Regular home inspections can protect the investment, allowing homeowners to identify and address issues early on, potentially saving thousands of dollars in unexpected costs later.
Just like a regular health checkup for your body, regular inspections can help keep your home healthy. A professional home inspection, conducted even when a home is not on the market, can provide valuable insights into the home’s condition. With a home health checkup, you can maintain the value of your investment, ensure the family’s safety and address potential issues before they become costly problems that must be addressed.
“We’re seeing a huge influx of what we call home health checkups,” said HomeTeam Inspection Service Director of Business Development Matt Cook. “People are becoming more aware of the fact that there’s a lot more that they should be doing to keep up with their homes, and having an expert do an inspection helps ensure nothing important gets missed.”
Reframing the Idea of Home Inspections
Though home inspections are often viewed as something that take place when a home is being sold, reframing that thought process can have multiple benefits.
“Having a checkup can help homeowners make sure the maintenance plan is followed and the home is actually cared for along the way versus just being surprised when you go to sell it,” Cook said. “Especially in this market and economy, many families are feeling the pressure of expenses. The last thing we want is for something big to break, like the air conditioner, and someone have to pay thousands of dollars to get it fixed as soon as possible, when they could have proactively prevented it or at least had a bit of a warning, with a proper inspection.”
The Ideal Cadence for Home Health Checkups
Deciding to get an inspection on a rolling basis, rather than waiting until it’s time to sell the home, is the first step. Understanding the ideal times to have the inspection completed can make it an even more efficient use of your time and money.
“An annual inspection is ideal, and spring and fall are the best seasons to have it done,” Cook said. “These are often the wet seasons, so if there are any leaks in the roof, those will be identified more easily. And those are often the times leading up to when you’ll really need your heating or cooling systems to work. If those systems are having trouble, finding out before the hottest days of the summer or coldest days of the winter is very helpful.”
Common Warning Signs and Discoveries
For homeowners who have not already established a habit of having home health checkups, starting the tradition in the next prime season is as good a time as any, but it might not always be possible to wait.
Signs like visible water damage, pest activity or unusual noises coming from the home can indicate a need for a more immediate inspection, presenting an opportunity for an inspector to identify the root cause of these symptoms as well as any other hidden issues that have not made themselves visible yet.
Other common issues discovered in home health checkups include:
- Sewer and Pipe Issues
Sewer scopes are the fastest-growing ancillary inspection in the country, and for good reason.
“This is mainly due to the age of infrastructure,” Cook said. “As things get older, people are having roots growing into their pipes and things like that. Having a sewer scope inspection done allows us to identify these issues early on, before they cause more drastic damage.”
- Pests and Structural Damage
While visible pest activity is certainly a concern, not all pests will be easily identifiable.
Pest inspections focus on wood-destroying insects and other organisms like grubs and termites that can harm the structure of the home itself.
- Environmental and Safety Concerns
Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause cancer. If there is radon in a home, it’s important to identify it early on before it begins causing health issues for residents.
Mold tests can identify unhealthy mold, potentially before it is visible to the naked eye, so it can be addressed to protect residents’ health.
Water quality is another common inspection homeowners seek. Especially for homes with wells, homeowners want to ensure the water remains potable and is safe for the family to drink.
Conducting a regular home health checkup is one of the smartest decisions a homeowner can make, transforming home maintenance from a reactive, and often expensive, scramble into a proactive, manageable strategy. By scheduling an annual inspection, homeowners can invest in their own peace of mind, the safety of their family and the long-term value of their biggest asset.
