Technical inspection before buying a home

Posted by LauraDerb on December 7th, 2017

Property examination

The technical inspection of a home consists, in general, in conducting a complete examination of the property to determine the status of all its elements: the mechanical systems, the general disposition of the property and the aesthetic-environmental conditions. It is a very useful information if you want to buy a home, but also if you want to sell, especially in these times when the market is more stopped than ever.

Professional Housing Inspection certificates (IPV certificates) can therefore be a decisive factor in closing a purchase-sale operation. It can be contracted by both the buyer and the seller (or both at the same time). For the buyer, it supposes the security that the property that interests him is in perfect condition, or the possibility of raising a possible discount if there is any defective element. For its part, the seller can display this information to potential buyers as a guarantee that the home does not have any problems. If buyer have no idea about the home inspection he can hire the home inspection company like http://radiantinspect.com/ for assistance. Compnines like Radinat Inspect have high expereicne in doing residential and commercial property inspections. 

In summary, the experts point out that the IPV certificate can benefit the following people:

• To the seller. It will speed up and facilitate the sale because it provides a differential fact over other homes.
• To the buyer. You can reach a negotiation and get a more advantageous price. In addition, it is the buyer's obligation to be well informed.
• Who rents In the event that there is damage to the house, with this certificate it is possible to claim the amount.
• Who already has a house rented. You can know how you preserve and maintain your assets during the lease period.

An optional certificate

The IPV certificate is the document that certifies the status of a home. It has been used in the main countries of the world for years, as a security measure in rental, purchase or sale operations, and now also in Spain. In general, it is recommended that the inspection be carried out before requesting a loan, in this way, any problem that the house has will be detected before allocating time or money to obtain financing. Often, it is the buyer who has the responsibility to pay for the independent inspection of the home.

The IPV report does not replace other technical reports or other mandatory documentation when conducting a purchase-sale operation of a home. It also has nothing to do with the inspections that an architect or a rigger can perform, because they follow the Technical Building Code, while the work of the Inspector in charge of the IPV contemplates other characteristics of a house, just as important, how to record on a specific date the state, operation and sanitation of the home that is inspected. Nor should it be confused with the appraisal of a property, since an appraisal is an estimate of value by a professional appraiser.

Items that are inspected

What is an inspection? The standards of the inspection' usual practice require that inspectors must evaluate the condition of a series of components of a dwelling and submit a written report to the buyer. The IPV Inspector carries out a detailed examination of the dwelling, which it reviews in its entirety, even in the intermediate areas. Check the levels of acoustics, brightness, humidity and carbon monoxide; water, electricity and gas installations; check the condition of floors, walls, ceilings, tiling and baseboards, open and close doors, windows, blinds, drawers, furniture.

It also checks the proper functioning of household appliances, heating, ventilation, toilets, faucets, siphons, drains, sanitation and general hygiene of the house. That is, it defines the general state of habitability of the home and reflects it in a written and photographic report, easily understandable, which is called IPV certificate.

The IPV Inspector studies about 400 points in the rental report of a home and about 550 points in the sales report. The basic aspects that are reviewed are those mentioned below:

• Central heating and air conditioning systems.
• Electric systems.
• Plumbing systems inside the house.
• Walls, ceilings, floors and stairs inside the house.
• Visible insulation.
• Ventilation systems
• Basement, attic and accessible roof.
• Wall coverings, flashing and moldings.
• Windows and doors.
• Drains, water drops and surface leveling.

The person who hires this service must insist that all these points be detailed in the report provided by the inspector. It is also highly recommended that you meet in person with the housing inspector after the study has been carried out. In this way, you will have the opportunity to ask all the questions about any damage that there is in the house and to obtain an estimate of the cost of the necessary repairs. It will also provide an opportunity to ask questions about the maintenance of the same. All these data are, for the buyer, of great utility to negotiate the final price with the seller.