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What is Home Inspection?
Home inspection refers to the observation and record of documentation on the condition of a real estate property, normally when it is on the market to be sold.
A quality home inspection OKC is done under the supervision of an Inspector. You might wonder what Oklahoma City home inspectors look for. They examine the condition of the property. It includes heating and air conditioning, plumbing, electrical work, water, and sewage, pest inspections, mold inspections as well as some fire and safety issues. Not only that, the home inspector looks into if there is any fire damage or evidence of insects. They examine every detail that may affect the value of the property and provide you with an inspection report.
What are the different types of rental property inspections?
Key Points on Home Inspection Oklahoma City
- An inspection is one of the important factors analyzed when considering real estate for investment purposes.
- Quality inspections are done after signing a selling contract or buying agreement between a buyer and a seller.
- For sellers, having an inspection done before placing their rental property on the market can be a profit. The homeowner will have a chance to repair or upgrade the house which may increase the likelihood of a sale.
- For buyers, having quality inspections helps to find a newly constructed home or an existing house, and saves them money and aggravation.
Here are the Best Upgrades for Rental Property
A few months ago, a tenant moved out of a property that I happen to own.
This particular tenant sticks in my mind. You might be thinking why? Because the move-out walk-through inspection was so painful. The tenant always paid rent. They were rarely late. And, they almost never called for maintenance. Of ANY kind.
Dream tenant, right? WRONG.
They lived on the property for eight years, and never called to get anything fixed. They lived with it until the unit was so bad they decided to move.
We’re not talking about a little bit of grit and grime clean-up. We are talking about major damage. Including the need to replace all the lower kitchen cabinets, and a total repaint. We replaced all the flooring, completely redo the bathroom (i.e., gut job), and much more.
The big lesson for me here is that I needed to have eyes on the property periodically. It was necessary to get a home inspection OKC on time. So that I make sure my tenants weren’t tearing up a property badly.
Why Get Home Inspection Services?
Home inspections provide an opportunity for a buyer/ seller to identify any major problems with a home before buying or selling it. So, go through the best home inspection companies in OKC. After that, a seller can keep the house for sale without a doubt. Or, you can consult a Property Management company in OKC that not only sells your house but, get the Inspection done. Home Inspection for buyers is essential for the following factors.
Reveal Illegal Additions or Installation to the Property
An inspection can reveal if the rooms, garages, or basements were designed without a proper permit. If a house has room additions with no permit, it affects the insurance, taxes, usability, and most of all the value. Get to know why is renters insurance important.
In point of fact, a buyer is purchasing something that legally does not exist. Even new homes with systems that were not installed to code will become the new homeowners’ financial problems to fix.
Recommended: Landlords Guide To Multiple Tenant Lease Agreement
If You Have a Tenant who isn’t Treating the Property with Respect
Catching problems early, before they get to the point of no return, can save you a whole bunch of money as an owner.
For example, one of the things I recommend is a Property Inspection at about the 6-month mark. If the tenant isn’t taking care of the property, you can serve them up with a lease violation. Either they fix the damage, or you fix it and charge them.
The important thing is to let them know that’s not the wild, wild west, and that you are watching.
If they are a Section 8 Tenant, you as the landlord can call for an inspection for poor housekeeping. Housing will schedule an inspection. If the resident doesn’t tidy up, they can risk losing their housing.
Recommended: All Bills Paid Houses in OKC
Home Inspections Checklists
A home maintenance inspection will identify those areas and aspects of your home that need attention.
Here are the ultimate Home Maintenance Checklists.
- Gutters and Drainspouts
- Fireplaces and chimneys
- Furnaces and air conditioning (including filters)
- Smoke detectors and other safety equipment
- Plumbing and faucets
- Roof, windows, and doors
- Basement walls and drains
Related Article: what fixes are mandatory after a home inspection.
OKC Maintenance Technicians do home maintenance inspections in a systematic way.
They have an inspection app installed on their digital device. It guides them through an inspection. It allows them to take photos, and type in notes. That way, they can document the damage.
As the technicians use the inspection app to go through the property, there is no chance of them missing any data.
The technician saves the report once the inspection is done, and signs it. The Home Inspection report includes all the photos and notes.
Our system uploads and saves the report so that the files are never missed. From there, we can email a copy of the report to the owner. Our owners love the reports because they are detailed.
It takes around 3 hours to complete home inspections. Also, it depends on the size of the house. The time is well spent as there are hundreds of components in the average home.
Section 8 Housing Landlord Responsibilities. Here I’ve listed Section 8 housing rules and regulations for both landlords and tenants.
