FAQ Hawk Home Inspection

A Home Inspection is a professional, complete visual examination of all the systems and physical structural elements of a home. Our emphasis is on identifying existing or potential problems that would affect a purchaser's buying decision.

A home is the largest purchase most people will ever make. It only makes sense to find out as much as you can about the house you are interested in before you buy. That way you can avoid costly surprise repairs and problems with your new home. Our report will also advise you of what maintenance is required to keep your home in top condition. A professional inspection will give you a clear picture of the many systems and structural elements that make up the property. If you are selling your home, a listing inspection will point out any potential problems that might be uncovered later by the buyer's inspector. Finding them early will allow you to address them before listing your home, making for a faster and smoother sale.

Our standard inspection report covers all the major systems and structural elements of the house. This includes the condition of the home's heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing and electrical systems, roof, foundation, garage, driveway, fireplaces, attic and visible insulation, crawlspace, walls, doors, windows and all visible structures.

No, you aren't required to be there for the inspection. But we recommend that you be present. It's a valuable learning experience for most people and will help you get the most benefit from the inspection. By following the inspector you can ask questions directly and understand the finished report and get the most benefit from it by having been there during the inspection.

The time will vary depending on both the size and condition of the home. For most homes, 3 hours is pretty typical. But for larger homes, or homes in poor condition, it may take longer.

Chances are that even if you are very familiar with home construction, you still don't have the knowledge, training and experience of a professional Home Inspector. We are not only familiar with all the systems of a home, and how they work and need to be maintained, but we also know what to look for to tell us that they are getting ready to fail. But beyond the technical expertise and experience a Professional Inspector brings, it is important to remember that the inpsector remains an impartial third party. If you are involved in buying or selling a house, it's impossible for you to remain completely unemotional about the house, and this may cloud your judgment. The Professional Inspector will provide an objective outside reporting of the facts.

Our report will tell you the condition of the house, including needed repairs and expenses. No house is going to be perfect. It is up to you to decide how any problems the inspection uncovers might affect your decision to purchase. Our inspector will not tell you to buy or not to buy the house, that is beyond our scope. If major problems are discovered, you may want to try negotiating with the seller to have them repaired before closing the deal. Or perhaps the seller will lower the price, or offer more favorable contract terms. In the end, the decision rests with you, but knowing about potential problems, before you buy, gives you the power to negotiate and make the best decisions.

No, the code of ethics of The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) prohibits its members from doing repair work on properties they inspect. This assures that there will never be any conflict of interest by the inspector. Our purpose is to provide an unbiased, objective third party report on the condition of the home.

No! A home inspector will never be able to predict every repair or maintenance problem. Your home inspection does not constitute an insurance policy; it gives you an idea of the condition of the home and discloses areas in need of major repair.

A lot of factors go into the pricing of a home inspection. The age, size and components all are important. Please feel free to call or email me with questions.