Residential Home Inspections & Ancillary Services
From first-time homebuyers to residential investors, my clients report that my thorough inspections, educational reviews, and top-notch reports deliver an inspection experience that’s second to none.
What to Expect from Your Residential Inspection
Whether you are buying, selling or maintaining your home, Baker Property Inspections provides professional, quality, concierge-style service from the moment you contact me. On the day of the inspection, I will ask you to arrive at the home to review my inspection findings about 2 hours after I begin inspecting. We will walk through your home together, and I’m happy to teach you as much as you want to learn. I strictly follow the Standards of Practice for Professional Home Inspectors established by InterNACHI®, the world’s leading home inspection trade association. I guarantee that you will find my inspection to be very thorough.
After we walk through the home together, we will explain the general condition of the home and systems with you and your agent. We will talk through any major issues that need to be addressed sooner rather than later. We will also mention the items that you will want to keep an eye on for deferred maintenance. All of this will be detailed in our easy-to-read Spectora report, which will be delivered in HTML and/or PDF format. From that report, you will be able to see the items we discussed, with images for reference.
Baker Property Inspections will thoroughly inspect and report on the following:
STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
Foundations, grading & drainage, basements, walkways, and floor, wall and ceiling structures.
ROOFING
Roof coverings, drainage systems, flashings and skylights, chimneys and other roof penetrations.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Service entrance and panels, branch circuits, connected devices and fixtures, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and making sure your outlets are GFCI-protected.
PLUMBING
Fixtures and faucets, water supply systems, drain, waste and vent systems, water heater, vents, flues and chimneys, and any sump pumps or fuel storage and distribution systems.
HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS
Heating and cooling equipment, ducts, vents and flues.
APPLIANCES
Dishwasher, garbage disposal, range hood, range or oven, cooktop, microwave, bathroom exhaust fans, and other built-in appliances.
Ancillary Services
Hidden toxins and damaging organisms can go unseen by homeowners, at times to the point of disastrous consequences. Get the full scope by adding important ancillary services, including radon testing, a wood destroying organism inspection, and private well and water testing.
Radon Testing
Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive, and carcinogenic (cancer-causing) gas. There is no way to detect immediate exposure to radon without the proper equipment, and exposure can lead to lung cancer. Southern Michigan has an especially high incidence of radon compared with the rest of the state.
Protect yourself and your loved ones by ordering a radon test. Unlike many others who use rudimentary “hardware store” charcoal tests, we use a high tech continuous monitoring device, which takes samples every hour following EPA guidelines to allow for an accurate picture of the current levels of radon in the home.
Private Well Testing
Potable water systems are an essential part of any home, and the need for a new well is an unwelcome surprise expense for many homeowners. A thorough inspection of well components and function can help alleviate worries or identify damage so that repairs can be made.
Water Testing
Often unknown to homeowners, bacteria and nitrates can contaminate water systems. Local health departments recommend annual testing for these contaminants to ensure safe, potable water is flowing into your home. Additional testing for specific contaminants can also be done. This test is often required for home sales.
Wood Destroying Organism Inspections
Wood destroying organisms can literally take the house right out from under you. A thorough inspection for termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, powderpost beetles, boring beetles, as well as microbial growth such as brown rot, will ensure that hidden dangers to your home’s structural integrity don’t progress unnoticed.
Permanent Foundation and Additions Certifications
I partner with multiple structural engineering firms to provide Permanent Foundation and Additions Certifications. I schedule these quickly and offer affordable pricing.
