Do I have to attend the inspection?
No, but it’s highly recommended that you do. By attending the inspection, you have the opportunity to learn about the house by staying with the home inspector and asking questions. You will also find the report easier to read and understand since you saw the property first hand. If there are any major problems with the house, we will be able to show you at the inspection so you understand the problem. This will enable you to make a better judgment about whether to purchase the property or not.

Are you licensed?
Yes. According to the NC General Statutes, a home inspector must be licensed in this state by the NC Home Inspection Licensure Board to perform home inspections for compensation. We are fully licensed in North Carolina as well as South Carolina.

What is a home inspection?
According to the NC General Statutes, “a written evaluation of two or more of the following components of a residential building: heating system, cooling system, plumbing system, electrical system, structural components, foundation, roof, masonry structure, exterior and interior components, or any other related residential housing component” and according to the NC Standards of Practice, a home inspection provides the client with a better understanding of the property conditions, as inspected at the time of the home inspection. A home inspector will use their expert training and experience to visually inspect the house and then put those findings in writing. A home inspector works only for the client; not the buyers’ realtor, the seller or the code officials. According to the home inspector Code of Ethics, the inspector cannot disclose any information from the inspection to anyone except the client without approval of the client.

What will be inspected?
Everything that can be accessed will be inspected. The worksheet we use has more than 1,500 defects from which to choose and sometimes we find things not on our list. A full inspection includes the foundation, roofing system, exterior, electrical system, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, interior, insulation and ventilation, built in appliances and fireplaces. We go beyond the standards of practice. We check every outlet we can get to and every window that is accessible and more. We don’t have to provide model and serial numbers as well as other information in the report but we do in case they are needed in the future. We inspect every house as if we were buying it for ourselves.

What is Radon and why should I test for it?
Radon (chemical symbol Rn) is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in soils, rock, and water throughout the U.S. It has numerous different isotopes, but radon-220, and -222 are the most common. Radon causes lung cancer, and is a threat to health because it tends to collect in homes, sometimes to very high concentrations. As a result, radon is the largest source of exposure to naturally occurring radiation.

How does radon get into the environment?
Radon-222 is the radioactive decay product of radium-226, which is found at low concentrations in almost all rock and soil. Radon is generated in rock and soil, and it creeps up to the outside air. Although outdoor concentrations of radon are typically low, about 0.4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l) of air, it can seep into buildings through foundation cracks or openings and build up to much higher concentrations indoors.

How are people exposed to radon?
Most of the public's exposure to natural radiation comes from radon which can accumulate in homes, schools, and office buildings. EPA estimates that the national average indoor radon level in homes is about 1.3 pCi/l of air. We also estimate that about 1 in 15 homes nationwide have levels at or above the level of 4 pCi/l, the level at which EPA recommends taking action to reduce concentrations. Levels greater than 2,000 pCi/l of air have been measured in some homes.

How does radon get into the body?
People may ingest trace amounts of radon with food and water, However, inhalation is the main route of entry into the body for radon and its decay products. Radon decay products may attach to particulates and aerosols in the air we breathe (for example, cooking oil vapors). When they are inhaled, some of these particles are retained in the lungs. Radon decay products also cling to tobacco leaves, which are sticky, during the growing season, and enter the lungs when tobacco is smoked. Smoke in indoor environments also is very effective at picking up radon decay products from the air and making them available for inhalation. It is likely that radon decay products contribute significantly to the risk of lung cancer from cigarette smoke.

What does radon do once it gets into the body?
Most of the radon gas that you inhale is also exhaled. However, some of radon's decay products attach to dusts and aerosols in the air and are then readily deposited in the lungs. Some of these are cleared by the lung's natural defense system, and swallowed or coughed out. Those particles that are retained long enough release radiation damaging surrounding lung tissues. A small amount of radon decay products in the lung are absorbed into the blood.

How much time does a home inspection take?
The average home inspection will take an average of three hours. Houses in poor condition could take even longer. Larger houses obviously take more time than smaller houses and may take five hours or more. We take all the time we need to do a thorough job. Please don't feel you need to be there the entire time. Of course you are welcome to, feel free to come and go since there are many things to be done in a real estate transaction. It's preferable to be in attendance at the beginning to take care of the paperwork and the end to review the findings.

Should the seller attend the inspection?
We don’t encourage the seller to be at the inspection but some sellers insist on being present when someone is in their house. We understand and can sympathize. We work for you and you alone and will not discuss any findings with the seller. The State of North Carolina will not allow us to reveal any findings to anyone but the client without permission.

How do I order an inspection?
Call us first to arrange a time slot or submit an order on the form through this website. Then contact your realtor so they can make arrangements with the seller. We will forward the appropriate documents to you via email. Then come to the inspection and learn about your new home.

I’m buying a brand new house, why do I need an inspection?
Face it; houses are just not built as well as they were years ago. Rushed to meet deadlines carpenters sometimes fail to wait for plumbers and heating & air people. They put up beams and walls that block pipes and air ducts. Plumbers are forced to cut through structural beams to lay their pipes. Heating & air people do the same for vents. Time is money and when push comes to shove, money wins every time. Have your new house inspected while the builder is responsible, before you close.