A Building Inspection Is a Must

April 13th, 2012 by admin No comments »

If you are considering the investment in any type of commercial or residential property, a building inspection is a requirement. Though there may not be any laws requiring it, the investment in one can help you to safeguard your investments moving forward. It can also help you to protect your financial future. If you enter into a contract without such a formal step, you could end up purchasing a property that is not worth what you paid for it, even if you got a good deal. The good news is that you can avoid this by hiring a professional organization to handle the inspecting work.

What It Can Do for You

A building inspection can be an excellent investment. Though you will need to pay for it out of your pocket, as it is not often a part of the process of making the purchase, it is a possibility that you will save a significant amount of money by doing so in the long-term. This step can actually help you to save a significant amount of time, too, especially if the property is not worth your money. Even if nothing is found to be wrong with the location, you will still find yourself having a better outlook and more confidence in your purchase as the result.

Though there are differences in what is included in a building inspection from one company to the next, you will likely learn a good deal about the property at the close of the meeting. Walk around the home with these professionals to understand what is occurring throughout it.

• You will learn if the major systems in the location are working properly. This will include heating and air condition and other HVAC systems. It will also include the roofing system.

• It will tell you the condition of the foundation and all aspects of the structural integrity of the location. You will learn if there are grading problems with the property as well.

• You will learn about the potential signs of problems including pest problems, water damage and mold issues. If these are found, you may also learn how severe the concern is. » Read more: A Building Inspection Is a Must

Adding Pictures to Your Home Inspection Report

April 8th, 2012 by admin No comments »

Clients love having pictures in their home inspection reports because it makes it easy for them to see the issues that were found, even days after the inspection. The picture gives them a visual of exactly what the home inspector saw, and is referencing in the written part of the report. This makes it easier for the client to understand the report and can ultimately cut down on the number of calls home inspectors will receive from clients looking for clarification on something in the report. Here are a few ways that home inspectors can go about adding pictures to their reports.

Adding Pictures on a Smartphone or Tablet

With more and more inspectors starting to use a smartphone or tablet in the field for their inspections, it is important that they can to add pictures to reports that they create on these devices. Having the ability to use one device to create the report and take pictures can be a huge time-saver. Now that these types of devices have quality cameras, home inspectors are able to complete their inspection report in the field with pictures on one device. To add a picture on a smartphone or tablet, the home inspector will need to be in their home inspection app. Here they should have the option to press a button and have their camera automatically pop up. They can then take their picture and it will be added right to the line item that they are currently inspecting. They can then move onto the next item and add as many pictures as needed, when needed.

Adding Pictures on a Desktop, Laptop, or Netbook

Adding pictures on a desktop or laptop is also a very popular option with home inspectors This allows them to use a high quality digital camera in the field to take their photos. Although, the cameras in smartphones and tablets are getting better and better, they will most likely always pale in comparison to a high quality digital camera. Separate, digit cameras also will also have higher quality features/options such as flash and zoom. To add pictures to their reports on a desktop, laptop, or netbook, the inspector will first need to load the photos from their camera to their computer. Once the pictures are on their computer, they are ready to be added into the inspection report. How the pictures are inserted will depend on the home inspection software the inspector is using, but the process should be pretty seamless.

Adding Pictures on a Pocket PC

A pocket pc is a great option for home inspectors because it is small and portable, and allows them to take their home inspection software in the field with them. » Read more: Adding Pictures to Your Home Inspection Report