Home Inspections

When you hire a home inspector in Westchester it is essential to understand what aspects of the home will be included in the inspection and what will need to be inspected separately by a specialist. While most professional inspectors will make you aware of the areas that will not be covered in the inspection, the client must take responsibility for knowing how far any given inspection will go toward protecting them from defects, both apparent and latent.

A home inspection in Westchester includes but is not limited to, the heating or cooling system and appliances, the plumbing in all the "wet rooms" of a house such as the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room, the electrical and wiring system, the drainage system, and the masonry, framing and other structural components of the residence. Also, the exterior landscape and the soil the foundation is set in are often included in a home inspection.

Although the plumbing is part of a routine home inspection, some homes have special considerations when it comes to septic systems and sewer connections. For these types of special concerns, a septic system professional may be called in to ensure the septic system is entirely sound. A home inspector is responsible for the piping inside the residence. As regards the outer fixtures, a specialist is required for a thorough and complete evaluation.

For defects such as radon gas accumulation or mold testing, special tests and inspections are needed as these problems are not part of a routine home inspection. Since these particular problems can have severe consequences but may be relatively easy to conceal for the short-term, a prudent home buyer will want to protect him or herself against such problems.

In addition, water quality testing is not part of a routine home inspection. Although a professional home inspector will ensure all the internal plumbing is sound and operational, the quality of the liquid coming out of the taps will require a special tester. Sometimes you can test the water quality of a home on your own, but, since you will need to send a sample away to a laboratory to get the results, it is often more expeditious to hire a water tester if the quality is a concern.

Finally, mold, while observed by a home inspector and evaluated as to its significance regarding water intrusion, a home inspection is not concerned with the toxicity of such mold. To determine if a residence has a toxic mold problem, special tests must be carried out. Since it is difficult to ensure an adequate, appropriate and indicative sample is collected, it would be safer if the inspection was carried out by an experienced professional.

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