FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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We provide residential and commercial property inspections. We perform inspections according to a Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.
We also provide additional types of inspections, including:
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Mould Inspections and Testing
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Infrared Certified® Thermography Inspections
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Asbestos Inspection
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Healthy Homes Inspections
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And more.
Check out our inspection services in detail by visiting www.propertyinspect4u.co.za/services.
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Our goal is to provide you with the most exceptional service of greatest value to you. If you hire us, We will give you the right information you need in order to make the best decisions. This may be the most important decision and biggest investment that you’ll ever make. And I’m honoured to help you at this moment.
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We will show you how your home works, how to maintain it, and how to save home energy. We will show you everything that WE inspect, and everything that you should know about the home or building.
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We will provide you with an inspection report that is easy-to-read and clear-to-understand. It will have a short summary report included.
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We will provide you with a 100-page home maintenance book, which will include information on what a house problem looks like before it becomes a major defect. It will explain how to make home repairs yourself. It will also provide you with home maintenance checklist – things to do at every seasons of the year.
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We will use an infrared camera, which allows us to see things that you can’t see.
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We will also use a moisture meter, GFCI and AFCI tester, crawlspace gear, and a drone where appropriate
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We will invite you to join Our network of clients who are Our neighbours. And We make Ourself available to Our clients at any time, particularly when they experience a problem with their house.
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Welcome to the neighbourhood.
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We inspect everything according to the Home Inspection Standards of Practice. And that includes systems and components from the foundation to the top of the roof and everything in between. We can also check for indications of moisture intrusion, water leaks, and material defects.
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If we find anything wrong, we’ll show it to you, explain what the problem is, and why it should be corrected. We may also make recommendations for qualified contractors to take a closer look and make repairs
We provide residential and commercial property inspections. We perform inspections according to a Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.
We also provide additional types of inspections, including:
-
Mould Inspections and Testing
-
Infrared Certified® Thermography Inspections
-
Asbestos Inspection
-
Healthy Homes Inspections
-
And more.
Check out our inspection services in detail by visiting www.propertyinspect4u.co.za/services.
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We inspect everything listed in the Home Inspection Standards of Practice, which is available by visiting www.nachi.org/sop
Buying a home? The process can be stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time. This often includes a written report, a checklist, photographs, environmental reports, and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this, combined with the seller’s disclosure and what you notice yourself, makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?
Relax. Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies for various systems and components, and minor imperfections. These are useful to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:
1. major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure;
2. things that lead to major defects, such as a small roof-flashing leak, for example;
3. things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy, or insure the home; and
4. safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electrical panel.
Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often, a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 4).
Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. Keep things in perspective. Do not kill your deal over things that do not matter. It is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance, conditions already listed on the seller’s disclosure, or nit-picky items.
We recommend that you read and understand the entire inspection report and ask question about anything you find in the report. Each inspector is responsible for writing in the inspection report the defects that you both observe during the inspection and deem (or consider) to be material. A material defect is very serious and must be further evaluated and corrected immediately by a qualified contractor or professional. We will put those material defects into the summary report. The summary report is not the entire inspection report.
Many estate agencies are of the opinion that a property inspector is there to ‘kill the deal’. This could not be further from the truth – in fact, with the introduction of the mandatory disclosure forms being instituted since 2022, it is now more crucial than ever that estate agencies guide property sellers to consider a comprehensive property inspection so that the disclosure forms are completed comprehensively and honestly. Not only could it assist agents in helping sellers establish accurate selling prices, it could in fact also protect all parties concerned. In addition, it could make the deal more attractive to potential buyers as they feel armed with fore-knowledge even if there may be some defects with the property. The purchaser feels more protected and the seller is in fact also protected as potential litigation for non-disclosure is now minimised. In turn, the agency is now regarded as ‘trustworthy’ and transparent and this can only improve property sales.
Section 34 of the Property Practitioners Act 22 of 2019 (“the Property Practitioners Act”) provides for a code of conduct which prescribes the duties of property practitioners in South Africa. In terms of Section 34.2.1.2 of the Property Practitioners Act, a property practitioner has a duty to protect the interests of his client at all times to the best of his or her ability, with due regard to the interests of all other parties concerned.
Since most real estate agents get paid only if the real estate transaction successfully takes place, their personal interests and their fiduciary duties already conflict.. However, a potential buyer would most certainly feel more certain of a pre-inspected property and estate agencies who make use of reputable, professional PPIs would most certainly reap the rewards.
- We invite you to walk with your inspector during your inspection. They will show you everything about your house that’s important for you to know. Feel free to ask them questions while you walk around the property. If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to ask them while moving through the inspection process.
- Choosing the right home inspector can be difficult. Unlike most professionals you hire, you probably won’t meet them until the appointment. Furthermore, different inspectors have varying qualifications, equipment, experience, reporting methods, and pricing.
- Ultimately, a thorough home inspection depends heavily on the individual inspector’s own effort. If you honour us by permitting us to inspect your new home, we assure you that we will give you our very best effort.
This, we promise you.
- Please read the Home Inspection Standards of Practice (www.nachi.org/sop), the Code of Ethics (www.nachi.org/code_of_ethics), the home inspection agreement that we sign before we begin the home inspection at the property, the entire inspection report(s) and not just the summary.
- The home inspector is not an expert but a generalist. The home inspector can inspect a home and report upon the home’s condition as it was at the time of the inspection. That is the main responsibility of the home inspector.
- The most important thing for a homeowner to understand is that things will break. As time goes on, parts of the house will wear out, break down, deteriorate, leak, or simply stop working.
- A home inspection does not include predictions of future events, house warranties, or guarantees that nothing will ever go wrong. Future events (such as roof leaks, water intrusion, plumbing leaks, and heating failures) are not within the scope of a home inspection and are not the responsibility of the home inspector. Who’s responsible? The homeowner.
- The home inspection and report are based on the observations made on the date of the inspection, and not a prediction of future conditions. The home inspection will not reveal every issue that exists or ever could exist, but only those material defects observed on the date of the inspection.
We do not do insurance inspections on property.