A home inspection is a thorough and objective review of the condition of the home right from the physical structure and the permanently installed systems of the house from the top to the base. With the home inspection, you will have informed knowledge about the vital systems and structural integrity of your home.

The purchase of a home is probably the largest single investment that you will ever make in your lifetime. Just as you would inspect a car that you want to purchase, it is strongly recommended that you, as an educated home buyer, hire a professional home inspector to make a detailed examination of the home you intend to invest in too. With a professional inspection of the conditions of the property, a buyer or seller can have the knowledge in order to make intelligent decisions before executing the agreement for sale or purchase of the home.

For the seller, it is also necessary to do an inspection of the property prior to listing it for sale. The home inspector would be able to discover any potential issues about the property and therefore the seller would have time to rectify them before they affect the value of the property or be an obstacle to the sale.

For a home owner already living in the property for some time, it is also advisable to carry out a home inspection so that he can identify potential or the present physical condition of the home. With this information and tips, a home owner can maintain or repair his property.

Nowadays, purchasers are demanding for a proper home inspection before closing the deal. Location is not only the deciding factor but the condition of the property, especially if it is a matured property. Of course, sellers are not too happy about it but consumers nowadays are more aware because of many cases of abuses that have been highlighted in the media. There are cases where faults in the property have been plastered up or repainting jobs done to cover up actual status of the property. Or leaking roofs would not be identified when the property was sold in the dry season.

Buyers are more informed and educated thus want value for their money. Therefore, it would be a win- win situation for both the seller and the buyer to carry out a professional home inspection to save any embarrassment when issues crop up about the property after the deal is through.

A professional home inspector would provide you with a report outlining the inspection and its finding. The complete inspection includes a visual inspection of the property accessible and visible by normal means. This includes information concerning:

Overall structural integrity.

Interior: --- floors, windows, kitchens, baths, staircases, ceilings, walls, insulation, junction boxes, water penetration and general condition;

Exterior: --- roof, chimney, gutters and drainage, grading, siding, joists, shingles, eaves, rafters;

Plumbing: --- water piping, fixtures and safety implications, water heater and venting;

Air conditioning: --- evaporator and duct work, compressor;

Electrical system: -- system distribution, main panel, outlets, junction boxes and safety implications;

Termite report: --- Inspection could show visible infestation or visible damage caused by a wood destroying organism like termites, water damage or wood rot.

This is an inspection of the property during a warranty period after your purchase (18-24 months) During this period the Developer would be required to rectify defects at their costs.

It is advisable for a property buyer to carry out a proper inspection when he takes Vacant Possession of his property. He is normally allowed a grace period to inspect his property and this is called the Defects Liability Period. The home inspector will carry out a thorough visual examination of the current condition of the property and indicate the items that would need minor or major repairs by the developer or seller. Also, an inspection of the property is recommended just before the end of the DLP so that he is able to identify the latent defects to be rectified during the warranty period before it is too late.

Architect Centre provides a fee schedule based on the property type and size. There are also other factors like the age and location of the building or optional services required that determine a fair amount of fees charged. However, the fees should not be a factor in the decision whether to have or not to have an inspection. It would be worth the cost to have some peace of mind and security and to have your seller or developer perform repairs based on significant problems revealed by the Inspector.

Apart from the above mentioned tools, other tools include a damp meter to detect dampness on the walls too. Many other specific tools are used to inspect specific areas of the property but what counts most is the experience, techniques and well- trained eyes of the professional Inspector to identify defects and potential problem areas. He is in the best position to verify the seriousness of the defects that need to be attended to. You have to trust the Inspections' capabilities in their field of expertise.

Many consumers like house buyers really do not understand the difference between a property appraiser and a property inspector.

An appraiser provides a professional unbiased opinion of market value to be used when making real estate decisions. Their report includes formal analysis leading to an opinion of value to the property.

An accredited building inspector on the other hand, does a third party, objective examination of the accessible structure, electrical and mechanical systems of a property from the roof to the foundation to give an overall assessment of the condition of the property. His report would be a guideline to the buyer or seller or developer in making good the defects found to the physical areas of the property.

The Building Inspectors from the Architect Centre are independent professional architects who remain unbiased to the client of a third party and their Inspection Reports are objectively comprehensive according to the guidelines of their checklists. Their reports would list down all the defects identified and their possible causes.

By hiring an impartial professional building inspector, a buyer will have an objective and unemotional view of the condition of their house. Therefore it is definitely useful to use the Architect Centre's independent report for claims in the Homebuyer's Tribunal.

The advice given by the architect based on visual inspections is the crucial preliminary advice to put things in the right perspective. If there is a need for further action by a structural engineer to conduct site evaluation and testing, we would advice to do so where necessary.