Home Inspections in Gauteng
Home Inspections:
Because of my experience and training, I offer SEVEN different types of house inspections or property assessments of buildings to suit the needs of home buyers, home sellers, homeowners, business owners, landlords, and those of you thinking of building or extending your home.
All my residential and commercial property inspections are in full accordance with InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice for residential and commercial properties, and InterNACHI’s Code of Ethics.
1) Comprehensive Home Inspections
This is the most popular home inspection. My Comprehensive Inspection and Report covers every aspect of the property, including all finishes.
6 different comprehensive inspections are available depending on your inspection requirements. This can be inspections for previously owned homes, new homes or existing homes, or properties.
a) Home-buyers inspection or buyers’ inspection
Buying a home is one of the most important and expensive transactions you can make.
A professional home inspection can help you optimise your investment by identifying issues before you finalise the purchase and price of your new home. This inspection will save you money in the long run and prevent the stress associated with such a large investment.
Importantly, with this purchase, you must remember to insert a home inspection contingency in the Offer To Purchase and negotiate a contingency period with the seller.
b) New home Inspection or Snag Inspections
Also known as a punch or snag list
Before moving into a newly built home, the need for a professional home inspection cannot be more important!
A home inspection (snag list) is performed to validate the finishes and condition of your home’s components. In addition, the snag list can be done before you take occupation or during the 90-day patent defect period after you have taken occupation.
Follow-up inspections are also provided if required.
c) Maintenance Home Inspections
A Home Maintenance Inspection is just like the Comprehensive Home inspection you can have before you buy a home.
I will check out all the main systems of your home—roof, walls, foundation, air-conditioning, electrical, plumbing, etc. In addition, I will flag anything that might be starting to malfunction.
I will uncover problems you have not noticed. I will detect the little signs that something is starting to go wrong. This may be small cracks, spots, uneven wear, or fixtures such as a geyser reaching the eventual end of its life. Furthermore, I will also make you aware of the regular maintenance you should be doing in your house.
d) Home Sellers Inspection or Seller’s inspection
A seller’s inspection of your home can help you sell it more easily, faster, and potentially more profitably. It is also a great marketing tool!
Rather address issues before, rather than waiting until negotiations begin, because it can result in lower offers, delayed closing, or lower selling prices.
Furthermore, a seller’s inspection has the added advantage of being your seller’s disclosure!
Get a FREE Quote NOW!
e) Rental House Inspections
Having a Rental Inspection Report as part of a written tenancy agreement is advantageous for both the landlord and tenant.
Rental Housing, Unfair Practices Regulations, and Consumer Protection Acts dictate the practice around rental inspections and the refund of the damage deposit.
The landlord and the tenant must undertake both ingoing and outgoing inspections as required by the Rental Housing Act. However, if either party cannot attend, they may send an assigned representative on their behalf.
Landlords or rental agents who have not conducted a property inspection when the tenant takes occupation will be unable to take action if the rental unit has been damaged during the rental period.
Generally, a landlord or rental management agent can withhold the rental deposit to mitigate any financial cost of repairing any damage to the rental unit. However, if no property inspection was done beforehand, they are not within their legal rights to do so and will have to absorb the full cost of the repair. Therefore, it is advisable for landlords to also undertake a mid-term inspection approximately halfway through the tenancy agreement to monitor the state of the property and intervene early if there is any breach or damage.
If contracted, I provide the initial, midterm, and follow-up inspections when existing tenants leave, and new tenants occupy the premises at a very affordable fee structure.
However, I only perform rental inspections in the Pretoria and Centurion areas to keep them affordable to landlords.
f) Commercial Property Inspections
Whether you are considering buying or renting a commercial property, it is advisable to have a Commercial Property Inspection. As part of your “due diligence”, I can provide you with a detailed evaluation of the condition of the building and its components. Furthermore, I will make recommendations regarding maintenance and improvements.
I offer commercial property inspections of:
- apartment buildings
- restaurants
- office buildings
- warehouse facilities
- retail stores
- shopping centres
My commercial property inspections include a comprehensive evaluation of all major building components. For example, this includes the structure, roof, electrical system, interior and exterior elements, heating & cooling systems, plumbing, and more.
2) Critical home inspections
Critical house inspections are for both buyers and sellers. A critical inspection costs about ¾ of the price of a comprehensive inspection.
A critical home inspection is best for budget-conscious homebuyers and sellers who need the major components to be inspected! Consequently, I focus on components and services such as the roof, structure (inside and outside), windows and doors, and electrical and plumbing installations.
The critical inspection includes unsafe, functional, or structural issues requiring prompt remedial attention to preserve the safety, functionality, or structural integrity of the house or major installation.
Such issues are frequently NOT obvious to any observant layman.
