​After moving day, you will, no doubt, be anxious to unpack and settle in.  The entire home buying and moving process can be an extremely stressful one so it’s understandable that you may not want to think about doing anything to your home for a while.  However, what are the advantages of starting a good routine of property maintenance as soon as possible?  Perhaps you’re wondering if there is any need, after all you just had the home inspected before moving in.
 
The following video will help you see why starting a good maintenance routine is so beneficial to the proper functioning of the home, it also highlights why it could end up saving you a lot of money in the end.  We want you to enjoy your home for a very long time.  Starting a good maintenance routine will surely help with this.  
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​The very nature of a basement and its location (below grade) makes it very prone to flooding or damp.  This produces any number of issues from mold and bad air quality to a rotting foundation.  Although there could be a variety of reasons for this, one of those reasons is water pooling around the homes foundation.  So, how can we prevent this from happening?
 
A major cause of water pooling are downspouts and leaking gutters that have not been correctly installed or are clogged.  Downspouts should also be designed to drain water away from the foundation (10 feet is ideal) thus diverting the water away from the home.
 
Another cause of water pooling is an uneven or insufficient grade.  An uneven grade could be evened out to fix the problem.
 
Many homeowners who live at the base of a hill or incline have a problem with pooling water.  To help with this problem, the homeowner could dig small ditches, also known as swales which divert water away from the building.  These should be around 10 to 15 feet away from the home in order for water runoff to not reach the homes foundation.
 
Although there are many options for treating water damage these days, the best option is to try and prevent it in the first place.  If you are concerned that your home has a problem with pooling water, please feel free to contact us, we would be happy to schedule an inspection.

​Buying a property listed “as is” is just one of the many property buying options to choose from.  Perhaps you’re looking to buy a home that needs fixing up.  If you are, then perhaps buying “as is” is a good option for you.  But, is it a good idea?  What does it really mean to buy “as is”?
 
When a person lists their home for sale “as is” it is usually because they do not want to go to the trouble of fixing up the property.  It’s also possible that they would rather not be held accountable for the state its in after being sold.  So, does that mean it’s a bad choice?  Is it worth it?
 
As to whether it’s worth it or a good choice is really up to the person buying the property.  If you like it and it’s the location and price you want, then there is no reason it should be a bad option.  However, you should do all you can before you buy, to make sure of its true condition.  How can you do that?
 
Have the property inspected by a certified home inspector.  By doing this, you will be getting a good idea of what you’re in for.  Yes, it’s true, the home may well have obvious signs of work needed but some of the major problems might not be so visible and a home inspector will be able to determine areas of concern.  This could possibly save you a lot of money in the end.
 
You may be living in an area where the seller is legally required to provide a written disclosure as to the condition of the property.  Does this mean there is no point in having the home inspected as well? These types of disclosures are not always as comprehensive as they should be and the home owner, if they are less than honest, may well leave out important information.  In such a case, its best to err on the side of caution.  The home inspection will also give you an idea of the trustworthiness of the seller, if they find problems not listed in the disclosure.
 
So, purchasing a home listed “as is” could be a good option for you, depending on what you’re looking for but, make sure you take every precaution before you buy, to ensure you know what you’re getting.

​Have you moved into a brand-new construction home within the last year?  No doubt you are enjoying the benefits of such a move, after all, many people love the idea of being the first to live in a home, one that they can design to fit their needs.
 
Most building contractors will provide a 1-year warranty with their new constructions, which means you can enjoy the security of knowing that any issues to do with the construction will be covered for the first year.  What about after the year though?  What if you are unaware that there are some issues with the home?  It would not be good to find these problems after the warranty has expired.
 
This is where an 11-month home inspection proves to be very valuable.  This short video will highlight the advantages to getting this kind of inspection performed on your new home.  If you have more questions on this subject or would like information on any home inspection issue, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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If you are buying a home you, no doubt, cannot wait for the day when the title and keys are handed over to you.  This is known as the closing.  But, you will also be required to pay various fees known as closing costs.  These costs can really add up, in fact they average around two to four percent of what you pay for the home.  What exactly are you paying for with these closing costs?  Here are a few examples:


When buying a home from someone, it’s necessary to make sure the person selling the property legally owns it, and that there are not pre-existing liens, so a title search is carried out.  It’s a good idea to obtain purchase title insurance as this will protect the buyer from any mistakes that may occur from the results of the title search.


An appraisal has to be carried out on the property to see what the value of it is.  This is so that the money being lent is not more than the property is actually worth. 


If the home being purchased is part of a HOA neighborhood, you will need to pay up front for the rest of the years fees.  Property taxes will also need to be paid.


