While buying a home is exciting, navigating the process with caution and diligence is important. One critical step to not overlook is the home inspection. In a whirlwind of events, it may be tempting to skip the inspection to make your offer more appealing or save a few hundred dollars.
Bed bugs are small, flightless, rust-colored parasites that feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals. Bed bugs were diminished to a historical footnote after their near eradication in the 1950s, but they are re-emerging in a big way
The following items are essential tools, but this list is by no means exhaustive. Feel free to ask an InterNACHI inspector during your next inspection about other tools that you might find useful.
A building’s central air-conditioning system must be periodically inspected and maintained in order to function properly. While an annual inspection performed by a trained professional is recommended, homeowners can do a lot of the work themselves by following the tips offered in this guide.
You know that big tank of hot water in your basement? What if we told you that you could get the same amount of hot water (or more) from a water heater the size of a carry-on suitcase—and save at least $100 a year on your utility bill?
That’s the promise of tankless water heaters, also called on-demand …
In recent years, Americans have been less interested in living in those sprawling McMansions in the suburbs, as people of all ages gravitated toward walk-able urban neighborhoods. The prevailing wisdom: Who needs all that space, anyway? What does it matter if you have only 400 square feet of living space…
A smoke alarm, also known as a smoke detector, is a device that detects smoke and issues an audible sound and/or a visual signal to alert residents to a potential fire. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, almost two-thirds of reported deaths caused by home fires from 2003 to 2006 resulted from fires in homes that lacked working smoke alarms.
Attic pull-down ladders, also called attic pull-down stairways, are collapsible ladders that are permanently attached to the attic floor. Occupants can use these ladders to access their attics without being required to carry a portable ladder. Common Defects Homeowners, not professional carpenters, usually install attic pull-down ladders. Evidence of this distinction can be observed in […]
Solar energy offers considerable advantages over conventional energy systems by nullifying flaws in those systems long considered to be unchangeable. Solar power for home energy production has its flaws, too, which are outlined in another article, but they’re dwarfed by the advantages listed below. The following are advantages of solar energy: Raw materials are […]
There are a number of measures that homeowners can take to ensure that their homes are not attractive to burglars. If clients are concerned about break-ins, inspectors can pass on to them basic strategies for burglar-proofing their homes. Some interesting statistics concerning break-ins in the United States: […]