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Servicing: LAKE, MENDOCINO, NAPA & SONOMA COUNTIES
Welcome to Housecheck Inspection Services, locally owned and operated, and dedicated to meeting your highest expectations for a home inspection. Maybe you are wondering if you even need an inspection because you have seen the house and walked around and perhaps uncovered some issues yourself. However, as a professional home inspector, I will investigate the house methodically literally for hours using a set list of procedures, and delve into areas you may have avoided or overlooked. Nothing is left to chance. Photos are taken, notes are recorded and a few more hours will be spent putting together a report that is vital to your transaction. I am a Certified Master Inspector, a seasoned professional, having conducted thousands of inspections in Northern California's wine country in the last sixteen years. The dictionary defines a "professional" as "skilled, proficient, knowledgeable, prepared, talented, competent, and experienced," in other words, a master of his craft. My reputation has been built on professionalism, integrity and the highest qualifications. I promise you'll get a thorough inspection backed by a 90 day warranty, covered by errors and omissions insurance, unmatched customer service and an easy-to-read detailed report on every room, system and component with lots of pictures. One home inspector is not the same as another in California. Even with three identical quotes, you would receive three very different inspection reports, at least one of which would be hard to read or missing information. The report is a direct reflection of the inspector's knowledge and expertise. The home inspection industry is largely unregulated in California. Don't let anyone mislead you by claiming to be a State Certified or a Licensed and Bonded home inspector because there is no such thing. Only in California can somebody be a dog catcher on Tuesday and be a home inspector on Wednesday, and I promise you I'm not making this up. California does not license home inspectors. CALIFORNIA TRADE PRACTICE ACT 338 prohibits home inspectors from repairing properties that they have inspected. A PROFESSIONAL, COMPREHENSIVE REPORT IS A MUST Judge the home inspector by the quality of the Inspection Report which should speak for itself. The report should be well written, skillfully prepared, and leave nothing to your imagination. It must cover every room, component and system. It should not require anyone to interpret it. My reports are 60+ pages specific to your property with no fillers added. My report is designed to walk you through each area of the house and show you what I saw and report on it right then and there.
MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION An inspection, like a diagnosis, is not the place for bargain hunting. Choosing the cheapest inspection could be the most expensive mistake you'll ever make. You need an all inclusive, easy to read and understand home inspection report in both PDF and Hard Copy, with a 90 day warranty, by an experienced professional. Less than that is a waste of your money. Home repairs can be some 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. The home purchase is too expensive to risk not knowing what you are buying in order to save a few dollars. The inspection costs relatively little compared to real estate commissions and down payments, but "the home inspection is the most important part of the real estate transaction" according to Consumer Reports Magazine. WHEN YOU WANT THE BEST, THE CHOICE IS CLEAR
As a professional, I maintain my long standing memberships in the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), the two largest and most prominent national home inspector associations who set the standards for industry-wide protocols. * Experienced, over sixteen years of 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. A professional home inspector must possess 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 home’s structure and components. STARTLING FACTS 6. Improper grounding of swimming pools and electrically operated components can cause a fatality upon entering a pool. Click on Swimming Pool Inspections 7. Each 1" of rainfall on a roof produces 600 gallons of roof run-off water for every 1000 square feet of the roof surface. Click on Roof Leaks Spell Disaster 8. Many people filter their drinking water. But, your body can absorb a significant amount of contaminants from a hot shower or bath. Click on Water Quality & Treatment Systems 9. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Click on Radon Identifying potential problems with a home's infrastructure or its major systems before close of escrow can ultimately save thousands of dollars in repair costs. Current or potential issues that are identified during the home inspection can then be used as a negotiating tool. A seller might reduce his price, or may even fix the problem before the close. The fact is, a large percentage of home inspectors rely on real estate agent referrals to bring in work and keep them in business. While this is not necessarily bad, it is illegal in states that license home inspectors because there is an inevitable conflict of interest inherent in such a relationship but I have no such conflicts of interest. Neither will I put my business on some website with a "Home Inspectors List' that misleads the public into believing they have picked the best inspectors out of all the inspectors -- Absolutely False. Those inspectors on the list pay a monthly fee and there are literally hundreds of websites making these bogus claims. Those websites know absolutely nothing about the home inspectors except what the inspectors have told them. What they know for sure is that the inspector's credit card clears every month. It's just advertising, nothing more. In fact, the Attorney General is suing a prominant company who provides lists . You couldn't put a price of your family's health and safety. Your home inspection costs very little but it will tell you a whole lot. It's worth much more than the inspection fee. My fees are reasonable and affordable, and depend on the perceived amount of time it will take to inspect the property and to produce a fully documented report. ONE HOME INSPECTOR IS NOT THE SAME AS ANOTHER IN CALIFORNIA California has no requirements for education, training, insurance or conduct of home inspectors. What sets Housecheck apart - (1) locally owned and operated, (2) highest level certifications, (3) advanced