While four-point inspections are usually done by insurance companies and underwriters to determine the risk of covering your home, homeowners sometimes hire a professional company to inspect the state of their property after a decade or more of use or a cataclysmic weather event. When homeowners contact home inspection pros from Temecula, California, they can eliminate suspicions, inspect the integrity of your vital home systems, and spot early warning signs of potential future malfunctions and problems.
One of the biggest obvious benefits of four-point home inspections is that they cost three, four, and even five times less than comprehensive home inspections people usually opt for when buying new property. In addition to costing less, four-point inspections take less time and necessitate much less inconvenience. While usual buyer inspections can last for a few hours and even an entire day, four-point inspections are usually over in 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and state of your home.
What falls under a four-point home inspection?
As the name says, four-point home inspections evaluate 4 major systems of your home. These are the roof, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing systems. Besides being the beating heart of your home, they are the most common source of serious hazards that can cause the greatest damage to your house. A home inspector will take a look at the age, material, type, and overall condition of each of these systems and note them down. Once they’ve checked everything out, they will complete their report so you can submit it to the insurer for evaluation.
Roof
Roofs are the first line of defense against harsh weather conditions. While most are built to last for decades, a harsh barrage of elements can cause unnoticed damage that may turn into a serious problem down the line. A home inspector will take a look at the inside and outside of your roofing, inspect the integrity of the construction, check for leaks and cracks, and note down the age, material, and overall condition of your roof.
Electrical
Faulty electrical wiring can not only cause irreparable damage to your home but may also endanger the well-being of your loved ones. A home inspector will do a visual check of your electrical panel, wiring setup, circuits, and outlets to ensure there is no malfunction and that they comply with the minimum standards. Modern tools, such as thermal imaging sensors are used to locate “hot spots” where electrical wiring is showing signs of possible failure.
HVAC
A home inspector will take a look at your humidity and temperature readings, inspect the integrity of your ductwork, examine your airflow, probe for possible signs of leakage, and take at different parts of your HVAC setup to make sure that your central air and cooling aren’t compromised.
Plumbing
If you have old plumbing fixtures that are susceptible to rising or you have polybutylene plumbing in place, you may need to repipe your home to avoid a potential catastrophe. Many homes in the US have decades-old plumbing that needs to be replaced or they could be denied coverage. From the layout of your system, pipes, toilets, and drains to faucets, showers, bathtubs, and sinks, there are a whole lot of things that need to be checked before you can get insured against water damage.
Since four-point home inspections don’t last long or go to the nitty-gritty, there is not much homeowners need to do to prepare for one. Just make sure that every system is accessible to your trusted home inspector. If you’ve booked your four-point inspection to alleviate concrete suspicions, don’t forget to communicate your misgivings up front. Keep all systems operational unless your inspector tells you otherwise so they can get a true picture of the state of your vital home systems.
Remember, four-point inspections don’t cost much, take less than an hour of your time, and have the potential to save you significant amounts of money and heartache. Don’t risk your domestic comfort and safety, schedule an inspection today!
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