You will also need to have a home inspection performed on the property to ensure it is structurally sound and to make sure there are no hidden problems with the home.


While these are only a few of the closing costs that you will have to pay when buying a home, it’s good to have an idea ahead of time of what is involved when purchasing a home, especially if you are a first-time buyer.

Due to its hard wearing, durable nature, and easy to clean surface ceramic tile has become a great option for use in many floors of the home.  Although ceramic tiles are very hardy, as is the case with most kinds of building materials, they can start to develop various issues over time.  These issues will vary likely need attention.  What are some of the problems that we might encounter with ceramic tile?


Ones of the most common problems are cracks in the tiles, particularly in areas that experience extremes in temperature.  This is because the home can start to expand or contract depending of the temperature, causing cracks in the tile.  Other reasons for cracks in ceramic tile can be incorrect installation of the tiles, and most commonly simple wear and tear.  Small cracks can be repaired using a little grout, but if the cracks are a bit too big to fill in this way, they will most likely need to be replaced.


Problems with the grout is another issue that can require maintenance.  It’s common to see grout starting to crack, crumble or become discolored.  This can happen if the grout has not been correctly sealed, so it will start to absorb moisture.  Moisture prone areas of the home such as bathrooms will likely experience these kinds of issues with the grout.  In cases where the grout becomes too bad, it will need to be removed and redone. 


Sometimes tiles will become uneven.  Although it will probably be very noticeable, its good to have a good check to see if there are any uneven areas.  The cause of this is usually that they have not been installed correctly and will need to be redone.


As we can see, ceramic tiles do need some maintenance from time to time, but they are still a good and durable flooring option.

​When we think about it, most things benefit from an annual checkup.  In some cases, our cars for example, the law requires that we have them inspected once a year to make sure they are in good order.  Is it unreasonable then, to thing about how our home would benefit from a yearly checkup?  After all, it is in constant use.
 
Our video this month shows why it is such a good idea to get an annual inspection done on your home.  We want to make sure your home is in the best shape for you and your household, so that it can continue to be the haven it should be.  In the long run, you may even be saving money by seeing a problem before it becomes a huge expense.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or to schedule a home inspection with an InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector.

When taking a walk through a house for the first time, you probably have a lot of questions and you may not know what are the right questions to ask.  Well, walking through each area there are some things that you can check to find out the basic functions of the house.  Let's focus on one area of the house, the kitchen.   

When doing an overview of the kitchen, the first place you want to go to is the sink.  Run the water and check the temperature of the hot and cold water.  You can also plug the drain, filling it up and then unplug it to let it drain out to see how the drains are working in that area of the house, if there are any strange sounds or if the water wasn't draining quick enough, you want to take a mental note of it.  Check to see if the water seems to be flowing freely. 

Also, check under the sink, are there any leaking pipes?  Is there any sign of water damage?  Is there a dishwasher next to the sink? If so, do the walls of the cupboard look they have been damaged by water? 

A dishwasher is a desirable feature to the kitchen but if they are old or if they haven't been installed properly it could mean that water is flooding the kitchen floor or there is a leak in the inner walls.  This would lead to the growth of mold or rotting floorboards.  
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These are just some basics when walking through the kitchen of a home for the first time.

With the new year just around the corner, perhaps you’re thinking of next years home projects.  If you have a home with well water, it would be good to add to the project list getting your well water inspected.

Why should you have well water tested?

We have a short video to help you get a better understanding of why it is so important.  The health and safety of you and your household is of utmost importance, and a crucial part of staying safe is ensuring you have drinking water free of contaminates.

If you would like more information on well water testing, please feel free to contact us.

​When acquiring a brand-new home many people are surprised to find out that a home inspection is necessary even when the home has never been lived in.  The same is true if you are building a new home along with a contractor.  Although all of the materials that the home is built with have never been used, there can be a lot of issues and problems that arise.

Even with newly-built homes, there can be defaults and things that go wrong.  In a newly-built house, we can still find leaks, faulty electrical connections, and wires.  Also, remember that the home has most likely been used to some extent by the workers in it.  Has the sink been used to clean tools?  The outlets and electricity to power machines?  All of these things can lead to risks and problems if not checked and looked after.

Also, before installing finishes or drywall we can do an inspection before our final one.  When the structure, pipes, and wires are still exposed we can see the bones of the house and really get a good look at the quality of the work and the potential risks there could be.  When we see all of the work being done it's much more difficult to hide the defects in the house.

​So we hope you remember to call before the new home you are building is finished, and we can help you through the process.