Frequently Asked Questions

I receive many questions and have tried including some of the more common ones here.  If your question is not listed please call or email me and I will be happy to provide an answer.

Please click on a question to navigate to the answer.

What makes PS Inspection Property Services so much better than the rest?

Why do I need a property inspection?

Do I need an inspection on a newly built property?

Do I need an Engineer or a Real Estate Inspector?

How long will the inspection take and must I be present?

Why won't you quote the life expectancy of systems or components in a property?

When should I start looking for the services of a Real Estate Inspector?

How can I prepare for my inspection?

Why do I need an Inspector, can't I do it myself?

How do I justify the cost of an inspection?

When and how can I expect the results of the inspection?

What makes PS Inspection & Property Services so much better than the rest?

Honesty, integrity, personalization, thoroughness and value for your dollar are only a few of the words that describe me and the services provided. I work for you, the client, and no one else! The first concern is to provide a thorough and accurate inspection report, as well as making your inspection experience a pleasant one. I have no affiliations with any other organization, nor company, that does not benefit you. I will never place your welfare below any other concerns, including my own! That's called ethical behavior! I lose business because of this philosophy, but in the end you are the winner and that is what service is about !!

My philosophy of service does not stop with the delivery of your report. So many service companies perform their service, collect their money and never want to hear from you again, unless of course more money is involved. I believe in maintaining a long term relationship with you, without the incentive of additional money. Do you have a question regarding your report well after the fact? Contact me and let's discuss it. Do you just have a question regarding your property? Contact me and if I can't answer your questions I will do whatever I can to find the resources you need to answer that question.

If you want an honest and thorough inspection then you want me! If fancy titles are important to you, then I highly suggest you take the time to check those titles before making your selection. Owning a property is a large investment of time and money and should not be left up to chance or fancy titles. I can certainly dazzle you with titles. But in the end, the only thing that matters is service to you!!

(top of page)

Why do I need a property Inspection?

The importance of a property inspection can not be stressed enough. You need all of the information you can obtain prior to buying the property. Whether you are buying a newly built property or an existing property a professional inspection can:

- Identify safety issues to protect your family from harm.
- Identify issues to help prevent future costly expenses.
- Provide a condition report to be used for future reference in
  the maintenance and care of your property.

(top of page)

Do I need an inspection on a newly built property?

Without a doubt buying a property is a stressful and demanding endeavor! Buying an existing property takes time and patience to find just the right one. Building a new property adds an entirely new set of concerns, time requirements and level of stress. Your builder wants to build a quality property for you and your real estate agent wants you're property purchase and ownership experience to be satisfactory. Both will do what they can to make your dream come true. But they too are very busy people and limited in what, and the amount of, services they can provide you. Ultimately it is up to you, the new property owner, to ensure you are receiving a well built property!!

Prior to closing on your new property you will perform a final walk through with the builder and/or their agent. During this walk through you will be provided explanations of your property features, appliances and many other items. But what about the foundation, structural, mechanical and other major systems? These are expected to be in new and prime condition. Sometimes missed issues are present regardless of how many quality control checks are performed. Some of these issues may cause significant inconveniences to correct after you move in, or may be missed before the first phases of your new property warranty period ends.

I can help you relieve these concerns and worries with a final inspection of the building process. This inspection is generally referred to as a "Pre-closing Inspection". These inspections are geared to look for those items and provide you with the opportunity to address them prior to closing and/or moving in. I can also provide additional checks for the many things more cosmetic in nature.

In addition to performing a "Pre-closing Inspection" you may also consider performing a "Warranty Inspection" at the end of your 11th month of ownership.  The Texas government has mandated that all new homes built on and after 1 June 2005 be provided with a 1/2/10 year warranty by the builder (see "Government Sites" links page, Texas Residential Construction Commission link).  You've paid for this warranty and should expect a defect free home.  It is in your best interest to exercise that warranty if needed.  At the end of your 11th month of home ownership I can provide a "Warranty Inspection" to check for defects that have manifested themselves during that first 11 months.

(top of page)

Do I need an Engineer or a Real Estate Inspector?

You need a property Inspector! When you hire a property Inspector, you are hiring a professional who has training and experience in identifying issues within a property. It is the property Inspector's function to inspect the condition of the house's major systems and to determine how well these systems are working together to identify areas that need to be watched, repaired or replaced. Your property Inspector is a generalist who specializes in providing an overall analysis of the house you are purchasing. If the property Inspector identifies the need for a costly, detailed analysis of any of the houses' systems or structures, the property Inspector will recommend you contact the appropriate professional with expertise in analyzing that particular system or part of the property. The need for this kind of expensive, detailed analysis is generally not required so the property Inspector helps save you time and money.

