Fox Valley Home Inspectors, LLC, 310 S 3rd Street, Winneconne, WI (2026)

We are always looking to provide our clients with the best possible home inspection services.

08/05/2022

“What does a Home Inspector look at?”

One of the services home buyers take advantage of is the Home Inspection. Generally, home buyers ask their realtors to recommend a local Home Inspector. The Home Inspector will work for their client, the home buyer, and let them know what is not working as intended in the house, or features of the house that are safety hazards. The home buyer often will use the information on the inspection report to renegotiate the price of the home, asking the seller to repair the indicated defects. Other times, the home buyer will use the information to budget for major purchases, such as a roof or major appliances. Sometimes, the home buyer will even cancel the sale based on what they learn in the report. Whatever the buyer decides to do, the Home Inspection report is owned by the client, and they do not have to share what they’ve learned with anyone else.

In Wisconsin, Home Inspectors are licensed and regulated, and they operate under Standards of Practice (SOP) that clearly lay out what an inspector will examine, and also specifically what is *not* being examined. Generally, the inspection is a non-invasive, visual examination of the observable and accessible systems of the home. This means that systems hidden in the walls are not observed, as that would require an invasive procedure like removing drywall. An inspector will examine the roofing and siding, including examining the under side of the roofing material from the attic, if it is accessible. An inspector will examine the basement or crawlspace to assess its condition. A home inspection also involves looking at the drainage around the house, any attached decks or patios, etc. The inspector will examine and evaluate the condition of the major systems in the house: heating, cooling, electrical, built-in appliances, etc. Some exclusions that are specifically not examined: anything that requires disassembling to access (often, Home Inspectors will remove the covers to electrical panels as an exception to this limitation, because a properly functioning electrical system is so important to safety), low voltage systems like speakers and deck lights, pools and spas, sprinklers, outbuildings (storage sheds, pool houses, etc, unless they have been specifically included in the inspection contract), retaining walls, removeable appliances, among others.

What an inspection is NOT:

Home inspectors do not check a house for building code compliance. Some of the items on a home inspection report indicate “defect” or “safety hazard”. In most cases, these also happen to be code violations. The problem with building codes in an inspection is that different municipalities adopt building codes at different times. Most adoptions of new codes will “grandfather” existing structures, essentially not requiring homeowners to update their homes to the new codes. Therefore, unless a Home Inspector has memorized every community’s code histories, they will normally not be aware of whether some defect in a home was actually considered correct at the time of installation. The only concerns to the Home Inspector are whether some system in the house is operating as intended, or has some safety hazard.

Home Inspectors are also not determining value, which is an appraiser’s job. Most lenders require appraisals to ensure they are managing their risk wisely. However, Home Inspectors are not assessing value, or even expected remaining life of systems; rather, Home Inspectors report, using their experience and training, the condition of each system they examine. Some systems have defects; other systems have some dangerous hazards; and other systems are working as they should.
The bottom line is that a Home Inspection is a valuable part of most home purchases. The information the home buyer learns on the inspection report can be used to negotiate with the seller on repairs or price reductions, or the home buyer can plan and budget for upcoming repairs or maintenance. Often the report will include reminders about periodic maintenance, such as changing filters, cleaning gutters, having chimneys examined annually, etc.

07/27/2022

“Oh no! The house I want to buy has defects!”

So you’re buying a house, and you’re having a home inspection done. You’re following the inspector around the house you adore because of the beautiful kitchen, with the “just the right color” cabinets. The inspector is telling you about various “defects” and you’re now starting to wonder about your dream house being “defective”. The next day, you get the inspector’s report, and there are at least a dozen red flag "defects" highlighted, and now you’re in full-fledged panic. Are things really this bad? Is this set of "defects" a “deal breaker”?

Understanding what a home inspection is for and what the inspection report can tell you is information every home buyer should know. To begin, most states define precisely what a home inspector must look for, and also what is not included in a home inspection. Most states’ Standards of Practice (SOP) include major items such as the roof, the basement, entry doors, windows, etc. Exclusions typically include spas and pools, removable appliances like the refrigerator, inaccessible equipment or locations, such as an attic access opening that is painted shut, or a stack of personal belongings in front of the water heater, among others. Included in most states’ SOP is a definition of “defect”. Generally, a defect in a house is some feature or system that isn’t operating as it was designed, or something that represents a safety hazard. One thing that home inspectors do not do is enforce building codes. Usually, building codes were created and adopted by municipalities for safety reasons, so when an inspector points out a hazardous situation, like missing hand rails on a staircase, they are doing so to educate the client (usually the buyer of a property) about the potential safety hazard.

