 BYRON DUERKSEN, ACI |
HOUSECHECK INSPECTION SERVICES
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Serving Calistoga, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, St. Helena, Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Clearlake, Middletown, UkiahBYRON DUERKSEN, ACI, CMI, MCI
A HOUSECHECK INSPECTION IS YOUR BEST INSURANCE To be a truly excellent home inspector requires a body of knowledge far beyond any other construction discipline and one must possess total familiarity with the immense number of systems and components that make up a residential dwelling. I inspect every home as though I were buying it for myself. I strive to be a consumate professional in my inspections and I work with many real estate agents who are themselves professionals of the highest calibre. I bring this to your attention only because there are a few agents who have openly stated that I am too thorough, too detailed and my report is too long. NO CLIENT HAS EVER HAD THIS COMPLAINT. A selling agent on a home I recently inspected said, "The buyer doesn't need to know all that." Even with the Full Disclosure Law, they may try to convince you that "a little TLC" is all that is needed when in fact tens of thousands of dollars may be required to bring the property up to a comfortable and safe living standard. Don't buy a property "AS IS" without a contingency clause for a complete inspection. It is the biggest expenditure of your life -- demand the best inspection. Every inch of the property is inspected -- all structural, electrical, air conditioning, heating and plumbing is examined. I crawl under the house. I climb into the attic. I walk on roofs. I will notify you of any item that has a potential issue. I provide color photos in every inspection report. One picture really is worth a thousand words. You will understand every item by the time I am finished. Errors and omissions insurance is critical. Every professional home inspector must have it and any reputable realtor demands it. If the roof falls in, literally or figuratively, after you move in, how are you protected against loss? Thermal Imaging Inspections, We are a full service inspection company with FHA 203k inspections, thermal imaging inspections, home inspections, and commercial inspections. We are best qualified to serve you for any and all your inspection needs! CALL NOW for a thermal imaging inspection and stop throwing your money away on high energy bills. THERMAL IMAGING INSPECTIONS ARE AN OPTION THAT MAY BE ADDED TO YOUR HOME OR COMMERCIAL INSPECTION WATCH OUT FOR THESE INSPECTION SCAMS ON FORECLOSURES I discovered on two separate inspections situations that definitely would have resulted in fatalities from carbon monoxide poisoning had the buyer moved in without having been made aware of the very serious venting issues. One client of a popular local home inspector contacted me recently that his home inspection did not include the deck. Now they live in a house where the back sliders are blocked so no one will be able to use the deck because it is falling apart and dangerous. He will to have to pay $15,000 for a new deck. They thought they only had to repair the roof and buy a new stove. Many real estate agents who don't like bargaining with banks are advising clients that home inspections are of no value as a bargaining tool, since banks don't negotiate on "as is" properties. As an added disincentive, banks selling properties "as is" have no legal responsibility for any lurking defect. While the agent's advice to forgo an inspection as a means to negotiate on the price may be logical, it is startlingly counter-intuitive, and possibly even negligent. Would you buy a car without knowing whether it has a transmission? ENDORSEMENTS BY OUTSIDE COMPANIES? DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT! You want to save money and no one would fault you for that. But, this is a dangerous place to do that and should not be your only criterion. If you think that the inspection should only take about 45 minutes, 45 minutes is a WALK-AROUND not an INSPECTION. It is not humanly possible in just 45 minutes to "inspect" the plumbing, the electrical, the heating system, the cooling system, the roof, the foundation, drainage, gas lines, venting, appliances, get into the attic and crawl under the house. A 45 minute inspection does not comply with the mandates of licensing states such as Nevada, Oregon and Washington, but in Calfiornia anything goes. So watch out.
Is a 10 to 20-page report with only a handful of pictures adequate? Not at all. I am sure you have heard that one picture is worth a thousand words. That could not be truer when it comes to a home inspection. You need pictures of what you saw when you decided to buy . Some inspectors use an old-fashioned checklist with little boxes. Come on now. Would you accept a checklist from you doctor (poor, fair, good) if you were ill? You would want tests, data, lab work, x-rays, recommendations, and clear concise information on your condition. That is what you should have when you are about to spend probably the most money you have ever spent on one item--a house.
This is what was holding up a 2-story house -- so far. Wouldn't you like to know about conditions like this if you were buying the house?  Photographed by Dan Huckins, Master Inspector
This chimney looks just fine from the outside, but inside was another story.   See - Attics and Crawl Space I will meet or exceed every requirement in the Standards of Practice and my inspection reports stand out from all others with more information and more pictures in an easy to read format. You need to know every issue and feature of the property before you invest. I am here to assist you in making an informed decision about one of the most expensive purchases you'll ever make. The cost of a home inspection on the average house is less than .1% of the purchase price and provides the peace of mind especially in this real estate market where homes are fixers and need TLC. Especially, now that foreclosures are such a seemingly good deal, make sure you know what you are buying. That good deal could turn into a money pit before you realize it if you don't get a professional home inspection. I will make certain that you know and understand every fact about the property that you are purchasing. I will provide a report that gives 100% full disclosure (a California Law), with no worries that you will discover some issue for which your only recourse is legal action. Many issues found in inspections can be resolved with a little time and money before it turns into an extremely costly repair and/or replacement.
residential and commercial Inspections and Thermal Imaging We are your home, commercial, FHA 203k and thermal imaging expert.
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