(top of page)

How long will the inspection take and must I be present?

Each property is unique and deserving of all the time necessary to properly and thoroughly complete the inspection.  There are also unexpected delays that can occur during the inspection. Under perfect conditions I may be able to complete an inspection quickly, in as little as two to three hours. However, as we all know, perfect conditions are not encountered often. An inspection of all areas that can possibly, and safely, be accessed takes time! Also you certainly deserve a thorough report and value for your inspection fee!

As such it is not appropriate to try and determine how long an inspection will take to complete. Even the smallest property may require additional time and care to inspect. That is why I try to schedule all full inspections to start first thing in the morning, when possible, and also do not schedule multiple inspections each day. If your property Inspector is quoting specific, quick completion times you should be cautious! This may lead to inspecting to minimums, missing or omitting important items and very cursory inspections. After all, there are only so many hours in each day and to schedule multiple inspections in one day will require shortcuts to complete all of them, and their reports!

You are always welcome to attend the inspection during the entire process. However, the process may be quite lengthy in time, depending on the conditions at hand. We do recommend that you allow us to perform the inspection process first. Just prior to completion I will call you at your designated telephone number and let you know the inspection will be completed soon. At that time you can meet me at the property and we will perform a thorough review of the findings, with a complete walk around the property, discussing any questions you may have. I have found this to be the least disruptive to your day, help prevent me from missing anything of importance and a more pleasurable experience for you.

(top of page)

Why won't you quote the life expectancy of systems or components in a property?

Determining the life expectancy of a property's components is a very inexact process. There are too many variables to consider and the results are, at best, a guess of life expectancy. In addition conditions can change very rapidly after an inspection that could change the life expectancy of a property's components. There are also many conditions that can not be seen without disassembly, destructive testing or violating licensing laws of other trades. It would be a significant disservice to you to raise, or lower, your expectations simply to provide what appears to be an added value to your report.

In lieu of providing life expectancy estimates I have chosen, when possible, to provide reference links in your report for various sources of information. These links will provide information from manufacturers of your property's components, various trade organizations that are specialists in that specific area and other links of interest or use. These are provided to help you better understand your property and how to maintain and extend the life of its components.

(top of page)

When should I start looking for the services of a Real Estate Inspector?

For property buyers you should begin looking for a property Inspector when you have decided to start your search for a new property. This will allow you to immediately call your chosen Inspector when your purchase offer is accepted. It is important that you call your chosen Inspector as soon as possible to provide them sufficient time to perform the inspection, provide you sufficient time to review the report and formulate decisions based on the results. If you have chosen an Inspector prior to making an offer on a property it would be helpful to notify them of the offer beforehand so that they may plan for your inspection.

For property sellers I highly recommend you call a property Inspector before approaching a Real Estate Broker or Agent. This will provide you the opportunity to repair any issues found without interrupting the selling process or allow you and your selling Agent the opportunity to discuss fair and equitable listing details and arrangements. This certainly does not mean that you can not have an inspection after listing the property. For a property that has had many viewings but no offers or lost deals, a property inspection may uncover issues that could have been overlooked by everyone but the buyers or their Inspector.

For property owners whose new property warranty expires soon, I recommend an inspection at the end of the second last month of the warranty period. That will provide you time to approach your builder with issues requiring attention.

For property owners just interested in the condition of their property, I recommend scheduling the inspection at your earliest convenience.
Some inspection agencies recommend an annual inspection to keep on top of the propertys maintenance requirements. I feel that no one knows their property better than the owner and the owner should decide on this interval. At no time will I attempt to push recurring maintenance inspections.

(top of page)

How can I prepare for my inspection?

To prepare for your inspection follow these guidelines. If you have any questions please call or email and I will be happy to clarify them. This may seem like a long list of preparation steps, but most are usually already done if the property is currently occupied. These steps will also help the inspection process proceed smoothly and prevent any surprises from occurring.

