Home Inspection

• Do I need a home inspection?

  • The short answer is yes.  Typically, when a person is looking for a new home they will walk perspective properties with their realtor.  These showings will generally take 15-20 minutes.  During these short visits the buyer will get a sense if they like the layout and aesthetics of the home, but nothing deeper than that.  A quality inspection will have the inspector dig deeper into the home’s systems and components.  The home may look healthy on the surface, but a true measure of the home’s health will be gained by evaluating its components.

• Is an inspection a guarantee or warranty of the home? 

  • It is not.  The inspector’s job is to evaluate and report on the overall condition of a home’s systems and components at the time of the inspection.

• What is inspected? 

  • All aspects and limitations of the inspection will be clearly spelled out in the pre-inspection agreement that the inspector sends to the client prior to the inspection.  Single-family homes, condos, townhomes, sewer scopes, etc will all have a different scope.  The inspector will go over the scope of the inspection and discuss any special circumstances, with the client, prior to the inspection.

• How long does a home inspection take? 

  • The length of the inspection will be determined by, among other things, the type of home, the square footage, and the age of the home.  As an example, a 2000-square-foot, single-family home will take the inspector roughly three and a half hours.  As a side note, see the accompanying video that gives information on what to watch out for when hiring an inspection company.

• How does scheduling happen? 

  • The first step will be for the client and inspector to discuss the length of the contingency period. The contingency period is the time frame agreed to, in the purchase agreement, that the buyer has to schedule an inspection.  From there, we will talk about the day and time frame (AM or PM) that works best for the buyer.  We use a program called ShowingTime to schedule the inspection appointment.  Once the appointment is approved by the seller we will communicate that with you.

• Do I have to be there the entire time when the inspection is taking place? 

  • You can, but in most instances, our clients meet us at the end of the inspection.  We set aside as much time as needed to walk the property, go over findings, point things out, and answer as many questions as may come up.

• Can I bring my family to the walkthrough at the end of the inspection? 

  • Absolutely.

• What will the cost be? 

  • The cost of an inspection will be based on the type and specific characteristics of the inspection.   We will discuss the cost of your inspection and then deliver that information to you, in writing, in our inspection agreement prior to the inspection day.

• What will be the format and appearance of the inspection report? 

  • All reports are delivered in PDF format with pictures and summary sections.  As an example, there is a sample inspection report, for a single-family home, on this site.  Use the navigation bar above to jump to that page and see full details.  Click here to see the report              The report length will vary, but for an average size single-family home it will be roughly 70-80 pages.  Radon reports are roughly eight pages in length and gives details and results of the test.  The sewer report is roughly five or six pages, will have an overview of the findings, still pictures, recommendations, and a link to view the sewer scope video.

• When will I get my inspection report?

  • At Katz Family Home Inspection, we ALWAYS deliver the inspection report by the end of the day.

 

Radon Testing

• What is radon?

  • Webster’s Dictionary defines radon as, “a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is colorless and odorless. Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium or thorium, elements found in rocks, soils, and water. Radon breaks down quickly, giving off radioactive particles. When inhaled, these radioactive particles can damage cells that line the lung.”  Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer for non-smokers.

• Why should I test for radon when I am buying a home? 

  • Beyond the obvious personal health concerns, testing for radon is also a measurement of the health of the new home.  This is important now, while you are negotiating the terms of your purchase, but may also become a factor in the future if you decide to sell.

• What will the cost be?

  • A stand-alone, single monitor test is $175.00.  If the test is coordinated with a home inspection (one of the trips to the house is at the time of the home inspection) the cost is $150.00

• How long does the test take? 

  • The EPA and MN Department of Health require a 48-hour test.  If the radon test is tied to a home inspection, we will try to schedule the drop-off of one of our monitors two prior to the inspection.  Doing this will allow us to have the test results at the time of the home inspection.

• What happens if the results come back high? 

  • If your results come back high your realtor will discuss the situation with the sellers and negotiate a solution.

 

Sewer Scope

• What is a sewer scope and what is its purpose? 

  • A sewer scope is a video evaluation of your home's lateral sanitary (sewer) line.  The average home in Minnesota has a sewer line that, from the exit point of the house to where it connects to the city’s main line, is 80-100 feet.  The maintenance and repair of this line is the homeowner’s responsibility.  Repair costs for a sewer line can be extremely expensive.   We run a camera/cable from the home's cleanout to the termination point at the city connection.  The goal is to evaluate the condition of the pipe.

• Is there a report that is delivered for this inspection? 

  • Yes.  There will be a five-six page report that will give a summary of the findings and give recommendations for any corrections or next steps that would need to be taken.  Along with the written report, there will be a link for the client to be able to view the video of the sewer line.  The video will be (roughly) 8:00-15:00 minutes in length and will have commentary throughout.

 

Misc. and general questions

• Are you licensed in MN to do home inspections? 

  • The State of Minnesota does not require a license for home inspectors.  Richard Katz, owner at KFHI is a certified professional inspector by InterNACHI.  InterNACHI is the only home inspection school/organization that is recognized and accredited by the US Department of Education.  Additionally, Richard has passed the country’s highest-level inspectors’ test; The National Home Inspectors Exam.

• Do you have any reviews of your company? 

  • Yes.  At the time of this writing, KFHI has 170 five-star reviews on Google.

• Is KFHI insured? 

  • Yes, we hold both professional liability and E and O Insurance.  A declaration page is always available upon request.