Today’s topic we are going to discuss is real estate inspections in America, specifically in California. Each state has its own small specifics, depending on the weather conditions and the structure of the buildings. But today we are talking specifically about California.
Why inspections are important
For example, when I represent a buyer and have inspection documents in hand, I can request a Credit for repairs, i.e., request a discount or repair of the house by the seller.
Naturally, this affects your final cost of the house. It also affects the condition of the house you will live in.
That is, it is not only important for you, it is also important in order to get an additional discount on the house. And, of course, the more inspection results you have in hand, the more evidence you have to increase the discount.
Now let’s talk about the types of these inspections
General Inspection
This is the first inspection, the most important, and I recommend it to absolutely everyone! Because we must know the general condition of the house.
The cost is usually from $700, depending on the size of the house. We are talking about a standard house, let’s say 2000 sfe.
During the General Inspection, a full inspection is performed: the inspector looks at the condition of the roof, the foundation, and many other aspects. For example, the swimming pool – whether it works or not, then the presence of grounding in the sockets, the condition of the water supply and taps, whether there are any leaks in the house, etc.
The inspector stays in the house for two or three hours, and during this time it is important to understand the general condition of the house.
We can build on the results of the General Inspection and see what other damages and shortcomings there are in the house, with highly specialized inspections.
The Sewer Inspection
The second check, which I also definitely recommend, is Sur Line, a sewer inspection.
It usually costs about $300. It is performed by a separate inspector who runs a video camera through the sewer. This way we can see if there is any damage in it. Most often, they can be caused by tree roots. Also, the soil can settle and pipes can slip off their fasteners.
In general, this is also a very important check – this is the only way to find out what condition our sewage system is in, because it is hidden underground and its condition cannot be determined visually.
Termite Inspections
The third type of inspection that I think is very important is a termite inspection. You know that termites are very common in California. You shouldn’t be afraid of them, it’s absolutely normal. Any tree that has been standing for more than 5 years without special termite treatment will definitely be damaged by them. This important check will show us where the termites are and can be neutralized immediately.
This inspection is quite cheap, costing $195. Cheap because this inspector immediately offers a treatment for these termites, which makes the price of the procedure affordable.
Asbestos Inspection
The fourth type of inspection, which many people know about, is the presence of asbestos. I have already talked about it many times, and you can see it in my Instagram feed in your favorites. Asbestos can affect your life and the development of diseases. This is a very important topic!
Asbestos testing is quite expensive. As a rule, it costs around $400-500, with each sample (sample collection and analysis) costing between $25-50. Naturally, they take quite a few samples, as this is also very important.
Let’s say, as it was in the last house, during the inspection that we did for asbestos, we found asbestos in the ceiling, in the floor, in the walls, and in the air duct. That is, it was just everywhere, in the whole house. Naturally, if we hadn’t taken 10 samples, we wouldn’t have known where it was. Therefore, it is important to take about 10 samples, especially if the house is very old and in poor condition.
The Roof Inspection
The next important type of inspection is a roof inspection. In terms of its relevance, we should start from the General inspection, because it will tell us in advance what condition the roof is in. If the roof is basically in good condition, and, for example, only lacks a gasket or is 10 years old, then we do not need a separate roof inspection. But if the General Inspection says that the roof is in very poor condition, we need to call a specialized roof inspector who will tell us exactly how much the repairs will cost.
Thus, we will have a specific figure on hand for which we will ask for a discount.
Foundation Inspection
This is also called a “Structural inspection”: an inspection of the foundation and the structure of the house itself. For example, if you see cracks in the wall of the house, this is the type of inspection.
We also do this inspection depending on what the General inspection shows us. If there are no problems, then we don’t need it. It is usually quite expensive.
Fireplace Inspection
The next inspection I recommend is a Chimny inspection. There is a lot of love for chimneys in California, but they tend to be all old and very often they have problems: somewhere is missing a head on the roof, somewhere is missing just pieces of cement, or part of the ductwork, and these are pretty common.
Every time we do a fireplace inspection, it always shows some kind of problem. I have never had a case yet where everything was fine after the fireplace check.
Retrofit Inspection
The inspection conducted by the seller in California is, so to speak, “off the record” and the seller pays for it, it is an inspection for the presence of detectors — Retrofit Inspection.
They check whether each room has different types of detectors. All these things are checked by the seller. If you have an experienced real estate agent, he or she will check it again. In general, all sellers are required to do it. In order to ensure that houses are sold with all fire detectors and with all carbon monoxide detectors (carbon monoxide is a gas).
I think I’ve talked about all the most important inspections. But there are others, such as electricians.
If we see problems with the General Inspection, and it specifically says that, for example, there is a problem with the electrical system, then, of course, it is advisable to call an electrician and get a quota accordingly. So that we understand how much the repairs will cost and how much we should ask the seller for a credit for repairs.
CONCLUSIONS
I hope you found this information useful. We quickly ran through all the types of real estate inspections in California.
Of course, I give my clients a more detailed training and we scrupulously check the houses. You need to understand that it is important not only to check the house in order to get a discount.
It is important that you understand the condition of the house you will live in. For example, what condition your air conditioner is in, when it will have to be replaced, what condition the roof is in, and how long it will have to be replaced or repaired. That is, you should also have such time frames in mind, because these are expensive repairs, and you should prepare in advance and understand how much money you will need for repairs.
That’s all about this topic. Do you still have any questions? Feel free to contact me!
Author: Los Angeles realtor Mariya Shmagliy
