Anyone who has ever spent any time looking at home inspector websites has probably noticed the overused “10 Questions you should ask before you choose a home inspector” lists. These lists have always seemed like the inspector is telling the client what he or she should be looking for (ie: “if your inspector isn’t a member of XYZ Association he is unqualified”, “if your inspector doesn’t have my particular background he is unqualified”, etc).  Anyone could easily tailor a bunch of questions so that the proper responses make them seem like the perfect inspector, so why not ask the questions you want answers to?

I encourage anyone who has questions of their own to either call me (818-266-2267), e-mail me at  sblaney@mindspring.com, or visit my website (link listed below). Only when YOUR questions are answered should you decide who will be YOUR home inspector.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Home inspection for the home buyer can make your dream home a worry-free reality. This is our mission statement at West Coast Home Inspections.

1.       Confirm that water, electric and gas service are on, with gas pilot lights burning.

2.     Ensure pets won’t hinder the inspection. They should be removed from premises or secured outside. Tell your agent about any pets at home.

3.     Replace burned out bulbs to avoid an “inoperable” report that may suggest an electrical problem.

4.     Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace dead batteries.

5.     Clean or replace dirty HVAC air filters. They should fit securely.

6.     Remove stored items, debris and wood from foundation. These may be cited as “conducive conditions” for termites.

7.     Remove items blocking access to HVAC equipment, electric service panels, water heaters, attics and crawl spaces.

8.     Unlock areas the inspector must access such as attic doors or hatches, electric service panels, closets, fence gates and crawl spaces.

9.     Trim tree limbs to 10′ from the roof and shrubs from the house to allow access.

10.  Attend to broken or missing items like doorknobs, locks and latches; window panes, screens and locks; gutters, downspouts and chimney caps.

Call me at 818-266-2276 or check our website link below for further details or any information on our home inspection services.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Home inspection for the home buyer can make your dream home a worry-free reality. This is our mission statement at West Coast Home Inspections.

Quick fixes before selling a home always pay off, but which repairs bring the biggest return? Specific answers to this often-asked question largely depend on a variety of factors such as:

·                    Time of year

·                    Location of the home

·                    Market temperature

·                    Competing inventory

Here are some suggested home repairs that can add to your profit margin when selling your home. 

Flooring Fixes

·                    Hardwood Floors
If your home has hardwood floors, that’s what buyers want, and it would pay to have the carpeting removed and the floors refinished.

·                    Carpeting
If your sub-floor is plywood, then replace the carpeting with light tan. Neutral carpeting is your best bet for resale.

·                    Ceramic
Replace chipped or cracked tiles. Clean or replace the grout. But don’t install ceramic (it’s too expensive) unless it’s for aesthetic reasons in an entry way.

Paint Ceilings & Walls

Buyers spend more time than you would think staring at ceilings. They are looking for signs of a leaky roof, but what you don’t want them to see are stains from grease or smoke and ceiling cracks. Ditto for walls. Nothing says freshness like new paint, and it’s the most cost effective improvement. Use fiberglass tape on large cracks, cover with joint compound and sand. Paint a neutral color such as light tan - think of coffee with cream.

·                    Wallpaper
It’s not that all buyers hate wallpaper. They hate your wallpaper - because it’s your personal choice, not theirs. And they hate all dated wallpaper. Get rid of it. The easiest way is to steam it off by using an inexpensive wallpaper remover steamer.

·                    Wood paneling
Even if your wood paneling is not real wood but composite, you can paint it. Dated paneling must go. Older wood paneling such as walnut, mahogany, cedar and pine, it’s all gone out of style. Paint it a neutral and soft color after priming it.

·                    Textured ceilings
Older popcorn ceilings with the “sparkles” often contain asbestos and if disturbed are health hazards. Say goodbye to it. But even recently sprayed ceilings turn off buyers. It’s not expensive but it is time consuming to remove. Lay down drop cloths and scrape it off. You will need to repaint.

Kitchen Improvements

Appliances and cabinets are typically the most expensive items to replace in a kitchen. If you don’t have to replace them, you’ll save a ton of money. However, if your cabinets are dated and beat-up, your house might not sell if the cabinets aren’t replaced.

·                    Cabinets
Resurfacing is your best option. This involves attaching a thin veneer to the surface of the cabinets and replacing the doors and hardware. If your cabinets are painted, add a fresh coat of paint and new hardware.

·                    Counter tops, sinks & faucets
Granite counters are not necessary. Simple laminates, newer faucets and sparkling sinks sell. Buyers don’t want leaky faucets or stained sinks.

Bathrooms

New floors, fixtures and lights payoff.

Roofs & Exterior

If your home needs a new roof, bite the bullet and do it. Even though most roofing tear-off jobs take one to two days, buyers shy away from buying a home if the roof needs to be replaced.

