Thorough Inspection an Integral Part of the House-Buying Process

Home inspector Gene Prowizor noticed it immediately.

As soon as he walked through a home recently in Agoura Hills, Prowizor realized that one of the bedrooms and a bathroom weren’t built quite right. It was pretty clear to him that he was looking at the illegal conversion of what used to be one-third of a three-car garage into more living space.

This discovery--along with some other problems identified by Prowizor--prompted the would-be buyers who hired him to back out of the deal.

Professional inspections have become a necessary step to buying a home or condominium today. Buyers are recognizing that a thorough inspection can reveal all sorts of hidden problems in a residence. And while California law requires disclosure by sellers of any known defects in a residence, a proper inspection is the only way that buyers can be sure they get all the information they need about problems that may or may not be known to sellers.

A complete home inspection should include examination of a home’s roof, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, foundation, basement, crawl space and the heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical systems. Separate termite inspections are recommended, and homes that are on a hillside or that exhibit certain cracks may also need additional geological inspections.

The information culled from inspecting a home carefully can be used both to determine whether a particular property is worth buying and as a tool in negotiating the final sale price, said Prowizor, who is president of A Aa Building Inspection Service Inc.

Would-be buyers should also ask their inspector both for written and oral reports. The written report usually will include a combination of a checklist, notes by the inspector and what’s known as a boilerplate--a standard analysis of a structure.

The oral report is often the best chance for a buyer to learn about the most important pluses and minuses of the structure they may be acquiring. An inspection for a typical three-bedroom, two-bath home should take about three hours and cost $200 to $400, Prowizor said. If the price is too cheap or the inspection is too quick, he advised, the inspection is probably something less than thorough.

Experienced buyers like to tag along while the inspector is doing his or her job--or at least show up at the end of the inspection for an oral report in person. It is also advisable to get copies of any certificates of occupancy, building permits and all orders related to a particular structure for the inspector to review on the premises.

These papers can be obtained through the buyer’s real estate broker or by checking the public records directly.

Homeowners who don’t get all the proper building permits are “fools,” warned Prowizor. Although real estate brokers often talk about alterations made according to code but without a permit, Prowizor said “that’s a legal impossibility.” California’s Uniform Building Code--which is the basis for most local building codes--requires a permit to erect, repair, alter, enlarge, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish almost any part of a building structure.

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This includes not only room additions but also changing windows, moving electrical outlets, relocating plumbing or gas pipes, re-roofing, re-stuccoing, any new drywall, moving a doorway or, in some jurisdictions, even replacing a toilet or a sink.

Picking the right inspector to check into all the possible problems in a home or a condo is a challenge, said Geoffrey Lunt, president of Inspectrum Building Diagnostics in Santa Clarita. Inspectors don’t need to be licensed in California. Consumers, however, should ask for references and inquire about the inspector’s membership in the California Real Estate Inspection Assn. and / or the American Society of Home Inspectors.

10 Tips for Hiring a Home Inspector:

1. Ascertain the experience of the inspection company and its inspectors.

2. Get client references.

3. Don’t use a friend or acquaintance as an inspector; hire a professional.

4. Learn in advance what the inspection includes.

5. Request a sample of the company’s written report and look for clear language.

6. Beware of inspectors who also offer to do repairs.

7. Try to be present when the residence is being inspected. Being there provides a fuller understanding of the inspector’s findings.

8. Ascertain whether the inspector is certified either by the American Assn. of Home Inspectors or by the International Conference of Building Officials.

9. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

10. Remember that no house is perfect. A long list of problem items is not necessarily a cause for alarm.