Why choose Oklahoma City Home Inspection?
Our maintenance technicians go through a multi-point checklist as part of each service call.
- Checking every room of the house,
- Filter for the heat and air unit,
- Tree limbs around the roofline,
- Leaks under sinks or in other areas of the house that could be causing damage, and anything else that sticks out.
One important item to check is the heat and air unit. If the tenant is not changing the filters on the central heat and air unit, the unit may burn out.
A dirty unit in the summertime works a lot harder than it should have. It’s a lot cheaper to change a filter and clean the coil than it is to have to replace the entire unit.
Our maintenance personnel can do minor maintenance, and clean up the heat and air unit if they need to.
The mindset of our technicians is very important here. It’s critical that they know how important it is to report problems going on at a property, rather than be in a hurry to get out of there on onto the next thing.
Yes, we want to keep the labor cost down, but at the same time, we want to make sure that details are handled with the degree of care I believe they deserve.
When Should you get Quality Home Inspections?
There are two times when it makes sense to do a Maintenance Inspection.
During service calls at a property
It’s pretty unusual not to have any maintenance calls at a property ever.
If we are going to have maintenance on the property, why not do a quality inspection from the experts? Why not have your maintenance personnel take an extra 30-60 minutes or so to fill in a quick report about what they see at the property?
We do our best to make that happen if a property hasn’t had an inspection done in the last 6 months. It doesn’t add that much cost to the bill.
Also Read: Pros and Cons of Apartment With Paid Utilities
Periodic Home Inspections
As I mentioned above, sometimes tenants don’t make service call requests. Now, that could mean it’s a newer home that doesn’t need much maintenance, or it could mean something else.
We want to know if a tenant is abusing the property. In such cases, they don’t want us over there to see the damage. I recommend Inspection of a rental property at about the six-month mark for new tenants, and an annual inspection thereafter.
On the annual inspection, we examine the condition of the property. We check for any maintenance needed and see how well the tenant is taking care of the property. Get Section 8 housing in Oklahoma with pre-purchase home inspections.
Contact OKC Home Realty Services, if you are looking for a trustworthy manager to take care of your rental properties
Frequently Asked Questions on OKC Home Inspection
What is Home Inspection?
Home inspections are the observation and record of documentation of a real estate property, normally when it is on the market for sale. Oklahoma City Home inspection includes foundations, roofs, and chimneys. Also, plumbing, and electrical systems.
When Should you get a Home Inspection?
Get a Quality Inspection before or after buying or selling a rental property. It is done after the seller has accepted your offer but before buying the house. It is your right to know whether the house is in good condition or not.
Is a home inspection really worth it?
Home Inspections are not compulsory, but, it is an essential factor to keep your house safe. For example, It is better to pay $300–$400 for a house inspection report, than to skip it and pay $5,000 for a new roof within a year of buying your new home
How much does a home inspection cost in Oklahoma?
The average fee for a home inspection in Oklahoma is $300-$400. The amount you charge may differ based on the age and square footage of the home. They guarantee you the property and quality inspection. You will learn about that from Oklahoma City Home Inspection.
What are the Home Maintenance Checklists?
Here are the home maintenance checklists.
1. Gutters and Drainspouts
2. Fireplaces and chimneys
3. Furnaces and air conditioning (including filters)
4. Smoke detectors and other safety equipment
5. Plumbing and faucets
6. Roof, windows, and doors
7. Basement walls and drains
Why Should you not skip Home Inspections?
1. Helps you with the Insurance.
2. Disclose Illegal Additions or Furnishings to the house.
3. Disclose critical information about the current state of a home and its systems.
4. Quality Home Inspection can detect safety issues like radon, carbon monoxide, and mold.
5. Estimate the installation age of major systems in the home like plumbing, electrical system, and water heaters.
What are the most common home inspection problems?
These are the most damaging and costly problems you can find during home inspections.
1. Water and plumbing Damage.
2. Faulty Wiring.
3. Gutters and Drain Spout.
4. Grade Sloping.
5. Roof and foundation issues.
6. General Disrepair.
What is a hammer test in home inspections?
The Hammer Test is performed to compare the sounds of the rings to develop a control. The home inspector hammer-test bolts that can be confirmed as tight or loose. The ring will sound hollow with vibration if the cable is loose. The ring will sound solid if the connection is tight.
Author
Scott Nachatilo is an investor, property manager and owner of OKC Home Realty Services – one of the best property management companies in Oklahoma City. His mission is to help landlords and real estate investors to manage their property in Oklahoma.