Of course, some defects in a house are major and serious and deserve immediate attention. If the foundation walls are bowing inward, with cracks and seepage, there is likely a structural issue with the foundation, perhaps complicated by inefficient drainage around the residence, such as gutters discharging water too close to the house. Other defects that deserve immediate attention include: faulty wiring that could cause a fire; an disconnected exhaust vent spewing moisture into the attic, which may cause mold growth; a natural gas leak at the water heater. Obviously, defects such as these should not be ignored.

Most of the time, though, defects in a home inspection report are minor, and could conceivably be postponed for later repair or replacement. For example, a popular “defect” that inspectors point out on decks are “open” stairs that have no back board, which would prevent small items (or even small people), from falling through the back of the stairs. A good home inspector will explain all of these minor defects in such a way that the client doesn’t panic, and will make sure the client knows why the defect is a defect and what qualified professional to contact for further evaluation or repair.

07/20/2022

Why get a home inspection?

Home Inspectors are trained to evaluate all the major systems in a house, from heating and cooling to electrical to roof leaks, and pretty much anything in between. Home inspectors are trained to point out hazardous situations, such as tripping hazards, electrical shock hazards, and falling hazards. They will visit the attic to see if the roof is leaking; they will visit the cellar or crawlspace to see how the foundation is holding up. They will check the electrical system for known problems, like making sure kitchens, garages, and bathrooms have GFCI protection, and that stairways or porches have proper lighting. Home inspectors look at the plumbing system for obvious problems such as leaks, but also for issues due to unprofessional installations or sloppy repairs. They also look at the HVAC systems, to let you know if there are any defects in the equipment or the ductwork, etc. They even examine the landscaping around the house, to diagnose moisture intrusion. Their mission is to identify all of the defects in the house. Incidentally, literally every house has defects; some are major and need immediate attention (like with a leaking gas appliance), but others are minor, and may not apply to every buyer (a buyer with no small children may not be concerned that the deck railings are wide enough to allow an infant to crawl through.)

Some buyers are overwhelmed by the home inspection report, which may point out dozens of “defects”. A good home inspector will explain and educate the client about the defects found, and if they are minor, the client may be willing to overlook them. However, the good home inspector will be sure to highlight serious problems, even informing the current owners if imminent danger is found (a deck on the verge of collapsing, or an unsafe wiring situation.) The bottom line is that every home has problems, some of them ignorable, others that need immediate attention. A professional home inspection will make the client aware of the systems in a house that are not operating as intended.

Home inspectors do not have any interest in whether a particular home is bought or not, or if a sale goes through or not. Sometimes home inspectors are accused of “killing a sale”, but in reality houses with problems are what “kill a sale”. Home inspectors want clients to be aware of the deficiencies in a house, so that they can address the issues. In some cases, a deficiency pointed out by a home inspector will not be easy to fix. This does not mean every such defect is a “dealbreaker”; awareness of a problem can be enough for some buyers. For example, if every step in a staircase is 7 inches from the step below, except the bottom step, which is 5 inches above the floor, home inspectors will point out a “tripping hazard”. The repair for this “defect” is to completely reconstruct the stairs, which is prohibitively costly. When reading the report of this sort of defect, the buyer should not panic, nor even budget for “fixing” the defect; it is enough for the homeowner to be aware of the potential problem, and take care accordingly. An effective home inspector will make the client aware of the defect without panicking them.

Sellers may even want a “pre-listing home inspection”. Using a home inspection in this way can help the seller address issues before a home is on the market, and the asking price can be adjusted appropriately. A seller could even hand out copies of the report to potential buyers, demonstrating that they have addressed the defects found in the inspection.

Buying a house without having it inspected by a licensed and knowledgeable home inspector is financially risky, and it could set a buyer up for some future surprises, such as unanticipated repairs, or leaks, or even accidents due to being unaware of safety issues. Using a professional home inspector will give you peace of mind with the largest purchase of your life!

Address

310 S 3rd Street
Winneconne, WI
54986

Website

http://www.foxvalleyhomeinspections.com/

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