THE INSPECTION PROCESS 

   

  

  

  

YOU ARE READY FOR THE INSPECTION: 

  

When you order a home inspection from Cornerstone, you are getting an unbiased, objective evaluation of your new home.  The home inspection usually takes us 3-4 hours depending on the age and size of the home.  Just because it's a brand new home does not mean it's an easy inspection for us…we see numerous defects in new construction.  Sometimes, the new homes take us longer to inspect than older ones due to new technology.  As for the inspection, we encourage you to attend the entire inspection or at least be present for the walk through at the end.  This will provide you with an excellent opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about the home you are buying or selling and understand what our inspection covers.  Our rigorously trained inspectors will educate you about your home during the walkthrough. You will be informed on items such as main water shut offs, furnace filters, electrical shut offs, areas of concern, safety issues, items needed repair and so much more!   We guarantee all your questions will be answered. Nebraska does not require your inspector to be certified or licensed.  At Cornerstone, all inspectors are required to be certified with The American Society of Home Inspectors and continue to take various training classes throughout the year. 

  

  

BUYER INSPECTIONS:   You find a home and decide to put an offer on it…now what?   We always recommend you make your offer contingent upon a home inspection.  Having a home inspection is becoming common practice among buyers/sellers and it's sometimes required by banks, relocation companies and other financial institutions.  So the sellers accept your offer and it is now contingent upon you obtaining a satisfactory home inspection.  Deciding to have this home inspection is one of the most important decisions you can make when purchasing a home.  According to your contract and/or terms, you usually have around 5-10 days to complete your home inspection.  Call Cornerstone and we will set everything up for you.  

  

  

SELLER INSPECTIONS:   Having your current home pre-inspected before you list it is becoming common practice among sellers.  You are going to want a smooth transaction during your sale, but do you know the condition of your current home?  When was the last time your roof was inspected?  Or how about servicing the furnace and air conditioning unit?  Before you list your home, we recommend you have your home pre-inspected.  A pre-inspected home can help move the sale along smoother, will give you a chance to repair/correct any problem areas and help you decrease you're liability due to issues found with your home.  Buyer's sometimes use those "minor issues" found during the home inspection to reduce your asking price.  Having your home pre-inspected will find most of those "minor issues" and give you a chance to repair them before you list your home.  Pre-inspected homes usually sell faster and often at a higher price. 

  

  

WHAT'S INSPECTED? 

  

Listed below is a brief list of some of the items that are included with your inspection.  An average inspection includes 300-400 items that are inspected, but these are some of the major components. The inspection includes all the visible areas that were accessible during the home inspection.  Although we try to inspect every component, sometimes personal property, styles of homes and/or weather can restrict our view.  Further evaluation will be recommended on items that were not accessible during the inspection.  

  

EXTERIOR:  Sidewalks, driveways, retaining walls, porches, stoops, stairs, decks and balconies, siding, trim, soffits, windows, doors, visible foundation, grading, sprinkler system, hose bibs, chimney and more. 

  

ROOF:  Depending on the weather and style/pitch of the roof, we always try to walk the entire roof.  Roof inspection includes the age, style, number of layers, overall condition, flashings, vents, skylights, roof penetrations and guttering system. 

  

UNFINISHED ATTIC AREAS:   If possible and accessible, we will enter this area and inspect as much as possible.  Included is the roof framing/rafters, decking/sheathing, insulation depth and condition, electrical, ventilation, moisture damaged areas, and any other visible conditions. 

  

HOMES INTERIOR:   Walls, ceilings, floors,  windows, doors, electrical switches/receptacles, ceiling fans, stairs and railings, accessible fireplace components, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, attached appliances and any other accessible areas. 

  

PLUMBING SYSTEMS:   Type and condition of water/waste lines, water pressure, water heater age/size/overall condition, main water shutoff and meter, sump pump, dishwasher, jacuzzi tubs, sinks, toilets, showers and bathtubs.  Note: We do not inspect septic and well systems.    The plumbing inspection is limited to the visible areas only. 

  

ELECTRICAL:  Main service drop wire, service entrance wires, meter box, main electrical panel, capacity of home electrical system, all accessible receptacles/switches/wiring, presence of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets, ceiling fans, bath ventilation fans, garage door opener and the safety reverse mechanism, and all other visible electrical components.  

  

HVAC(HEATING/COOLING):  The type, age, fuel source, overall condition, gas/carbon monoxide checks, temperature difference, ductwork, humidifier, filters, coolant lines, compressor, fans and any other visible components.  We are not a licensed HVAC contractor, but if needed, we will have a licensed HVAC company further inspect the heating/cooling equipment for you at no extra charge.  

  

THE CUSTOM REPORT: 

  

At the end of the inspection, we will provide you with a 25-30 page computerized custom report. The report will have a summary page listing all major areas of concern, safety issues and items in need of repair/servicing.  If you feel you cannot make the inspection, we can email the report via PDF and then discuss your report over the phone or meet you back at the home at a later date.  We feel the Cornerstone inspection report is one of the best in the industry, if not the best.  Hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars have been invested in our reporting system to make sure it provides you with the best possible outline of your home.  Digital photos are also included on CD-Rom of all the areas of concern around you home.  We also include a 60 page color book on homes that comes in handy when tackling those DIY projects.  We guarantee our report will impress you!  Click here to see a copy of a sample Cornerstone report.  

  

WE TAKE CARE OF OUR CLIENTS: 

  

We guarantee you will be impressed with your inspection.  We are always upfront with our clients and let them know that this is a visible inspection.  Although we try to find every defect, we are only human and errors can happen.  That's why Cornerstone carries the best errors and omissions insurance in the industry.  We are incredibly thorough with our inspections, but we cannot see behind walls or predict future appliance failures.  As an example, we inspect the dishwasher in your new home and find no problems at the time of inspection.  We ran it through a full cycle and it finished with no leaks or issues.  We told you it was 6-8 years old and was in working condition.   You move in and the first time you run the dishwasher it quits working.  You hire a plumber and he says the motor went bad.   Dishwasher electrical components can fail and will fail eventually.  Although we would have liked to have found this defect at the time of inspection, sometimes this is not possible, as to all appliance can work fine one day and then fail the other.  If this particular dishwasher was older than 8-10 years, we would let you know it is at or near the end of its serviceable life.  We encourage our clients to purchase a home warranty for this particular reason.  We recommend the client purchase a home warranty on all homes older than 6-8 years.  Although we guarantee our inspections, we cannot guarantee the life of used appliances, as we know they will eventually fail.  On the flip side of this, if we inspect the roof and we note that is in acceptable condition, but it is actually damaged and/or at the end of its serviceable life, we are responsible for this issue.  We will repair or replace the roof at no cost to you.  That is Cornerstone's promise to you! 

  

OTHER SERVICES: 

  

We also offer pre-sale inspections for sellers, mold investigations and radon testing.  Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions regarding our services.