continuing education, (4) extensive home inspection experience, (5) professional, high-quality, detailed reports, (6) errors and omissions insurance, and (7) outstanding customer service. TRAINING - Going online with a credit card cannot provide training. As with any legitimate profession, an apprenticeship with a seasoned professional referred to in the industry as “ride-alongs” must be served. But many inspectors lack this vital step and have no training. Many do not provide service contracts or the Standards of Practice to their clients, and most do not carry any insurance. They just make it up as they go along, producing a minimal report that will leave you with more questions than answers. EXPERIENCE - Another thing a home inspector can't buy online with a credit card is experience. Experience specifically in home inspecting can make a huge difference in what you receive. I have over sixteen years of home inspecting experience, am a former contractor and have been a real estate agent. EDUCATION - Significant changes in the California Building Codes were made in 2016. And, effective January 2018, mandatory requirements for inspecting swimming pools have been passed in California. Continuing education separates a professional home inspector from the others. I take audited classes and proctored exams. It is necessary to keep abreast of new materials, advanced methods, code changes and different applications. I have attended Conferences and Seminars all over the United States to obtain advanced education. EQUIPMENT - 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. VALUE - You will receive a detailed investigation by a Master Inspector, resulting the most comprehensive, easy to read 60 page report in both PDF and bound, hard copy, along with a separate recall check report, a 90 day warranty on structure and mechanicals and a very useful 225 page ebook to answer any home maintenance questions you may have. And unmatched customer service even long after the inspection. CALIFORNIA HAS A FULL DISCLOSURE LAW This law requires the seller to disclose all known issues. The home inspection report also becomes part of the disclosures but is separate from the seller's form and is not meant to be a substitute for it. The home inspection may reveal an issue or several issues that had not been disclosed by the seller, or may even be unknown to the seller. All disclosures are available to anybody interested in the property. The importance of having access to all the relevant information on a house before making a purchase decision should not be underestimated. Equally important is getting information that is accurate, complete, and unbiased. The purpose of a home inspection is not to compose a repair list for the seller. It is to provide you with total disclosure before you close escrow, to let you know what you are buying, before you buy it. Let Housecheck provide you with the most qualified inspector and the most comprehensive report you can find. It's the difference between your peace of mind and nagging doubts. PHOTOGRAPHS ARE ESSENTIAL TO EVERY REPORT Without photographs, you get less than half the information. In my experience as a home inspector, sellers have removed etched shower doors, wood carved mantles, brand new water heaters, air conditioners, even doors between the inspection and close of escrow. And since they replaced them with like items, albeit of lesser value, they see no harm. What do you think? Pictures show why a fascia board should be replaced even if you don't know what a fascia board is. My reports are unmatched in details, in number of pictures and in readability. View any inspector's sample report online and compare. If an inspector has no E&O insurance (errors and ommisions) specifically for home inspecting, you are at risk for potential undisclosed issues. You have a lot of home inspectors from which to choose and you also have a lot to lose. COMMERCIAL PROPERTY INVESTORS YOU GET SO MUCH MORE WITH A HOUSECHECK INSPECTION Our main focus is to provide FULL SERVICE for our clients. We continually strive to improve our customers’ home inspection experience, performing high compliance inspections, and providing a comprehensive, detailed, easy to understand report, unlike any other. We include these additional services at no cost to you: 1. 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. 2. THERMAL IMAGING DETECTION - By utilizing my infrared camera, I can detect costly leaks and potentially dangerous electrical hot spots. 3. 90 DAY WARRANTY - You will have a 90 Day Limited Structural and Mechanical Warranty from American Home Warranty, from the date of the inspection. 4. INSPECTION REPORT BOOK - In addition to providing you with the PDF of your inspection report, I will mail you a printed copy in a plastic cover for easy reference. Why settle for an inferior report of only a dozen pages with check boxes OR 2 letter acronyms for you to decipher? That's not a good value at any price. My 60 page reports have no filler pages and do not require a secret decoder ring. 5. SAFE HOME E-BOOK FOR 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. THE BEST INSPECTION AND REPORT DOESN'T COST, IT PAYS In fact, it could very well prove to be life saving. This is your last opportunity to gain information and understanding on a property which is a major long-term financial commitment. I provide a 60+ page, room-by-room, system-by-system report written in plain English with pictures every step of the way.
Sophisticated buyers as well as first time buyers call me directly to book inspections. Some are out of state and a few have contacted me from as far away as Japan, Afganistan, and Italy. My first priority is to provide you, the client, with an honest and complete evaluation of the property you are about to purchase. Every inch of the property is inspected -- all structural, electrical, air conditioning, heating and plumbing are examined. I crawl under the house. I climb into the attic. I inspect the roof. I will notify you of any item that has a current or potential issue. PRE-LISTING INSPECTIONS 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. READ MORE PRIVACY POLICY We collect no personal information or data, other than what is required for our insurance and the inspection report. Click here to view the Standards of Practice Affiliate Member of North Bay Area Association of Realtors Housecheck Inspection Services, 21177 Calistoga Road, #1833, Middletown, CA 95461 Google+
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