Lake and Mendocino Counties' Most Experienced Home Inspector
BYRON DUERKSEN, ACI, CMI

                             
      ASHI # 249171       FHA/HUD # S0770         NACHI # 608209

Call Me:  707.245.7545 (cell/text) or 707.987.9970 (office)   Email:  housecheck@mchsi.com

                     

WHEN YOU WANT THE BEST, THE CHOICE IS CLEAR

Welcome to Housecheck Inspection Services. Since 2002, we have been dedicated to helping home buyers get a clear understanding of their chosen home selection, to address concerns and any potential issues, with the finest in home inspections.  Housecheck is locally owned and operated, not an out-of-state franchise. 

Housecheck offers affordable home inspections in Lakeport, Kelseyville, Clearlake, Glenhaven, Hidden Valley Lake and the surrounding area.  Call 707-245-7545 for a free estimate.  We provide a comprehensive and easy-to-read report, room by room, system by system, with lots of pictures and narratives and no acronyms to decipher or check boxes. 

More than 4,000 home buyers have trusted Housecheck to provide them with peace of mind in making their decision on a home purchase.  With our proven reputation for thorough inspections and quality reports, you can be confident in knowing what and who you are getting.

ONE HOME INSPECTOR IS NOT THE SAME AS ANOTHER

Not in California because the State does not license home inspectors and has no regulations for training, insurance, reporting, or conduct for home inspectors.  Buying a house is a major long-term financial commitment.  The level of service, quality of reports and backgrounds vary widely from one inspector to another.  Go with a Pro.  Give me a call.

Having achieved the designations of ACI (ASHI Certified Inspector) and CMI (Certified Master Inspector), I am uniquely qualified by the largest, most respected organizations in the U.S. who set the standards and protocols for home inspecting.

As a former contractor, I can tell you that home inspecting demands far more detailed education in every discipline than a general contractor.  Home Inspecting requires a unique combination of disciplines, skills and education involving many elements that are particularly complex in order to perform the very detailed job of investigating a property.

A cut-rate home inspection could be the most expensive mistake you'll ever make.  Home repairs are one of the costliest expenses consumers face.  The few dollars you think you could save may cost you thousands of dollars down the road because of missed or overlooked defects, some of which can injure or even kill you.  California Trade Practice Act (Chapter 338) prohibits a home inspector from making any repairs to a property he has inspected.

If you run across a home inspector who does not ask you to sign an agreement, you need to know that he has NO errors and omissions insurance and is not a professional.  This puts you at financial risk for any unreported defects.

My experience includes multiple terms serving on the Board of Directors as President of American Institute of Inspectors, as Region 1 Director for the California Real Estate Association and as a former city building inspector.  I have been a state approved trainer of licensed home inspectors in WA, OR and NV.  And, I currently serve as an FHA/HUD Inspector/Consultant.
 
To make sure you’re not buying a money pit, you need a professional home inspection before you commit to probably the most expensive purchase you have ever made.

HOME INSPECTIONS PLUS

Our main focus is to provide FULL SERVICE for our clients.  Our residential inspections are designed to be an educational experience for the buyers who receives much more than a report.   We include these additional services at no cost to you:

Free!  WALK-AROUND FOLLOWING INSPECTION - Following my inspection, I invite you to walk around with me to discuss what I have found, explore remedies and to answer any questions you have.  There is no time limit placed on this.

Free!  THERMAL IMAGING DETECTION - By utilizing my infrared camera, I can detect costly leaks and potentially dangerous electrical hot spots.

Free!   ERRORS AND OMISSIONS INSURANCE - Backed by general liability as well as errors and omissions insurance. 

Free!   90 DAY WARRANTY - You will have a 90 Day Limited Structural and Mechanical Warranty from American Home Warranty, from the date of the inspection.

Free!   60 PAGE INSPECTION REPORT - Every page is specfic to the inspected home.  There are no fillers.  In addition to providing you with the PDF of your inspection report, I will mail you a bound, printed copy for easy reference.

Free!   E-BOOK FOR HOME MAINTENANCE - And, finally I will send you a valuable 225 page e-book.  This book is designed to provide you with tips and information to keep your family safe and your home in top condition.

"You simply cannot find a better home inspector anywhere, at any price."