These include structural cracks in walls, ceilings, and floors, or dampness, roof leaks, illegal or unsafe geysers, window or door issues, and unsafe electrical and gas installations. In addition, I report on surface drainage, vegetation, and foliage issues that may affect the structure adversely.
Other external elements, such as boundary and yard walls, the site, swimming pools, driveways, walkways, carports, garden sheds, etc., do not form part of the critical inspection. Furthermore, I inspect internal walls, floors, and ceiling finishes only for signs of dampness, staining, or structural issues. In addition, I inspect cupboards and counters only for moisture intrusion.
3) Walk Through Inspections
A walkthrough is not a formal home inspection. It is an informal inspection. As a result, I perform a visual walkthrough inspection of the home and provide you with comments summarizing my observations. Furthermore, my comments will be nothing more than a subjective summary of my initial observations during the walk-through.
What does a walkthrough inspection involve?
A walkthrough inspection lasts the same time as a comprehensive inspection (1½ to 3 hours, depending on the house). Moreover, you can ask questions and take notes while I explain the defects.
Because a walkthrough is less formal, I do not adhere to the InterNACHI Standards of Practice. If you attend the walkthrough inspection, I will not generate a written report. I communicate my observations orally to you. You make your notes during the inspection. In this way, you save time and money because there is no written report at the end of the inspection.
Furthermore, because it is an informal inspection, this type of inspection is also very affordable.
However, you need to sign an InterNACHI Walk-Through Inspection Agreement before the walkthrough. This is to protect me against liability for deviating from the requirements of the InterNACHI Standards of Practice for Home Inspections.
Get a FREE Quote NOW!
4) Limited Scope Home Inspections (Single-System Inspections)
I often receive calls from clients looking for a home inspection for a single component in the home. For instance, this can be roof leaks, bulging ceilings, damp problems, etc.
A limited scope inspection is also the most affordable, starting at R2000.00, depending on where you are in my inspection area. Moreover, if you want more components inspected at the same time, this will only cost an additional R750.00 per component
5) Building progress house inspections
If you are building your own home or alterations and extensions are being constructed, this is the inspection for you.
Building progress inspection can be performed weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or at the start and finish of specific construction activities such as brickwork, roof erection, plastering etc.
Furthermore, pricing is negotiable depending on the number of inspections you require.
6) Multi-unit house inspections
A multi-unit inspection is normally for more than 4 units and is regarded as a commercial property inspection.
For this type of inspection, the following options are available:
a) Critical area inspection
- Plumbing for leaks, drainage, and hot water.
- A representative number of windows and doors
- Structure (exterior and interior), including roof from the ground and at least one point at the eaves on a ladder (where applicable and practical).
- Stoves and other fixtures (air conditions etc.) are not part of an Electrical CoC.
- Presence of dampness and mould in ceilings and walls.
- Safety hazards.
The units’ common areas are not inspected unless it is specifically requested!
b) Sampling comprehensive inspections
A sampling formula of comprehensive inspections of a random number of units between 20% and 50% of the units you wish to invest in, where it is not feasible to inspect every unit. This will include an equal balance of older and newer units, and different floors if the blocks are multi-storied ( equal number of ground top, and intermediate floors).
A comprehensive report on the units will be provided for every unit inspected. The units’ common areas are inspected if required.
c) Sampling critical area inspections
A sampling formula of the type of inspection detailed in the critical area inspection option, with a random number of units between 20% and 50% of the units you wish to invest in where it is not feasible to inspect every unit. In addition, this will include an equal balance of older and newer units, and different floors if the blocks are multi-storied (an equal number of ground, top, and intermediate floors).
I will not inspect common areas in this case!
d) Your choice of specific items and the number of units
Your choice of items and the number of units you wish to have inspected.
NOTE: I do not recommend options b, d, or c as unsafe, damaged units can slip through the net and may be expensive to bring to standard.
Contact Me For A Quote
7) Damp and Mould House Inspections
Musty smells and stuffy air in your house can be indicative of the presence of mould.
It is advisable to have a mould inspection when you suspect you might have a mould problem in your house. Moreover, I strongly recommend you have your property professionally inspected when you experience sleep loss or breathing difficulties (shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, or respiratory irritation). Also, you may experience neurological issues (headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea).
An inspection is essential if your house is already suffering from obvious mould contamination in the bathroom or kitchen wall, ceiling, or cupboards. My mould inspection will identify and confirm the true extent of the problem and recommend rectifying it.
8) Termite Inspection
If there are signs of termites in your garden or you are in a known termite problem area, you should regularly have your home inspected for a termite infestation.
They might be in your built-in cupboards, floor skirtings, or roof space. Therefore, my termite inspection will identify and confirm the extent of the problem and damage. I will provide recommendations on how to rectify it.
Inspected Once, Inspected Right!®
SEE WHERE I INSPECT IN GAUTENG!
THE HOME DETECTIVE » Homeowner » Maintenance inspection » Home Page » INSPECTIONS »