how potentially messy a faulty sewer can become in the future.
Who Pays For Florida Keys Home Inspections?
There is no hard-fast rule on who pays as either the seller or buyer or in some cases both parties can order their own home inspection. For the seller, having a home inspection is a great way to identify and repair any major issues before pricing and listing their home. However, in most cases, the buyer is usually the one that requests and pays for the home inspection. This is partially because it’s usually contained in the realtor agreement and partially because the buyer wants to know exactly what they are purchasing (you know Caveat Emptor – “let the buyer beware”). Out of an abundance of caution, the buyer may want to use an independent inspector or one affiliated with their lender, even if the seller has already performed an inspection.
How Much Does Florida Keys Home Inspection Cost?
The average cost of a home inspection in the Florida Keys is $300. Inspections can range anywhere from $250 - $380 for your average 2-to-3-bedroom house. For a very small home, you could pay as little as $125, while for a mansion you can expect to pay around $1,000+ for an inspection.
What Are Home Inspectors Looking for During a Key West Home Inspection?
With each inspection, Florida Home Inspectors try to answer three main questions:
1. Does the home have any major functional defects (are systems and major appliances functional?)
2. Does the home have any major material defects (cracks with the foundation, sagging ceiling, holes in or damage to walls, and signs of moisture intrusion?)
3. Are there any safety and health issues (microbial growth or mold, missing or faulty smoke detectors, trip hazards, loose stair railings?)
After climbing, knocking, and looking all around the house, the home inspector walks the buyer and buyer’s agent through the home one last time to explain and summarize each issue that the inspection identified. The final walkthrough gives the client an opportunity to answer questions and visually see some of the items of concern.
Takeaways from Your Key Largo Home Inspection
The biggest thing to takeaway is that a home inspection is not an appraisal. An appraisal will give you a valuation of the property while an inspection will identify any potential defects the home may have. An inspection is neither a guarantee that there are no problems or a warrantee against those problems.
While most Home Inspectors are honest, hardworking professionals, they are also human so there can be mistakes, omissions, and things that are out of their control that will cause a home inspection to have errors or incomplete information. If it hasn’t rained, they may not be able to locate leaks, if the furniture is blocking a crawl space, they may not be able to inspect it. But for the most part, an inspection will likely disclose a list of problems. Some will be small such as an outlet that needs a cover while others may be big such as a crack in the foundation. The intent of the home inspection is to identify potentially costly repairs that the average homebuyer would not notice on their own. Don’t be alarmed or daunted if the list is long as a fix for some of these issues can be negotiated with the buyer before the transfer of title occurs and others can be tackled over the time that you live in the home.
If you are looking to purchase a home in the Florida Keys and need a home inspection April Struhs of Florida Keys Search is here to assist. We will find you the right Florida Keys Home Inspector and get you started on your way to homeownership. April Struhs will gladly answer any inquiries you may have about home inspection in the Florid Keys. If you’re interested in her services, you may call April Struhs at 305-399-6297 or visit her contact page.