-  Make a mental inventory of the property and its systems. When              you call I will ask specific questions to understand and prepare for your
   inspection. This will also help you later during your review of the
   inspection report.  These are questions I will ask:

     -  Square foot size of property (including garage) and any outbuildings
         (storage sheds, detached garages, etc.)
     -  Number of stories (one, two, etc.)
     -  Type of roofing material, standard shingles, tile, slate, etc.
     -  Utilities in use, i.e. gas, septic system, etc.
     -  Number and type of heating and cooling system (i.e. gas, electric,
        specialty type system, etc.)
     -  Any other specialty systems in use, i.e. security alarm systems,
        etc.
     -  Any special amenities, i.e. pool (in ground or above), hot tubs,
        spas, special appliances, sprinkler system, etc.
     -  Property size and possible property boundary markers if its a larger
        tract of land (mostly for country property)
     -  If fences bound your property are they yours
     -  Do you have any special requests regarding the inspection

-  If the property is occupied please have the seller provide access to all
   areas of the property. If areas are locked or not accessible we will          not be able to inspect them.
-  In addition, if any areas are cluttered or full of storage we will not be
   able to access the area for inspection. This can include access doors
   and stairs to attic areas, storage rooms, under sink areas, heating
   and cooling equipment, hot water heaters, and any other areas. To
   prevent property damage, or physical injuries, to those present or
   after the inspection, personal belongings, furniture, etc., are not
   normally physically moved. We will make every effort to access areas
   around these objects.
-  Review the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) Standards Of
   Practice (SOP) to understand what the inspection process can
   include. Once you have reviewed theSOP formulate your questions and      contact me, before the inspection day, for answers or clarifications.
 
(top of page)

Why do I need an Inspector, can't I do it myself?

You may be able to perform a cursory inspection of the property but you may also miss or misjudge issues that can be very important to your decision. After all, you have selected the property for various reasons and may overlook an issue because of your desire to own that property. As a Professional Real Estate Inspector I am trained and experienced to look for those issues that can be easily overlooked by others. I will perform an objective and impartial inspection of the property and report on those issues found. This can help provide peace of mind about the property you own, or are about to purchase, and may save you considerable amounts of money
later. The inspection results can also help you budget for possible repairs that may be needed.

There are those that may have specialized knowledge on one or more components in a property and may be comfortable inspecting those parts themselves. I do understand but highly recommend a full inspection just to prevent overlooking issues. If you still feel comfortable with your inspection of that particular system or components, then we can discuss the customized inspection packages to help reduce your inspection costs.

(top of page)

How do I justify the cost of an inspection?

The real answer to this is how can you justify not having an inspection? Regardless of whether any issues are discovered or not, you now can have the peace of mind knowing what the condition of your property is. With a report of issues found you will be able to discuss these with reputable contractors and budget for repairs and replacements. The report can also become a valuable tool for monitoring your property's condition over time.

There are many reasons for having the property inspected and no real reason for not. Some of the misconceptions are:

-  "But the property is brand new, I'm the first owner and it should not
   need an inspection." Even a newly constructed property can have
   issues and should be inspected thoroughly. All builders want to
   provide you with a perfect property and they do try to.  However,
   issues do occur and can be inadvertently overlooked prior to closing.
   After moving in some these issues may require significant disruptions in
   your daily life to have the builder correct them.
-  "The property is only a year or two old. What can possibly be wrong
   with it?" Equipment and material failures may occur at anytime and
   without warning. Likewise, some older propertyies have withstood the
   test of time and experienced normal and predictable issues allowing
   for early detection and repair. The age of a property is not a reliable
   indicator of its potential for issues.
-  "I don't have the money right now to have the property inspected."
   There is an old saying "Penny wise but pound foolish". By not having
   an inspection today, you may incur greater costs later for something
   that may have been found in early stages of failure. If you are
   purchasing the property, you will have to live with, or repair, issues that
   may have been found with an inspection.

The cost of a property inspection is significantly less than the possible expenses later, and very minor when compared to the value of your property.

(top of page)

When and how can I expect the results of the inspection?

The day of your inspection we will meet with you on site to review the preliminary report based on our findings. We will provide a written inspection report within 24 hours of the inspections completion. The report will be in Portable Document Format ( .pdf ) and delivered to you via email. Other forms of delivery are available but may be an additional charge due to the additional expense. If you do not have access to email we can provide the email version to any email address you like, as listed on your inspection contract.

If your inspection requires the use of the TREC Form REI-7A-0 then your report will be a combination of the required Texas Real Estate Commission check box/outlined format, with additional items added and in narrative form for issues found.  Color photos are added for items of significance and in areas not normally accessible to you.  If your inspection is not covered by the TREC rules and regulations you will receive a narrative style report with photo documentation.

You are paying us for an opinion and opinions can not always be expressed with a check box format alone. In addition we will be adding color photographs of issues from areas not normally viewed during a simple walk around the property, i.e. crawlspace photos, etc., and photos we feel are of importance for you to see.

(top of page)