·                    Patch cement cracks in sidewalks

·                    Resurface asphalt driveways

·                    Plant flowers

·                    Caulk windows and doors

·                    Replace doorknobs and locks

·                    Fix or paint fences

Conclusion

Overall, buyers want to buy a home that has no deferred maintenance, newer appliances, updated plumbing, electrical and heating (including a/c), modern conveniences and is ready to occupy.

Call me at 818-266-2276 or check our website link below for further details or any information on our home inspection services.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Home inspection for the home buyer can make your dream home a worry-free reality. This is our mission statement at West Coast Home Inspections.

Deadly Mistake #1: Thinking you can’t afford it.

Today, buying the home of your dreams is easier than ever before.  Many people who thought that buying the home they wanted was simply out of their reach are now enjoying a new lifestyle in their very own new home.

Real estate values have always risen steadily.  Of course there are peaks and valleys, but the long term the trend is a consistent increase.  This means that every month when you make a mortgage payment the amount that you owe on the home goes down and the value typically increases.  This “owe
less/worth more” situation is called equity build-up and is the reason you can’t afford not to buy.

Even if you have little money for a down payment or credit problems, chances are that you can still buy that new home.  It just comes down to knowing the right strategies, and working with the right people.  

Deadly Mistake #2:  Not hiring a buyer’s agent to represent you.

Work with a buyer’s agent who has a keen understanding of the real estate business and who is on your side.  Buyer’s agents have a fiduciary duty to you.  That means they are loyal to only you and are obligated to look out for your best interests.  Buyer’s agents can help you find the best home, the best lender and the best inspector.  Best of all, in most cases, the buyer’s agent is paid out of the seller’s commission, even though he/she works for you.

Trying to buy a home without an agent at all is, well… unfathomable.

Deadly Mistake #3:  Getting a cheap inspection.

The California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA) provides education, training and support services to its members and the real estate community.  Only Certified CREIA Inspectors who have successfully passed a comprehensive written examination of the property system and who maintain 30 hours of continuing education each year may use the CREIA logo, indicating that the inspector has been tested and qualified to CREIA’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Most inspection services promote their business with brochures through real estate offices. Many claim their reports meet or follow CREIA Standards of Practice. Do not be fooled; look for the CREIA emblem on these brochures. Only inspectors who have met CREIA’s rigorous professional and educational requirements may qualify as a Certified CREIA Inspector and display the CREIA emblem.  CREIA’s Code of Ethics requires a high degree of professionalism and integrity and that a Certified CREIA inspector act fairly and impartially.  To find out more about CREIA please visit their website at www.CREIA.org.  You would be very wise to utilize the skilled Certified CREIA inspector.  They do more, they deserve more, and yes they generally charge a little more.  Do yourself a favor…and pay a little more for the quality inspection you deserve.

Call me at 818-266-2276 or check our website link below for further details or any information on our home inspection  services.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Home inspection for the home buyer can make your dream home a worry-free reality. This is our mission statement at West Coast Home Inspections.

When you’re preparing your home to be shown to prospective buyers, it takes a lot of effort to make it presentable.  Buyers spend more time than you would think staring at ceilings. They are looking for signs of a leaky roof, but what you don’t want them to see are stains from grease or smoke and ceiling cracks. The same applies to your walls. Nothing says freshness like new paint, and it’s the most cost effective improvement. Use fiberglass tape on large cracks, cover with joint compound and sand. Paint a neutral color such as light tan - think of coffee with cream.  Here are some suggestions for quick fixes for ceilings and walls:

Wallpaper
Not that all buyers hate wallpaper; they hate your wallpaper because it’s NOT theirs. Get rid of it. The easiest way is to steam it off by using an inexpensive wallpaper remover steamer.

Wood paneling
Even if your wood paneling is not real wood but composite, you can paint it. Dated paneling must go. Older wood paneling such as walnut, mahogany, cedar and pine, it’s all gone out of style. Paint it a neutral and soft color after priming it.

Textured ceilings
Older popcorn ceilings with the “sparkles” often contain asbestos and if disturbed are health hazards. Say goodbye to it. But even recently sprayed ceilings turn off buyers. It’s not expensive but it is time consuming to remove. Lay down drop cloths and scrape it off. You will need to repaint.

Call me at 818-266-2276 or check our website link below for further details.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Like with most professions, you will find qualified and unqualified individuals proclaiming themselves a professional. Home inspectors are no different. In some ways, it’s even more difficult to differentiate the good home inspectors from the bad home inspectors, primarily because few states regulate or license home inspectors.

This means any John or Jane Doe can print up business cards that identify the individual as a home inspector, and go about the practice of collecting fees from unsuspecting buyers while networking with agents for more business.

