|
 Inspection
Types
A
standard pre-purchase inspection covers a home's major mechanical
systems -- electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling--and its construction
from roof to foundation, exterior to interior. Overall inspections
do not cover soil, pools, wells, septic systems, building code violations
or environmental hazards such as lead. The inspection contingency
in your purchase contract should allow you up to two weeks to conduct
an overall inspection plus any specialized inspections you (or your
lender) require. Most inspections cost several hundred dollars.
Specialized inspections usually involve an expert and can cost more.
Remember, repairs or remedies are negotiable; they also can derail
a deal.
|
Type
of inspection
|
What
it covers
|
Cost/who
pays
|
Remedies
|
|
Standard
pre-purchase
|
Overall
home construction and condition, including major
mechanical systems
|
$200-$500;
buyer
|
Conduct
further specialized inspections; repair
|
|
Wood
damage
(required by many lenders; check with yours)
|
All
wood portions of home (interior and exterior)
|
$75-$200;
negotiable
|
Repair
or replace damaged wood; treat for wood-destroying
insects or organisms
|
|
Lead
(disclosure required on all homes built before 1978)
|
Presence
of lead in paint, plumbing or other areas
|
$400
for basic survey; negotiable
|
Repair
or replace affected areas
|
|
Radon
(disclosure of known elevated levels required)
|
Presence
of naturally occurring radioactive gas
|
$150
for basic survey; negotiable
|
Seal
foundation cracks, install a sump pump; ventilate
basement or crawl space.
|
|
Environmental
hazards
(asbestos, formaldehyde, petroleum, toxic chemicals)
|
Presence
of any substance in building material, soil, water
or air that poses a health risk
|
Price
varies; negotiable
|
Remove
hazardous material, such as asbestos, or source
of danger, such as a buried oil tank.
|
|
Soil
|
Condition
of soil under and around foundation and retaining
walls
|
$300
to $2,000; negotiable
|
Repair
or treat problem
|
|
|
These
are estimated prices only.
|
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