Judge the home inspector by the quality of the Inspection Report which should speak for itself.  A professional report is well written, skillfully prepared, and leaves nothing to your imagination.  It should be well organized and systematically cover every room, component and system.  Some reports can be a disorganized volume of comments and pictures, with redundancies as well as omissions, that will leave you confused and unsure.  My reports average 60 pages, are specific to your property from cover to cover, and contain NO FILLERS.

HOME INSPECTIONS REVEAL THE ANATOMY OF A HOUSE

When you shop for a home, whether you are looking for a fixer-upper, new construction, or one in move-in condition, there are generally essential components that make up any structure.  Some things that are often overlooked are wear and tear, or components nearing the end of or past their life expectancy.  Another factor to take into consideration is the change in building codes and materials since the original construction.

Electrical System Inspections

An electrical system is part of the mechanical components of the structure.  A home inspector is not required to report on Code violations, but he is required to conduct a thorough visual examination of the visible aspects of a home’s electrical system.  This includes outlets, fixtures and circuit wiring and sometimes a thermal imaging camera can capture hot spots.

Plumbing Inspections

A home inspector can only be responsible for the components that are visible.  Much of your home’s plumbing system is hidden inside walls.  However, what is visible will offer clues.   Galvanized pipe is often an indication of outdated material.  Its corrosive qualities will cause it to fail before other materials.  Copper piping is preferable, but there are many other rigid and semi-rigid synthetic materials that are long-lasting and affordable.  Pex piping is the current preference and has outstanding durability.

Structural Inspections

A structural inspection takes full inventory of those physical structures that literally hold a house together.  When they fall into disrepair, whether due to the ravages of time, natural disasters, or faulty workmanship, they often cost big bucks to repair. 

 
Crumbling Chimney in Attic       Scary Crawl Space

This attic and the crawl space are where the most secrets are revealed.  A crumbling chimney is a fire hazard at the very least.  The lack of an upward draft that this causes could fill the attic with smoke and carbon monoxide.  Those falling supports under this two story home are scary and need immediate attention.

Deck Inspections

A home inspector who is not up to the task might very well miss the fact that the nice looking deck is a safety hazard.   And the startling fact is most do not know how a deck should be built, not even those who were contractors who built decks.  If they did, I would not find one in three decks unsafe.  CLICK HERE for more information 

THERMAL IMAGING IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A HOME INSPECTION

I am a Certified Thermographer utilizing my infrared camera to reveal hidden defects. Thermal imaging or infrared allows us to see what our eyes cannot. CLICK HERE for more information

BEWARE OF UNINSURED INSPECTORS

You have a number of home inspectors from which to choose and you also have a lot to lose.  I have been contacted by home buyers who had someone else perform their inspection because they came to the realization that they had received a very poor report.  On a Lakeport home inspection the buyer had a $31,000 expense and on a Hidden Valley Lake home inspection, another had a $2,800 expense to correct the false and inaccurate information in the initial report.  Pictures in the reports were not pictures taken at these houses.

We stand behind every inspection we do with errors and omissions insurance and with a 90 day warranty.  The importance of having information that is accurate, complete, and unbiased should not be underestimated.  An inspection report is to provide you with total disclosure before you close escrow, to let you know what you are buying, before you buy it.

Continuing education separates a professional home inspector from all others.  I never stop learning.  I take audited classes and proctored exams.   I use state of the art equipment: tablets, drones, infrared camera, laser devices, and the most sophisticated software utilizing the Cloud, in order to conduct the highest quality inspection and produce the finest report available.

On a personal note, I have lived in this  area for 20 years, have participated in building homes through Habitat for Humanity, am active in my church and have been on a local School Board for six years.

UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS

I have hundreds of satisfied customers because my service is not only of the highest technical caliber but my reports are unmatched.   CLICK HERE for more information

If you are about to put your home on the market, a pre-listing inspection will put you ahead of the competition.  It will alert you to any immediate issues discovered before potential buyers tour your home.  Then, any issues or repairs can be resolved ahead of time without rushing, which will help the home show better and give you time for repair choices.  This alone can save you a considerable amount of money.  Without a pre-listing inspection, defects can cause unreasonable price adjustment demands from the buyer or even kill the sale and escrow may drag on instead of closing quickly and smoothly.

You will have a beautiful and informative Inspection Report to show the buyers.   CLICK HERE for more information.