Here are a few ways you can protect yourself from hiring an unqualified inspector:

Review a Sample Home Inspection Report

A home inspector should be able to e-mail you a copy of a sample report or have one on their website. If it’s three or four pages long, don’t hire that person. While lengths of reports may vary, comprehensive reports average between 20 and 50 pages and often contain color photographs highlighting defects or problems. Check this link for a sample home inspection report:  http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/sample-report.asp

Don’t Hire Inspectors Who Recommend Contractors or Perform Repairs

Home inspectors are in the business of inspecting homes. If a home inspector offers to direct you to a contractor to perform work, that inspector could be creating a conflict of interest. Some state regulations and inspector associations allow an inspector to undertake specified repairs, but I don’t recommend hiring such an inspector.

Inquire About the Length of Your Home Inspection

To do an adequate job, most home inspections take at least three hours, sometimes longer.  A proper home inspection will require that amount of time to be precise and allow the buyer to be well informed on their potential important purchase.

Ask if the Inspector Charges for a Reinspection

The question isn’t if the inspector will find something wrong. All homes have defects. There is no such thing as a perfect house. Even new homes have imperfections.

However, if an inspector notes a problem, and the seller agrees to repair it, in many states, it’s considered a courtesy for the inspector to verify the repair without charging for a return visit. In other states such as Texas, for example, some inspectors charge for a return trip. When you interview inspectors, ask upfront about fee policy. Tip: If you elect to accept the seller’s word that the problem has been repaired, you may find yourself in Small Claim’s Court after the transaction closes.

Ask to Attend the Home Inspection

If your schedule is such that you can’t be present during the entire home inspection, you owe it yourself to be there for the last 30 minutes. Let the inspector walk you through the home to point out defects. Use this opportunity to ask questions about which noted “action items” are minor and which are major.

Sometimes a home inspector will suggest further inspections. Find out whether the inspector suspects a problem or if the inspector routinely suggests buyers obtain inspections for items the inspector does not generally cover.

An inspector may suggest a pest inspection because home inspectors are not licensed to perform pest control inspections. Such a suggestion does not necessarily imply the inspector found termites or dry rot. Not all home inspectors walk on the roof and therefore might suggest a roof inspection. In California, many sellers pay for pest and roof inspections.

Ask for Credentials & Qualifications

    Certification. Choose a certified inspector. There is no shortage of home inspector associations.  The California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA) certifies that Inspectors who have successfully passed a comprehensive written examination of the property system and who maintain 30 hours of continuing education each year may use the CREIA logo. The logo ensures consumers that the inspector has been tested and qualified to CREIA’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Most inspection services promote their business with brochures through real estate offices. Many claim their reports meet or follow CREIA Standards of Practice. Do not be fooled; look for the CREIA emblem on these brochures. Only inspectors who have met CREIA’s rigorous professional and educational requirements may qualify as a Certified CREIA Inspector and display the CREIA emblem. CREIA’s Code of Ethics requires a high degree of professionalism and integrity and that a Certified CREIA inspector act fairly and impartially.  To find out more about CREIA please visit their website at www.CREIA.org 

     Qualification. Ask friends for referrals. Ask your real estate agent for a recommendation, and then double-check that inspector’s qualifications. Some inexperienced agents recommend inferior inspectors because they don’t want a full-blown inspection that could blow their deal. Reputable agents demand qualified inspectors because they want their buyer informed.

Always, always, always get a home inspection when you buy. And hire a qualified and accredited individual to perform the inspection — not your Uncle Joe or your buddy the contractor, get a real inspector. Be there for the inspection and ask questions. Pay close attention to safety issues. Be an informed buyer.

Call me at 818-266-2276 or check our website link below for further details or any information on our home inspection services.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Home inspection for the home buyer can make your dream home a worry-free reality. This is our mission statement at West Coast Home Inspections.

When shopping for a home, the two most important factors you need to assess aside from your budget is the location of the house and its condition. The overall state of the house is a “do or die” matter.

A home inspection will not only give the buyer an idea of the property that he wants to purchase, it will also assist in determining the price of the house.  The seller also needs to have a home inspection so that he will know how to evaluate the market value of the house.

This puts everything into clarity so that there are no problems in pricing. Also, a home inspection will save you time and money from doing the inspection all by yourself. Aside from the market analysis prepared by a real estate agent, the home inspection report will also help you put a price on the house. If the house is in top condition, or if there are new appliances and installations in the property, then a home inspection report can prove that and therefore increase the pricing of your house.

The seller also has the responsibility of completing the necessary repairs for a house. A home inspection will reveal the areas and items in the house that need to be repaired. After the repairs have been done, the seller can attach proofs to the inspection report to prove that repairs have actually been done. This increases the chances for the home to be sold easily.

A home inspection will primarily make negotiations as objective as possible. Moreover, since everything about the condition of the house is included in the home inspection report, there would be fewer needs for renegotiations.

