How to Prepare for an Inspection
No home is perfect. Anything from major damage to minor maintenance issues are often found. Even new homes are not immune – they often have problems with the plumbing, electrical system, heating and cooling system, or the roofing system just to name a few.

For sellers, it’s important to be aware of any issues your home may have prior to putting it on the market. Getting a pre-listing home inspection will ensure that you’re aware of any problems and can take care of them on your terms – or present them as-is and adjust your selling price accordingly.  The alternative leaves you open to costly surprises and delays, and even potential deal-breakers once you’ve entered negotiations with the buyer.

For buyers, an inspection is vital to uncovering issues a home may have but are invisible to the untrained eye.  Even if the inspection finds more problems than you’re comfortable with and you move on to a different home to start the process all over again, it’s money well spent.  An inspection will give you the opportunity to ask the seller to make the repairs before you buy, or to back out of the contract.  So be sure to consult with your realtor about the “inspection contingency” when you begin to enter negotiations with the seller.  This allows you to set a limit on the cost of repairs to the home.  If the cost of the repairs exceed the repair allowance in the purchase contract, you can renegotiate the terms or cancel the deal.  It is a good way to protect yourself from ending up with a "MONEY PIT" a home that requires repairs that you are unable or unwilling to pay for.

Before our inspector arrives, there are a few things you should know. There are no federal regulations governing inspectors.  OSI, Inc. is governed by the laws of the Sate of Nevada, Certificate # 653.  We are licensed in the City of Las Vegas and Henderson to perform any home inspection and commercial buildings up to 10,000 square feet.  Most associations such as the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), and National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. (NAHI) have membership requirements that include minimum levels of experience and training as well as codes of ethics.  While OSI, Inc. meets these standards, we are a member of and support our local association The SOUTHERN NEVADA ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL PROPERTY INSPECTORS, Credibility is a big issue, references are available upon request.

Once your inspector has arrived, it is recommended that you accompany him or her on the inspection of the property.  This is so you can become familiar with the home and its systems as well as exactly what repairs the inspector recommends and why. Your inspector will restrict you from climbing on the roof and in the attic due to liability issues.  You may also want to prepare a list of items that you’ve seen in the home that you feel are cause for concern and discuss them with our inspector.  The inspection is a great time to find out where the home’s water and gas shutoffs are and where the main electrical box and sub panels are located.

Here are some other suggestions for homeowners:

• Accessibility: Make sure that all areas of the home are accessible, especially to the attic and crawl space.  It’s also a good idea to trim any trees and shrubs that may make an inspection of the exterior of the property difficult.
• Housekeeping: The inspector will photograph your home for the inspection report, so clearing the clutter and moving vehicles from the front of the home will help the inspection go smoother.
• Maintenance: Repair minor things like leaky faucets, missing door handles and trim.

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