By investing in a quality home inspector, you not only save time. You are also able to establish yourself as a seller with integrity and objectivity. The price you pay for a professional home inspector is well worth the money spent.

Call me at 818-266-2276 or check our website link below for further details or any information on our home inspection  services.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Home inspection for the home buyer can make your dream home a worry-free reality. This is our mission statement at West Coast Home Inspections

The right kind of landscaping can help firefighters defend your property in the event of wildfire.

A good design can incorporate fire safety, drought tolerance and all the other benefits of landscaping, all in one package.  Here are some tips on this important subject:

Defensive Space: By reducing the amount of vegetation around your home, you make it easier for firefighters to protect your property - allow individual plants to remain in clumps that are separated from each other by at least 20 feet is recommended. Reduce flammable vegetation around the house. Cut back tree branches that hang over the roof. Keep shrubs and trees trimmed to remove low-hanging branches and deadwood. Cut down weeds.

Landscape Structures: Use non-flammable building materials like stone, brick, adobe and concrete. Avoid flammable wood structures in the garden. Wood decks hanging over unkempt vegetation are the most dangerous. Decks and other wood structures must be built to resist fire in high fire hazard areas; check with your local building department. Cover decks with approved fire resistant skirting or use concrete or stone patios instead. Flammable wood fences can act as fuses in a fire; use chain link fences or masonry walls instead. Avoid using flammable mulches like bark or wood chips near the house; use gravel, crushed rock or decomposed granite instead.

Plantings: Some plants are more flammable than others. Conifers like pine, cypress, cedar and juniper are the worst choices. Other very flammable plants include bougainvillea, pampas grass, eucalyptus, New Zealand flax, chamise and many grasses. Any plant will burn, but plants with lots of water stored in their leaves, or which contain large quantities of salts, are more resistant to fire. Examples are succulents, oleander, myoporum, lawns and many low-growing groundcovers.

Zone System: The way plants are arranged in the landscape is more important than the kind of plants you use. The Zone System uses four bands of plantings to slow an approaching fire and create defensible space.

  Zone 4, the outermost zone, consists of thinned native vegetation with free-standing clumps of pruned shrubs and low-growing plants or mulch in the remaining open space.

  Zone 3, closer to the house, is low plants to two feet tall that burn very quickly and offer very little fuel to the fire.

  Zone 2 is a greenbelt of succulents and very low-growing vegetation that is reluctant to burn.

  Zone 1 consists of less flammable species that present a minimal risk of exploding into flames during a wildfire.

For more information on planning a safe landscape design, contact your local fire prevention agency or ask the advice of professional landscapers in your area.

Call me at 818-266-2276 or check our website link below for further details or any information on our home inspection  services.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Home inspection for the home buyer can make your dream home a worry-free reality. This is our mission statement at West Coast Home Inspections.

Instead of installing a low-voltage lighting system, take advantage of the sun with solar-powered lights. Solar-powered path lights are a cinch to install. Choose an area that receives at least eight hours of full sun per day, and either hang the lights or mount them on ground stakes.

Call me at 818-266-2276 or check our website link below for further details or any information on our home inspection services.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Home inspection for the home buyer can make your dream home a worry-free reality. This is our mission statement at West Coast Home Inspections.

The California Real Estate Inspection Association certifies that Inspectors who have successfully passed a comprehensive written examination of the property system and who maintain 30 hours of continuing education each year may use the CREIA logo. The logo ensures consumers that the inspector has been tested and qualified to CREIA’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Most inspection services promote their business with brochures through real estate offices. Many claim their reports meet or follow CREIA Standards of Practice. Do not be fooled; look for the CREIA emblem on these brochures. Only inspectors who have met CREIA’s rigorous professional and educational requirements may qualify as a Certified CREIA Inspector and display the CREIA emblem. CREIA’s Code of Ethics requires a high degree of professionalism and integrity and that a Certified CREIA inspector act fairly and impartially.

To find out more about CREIA (California Real Estate Inspection Association) please visit their website at www.CREIA.org

A professional home inspection prior to buying an existing home is highly recommended.  Even if a buyer is handy with tools and home repairs, it’s a good idea to have an impartial, third-party opinion before buying.  Having some idea of the condition and issues of a property helps the buyer make a more informed decision whether or not to buy that property.

Always, always, always get a home inspection when you buy. And hire a qualified and accredited individual to perform the inspection — not your cousin Jack or your buddy contractor, get a real inspector. Be there for the inspection and ask questions. Pay close attention to safety issues. Be an informed buyer.

Call me at 818-266-2276 or check our website link below for further details or any information on our home inspection  services.

Shawn Blaney,

President,

West Coast Home Inspections

http://www.westcoast-inspections.com/

Home inspection for the home buyer can make your dream home a worry-free reality. This is our mission statement at West Coast Home Inspections.