Buying a home is a huge decision and a financial undertaking large enough to warrant a thorough and detailed home inspection.  A buyer needs a qualified home inspector to seek out the problems that maybe present with the home before moving in. If there is a problem or a symptom of a problem the home inspector will include a description of that problem in a written report and may recommend further evaluation.

Before you close the deal on your new purchase, enlist the help of Bennett Property Inspection out of Tampa, Florida.
We care about your best interests, your families safety, and we will be an advocate on your behalf during your home buying process.

Ask any prospective home inspector these three questions before using their services:


1.   What does the report look like?  The most valuable part of the home inspection is the detailed report that lists any issues, problems or potential trouble with the house. How the report is crafted and how long it takes to be submitted to the buyer varies. Our inspection report is a full narrative report with embedded pictures. The full report usually contains between 30 and 40 pages. The summary report, presenting findings that may require immediate attention, usually contains between 5 and 10 pages.

2.   What will the inspection cover? A home inspector's report will review the condition of the home's heating system, central air conditioning system (temperature permitting), interior plumbing, electrical systems, roof, attic, visible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, foundation, basement, and visible structure.    

3.   How do you stay current on industry standards? The building industry is constantly changing, so you don’t want to seek help from a company with dated practices. A good inspector has consistent documentation of continuing education (CE) in the inspection industry.


For more questions concerning home inspections, or to schedule your inspection, contact Bennett Property Inspection at (813) 260-9920.

The "perfect house" is cliche, an adage that does not exist in the life of a home inspector. Even the best built and most meticulously maintained homes will always have items that are in less than ideal condition. 

It doesn't matter how much or how little one pays for the home, there will be issues.  It doesn't matter if the house is old or new construction, there will be issues. With that said, it is important to me that when I meet with my clients that I take the time to explain things to them so they understand the issues and can make an informed decision as to whether or not they want to move forward with the transaction or ask the seller to make repairs.

Bennett Property Inspection has compiled a list of our ten most commonly found defects during our inspections. This list is by no means exhaustive, just what I see most frequently.

• Problems with installation of roofing materials are the single most common defect we find. Usually it doesn't mean the roof needs replaced, but rather that it is in need of maintenance or repair. That said, we do find roofs that need total replacement. Tile roofs are particularly problematic here in Florida.
• Plumbing leaks in and around the crawl space as well as dripping faucets, leaking fixtures, slow drains. Older homes are especially vulnerable if they still have their original cast iron or galvanized piping.
  

• Defective or missing GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, laundry rooms and outside.
  
• Visible open wire connections in the crawl space, attics and garages.
• Wet and damp crawl spaces
• Water Heater installations not being fully compliant with plumbing codes
• AC issues most common being leaky duct connections and dirty or moldy evaporator coils.
• Loose toilets
• Dishwashers not secured to the granite countertop
• Outlets that don’t work

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that over 24,000 clothes dryer fires occur each year in the United States. Lint that collects in your vents is very combustible. Over time, your dryer vent has the propensity to fill with lint that gets past the dryer's filter. As the lint builds up, this can cause over-heating - which can lead to a fire as well.

Clothes dryers evaporate the water from wet clothing by blowing hot air past them while they tumble inside a spinning drum. Heat is provided by an electrical heating element or gas burner. Some heavy garment loads can contain more than a full gallon of water which, during the drying process, will become airborne water vapor and leave the dryer and home through an exhaust duct (more commonly known as a dryer vent).

The clogging of the dryer vents prevents the adequate removal of air and moisture from the dryer, and a typical 45 minute cycle turns into an hour and 45 minute cycle, resulting in a waste of energy, additional clothes fibers lost and the frightening possibility of a fire. This leaves some scratching their head, frustrated and confused they just throw some additional time on the dryer to finish the job perpetuating a very dangerous problem. Clothes dryers are one of the most expensive appliances in your home to operate. The longer they run, the more money they cost you.

Problems from clogged dryer vents can be prevented with by regularly checking the inside of the dryer and the dryer exhaust system vents. 

If your dryer vents the exhaust moist air to the home's exterior, it has a number of requirements:

1.) It should be connected. The connection is usually behind the dryer but may be beneath it. Look carefully to make sure it’s actually connected.

2.) It should not be restricted. Dryer vents are often made from flexible plastic or metal duct, which may be easily kinked or crushed where they exit the dryer and enter the wall or floor. This is often a problem since dryers tend to be tucked away into small areas with little room to work. Vent hardware is available which is designed to turn 90° in a limited space without restricting the flow of exhaust air. Restrictions should be noted in the inspector's report. Airflow restrictions are a potential fire hazard.

3.) One of the reasons that restrictions are a potential fire hazard is that, along with water vapor evaporated out of wet clothes, the exhaust stream carries lint – highly flammable particles of clothing made of cotton and polyester. Lint can accumulate in an exhaust duct, reducing the dryer’s ability to expel heated water vapor, which then accumulates as heat energy within the machine. As the dryer overheats, mechanical failures can trigger sparks, which can cause lint trapped in the dryer vent to burst into flames. This condition can cause the whole house to burst into flames. Fires generally originate within the dryer but spread by escaping through the ventilation duct, incinerating trapped lint, and following its path into the building wall.

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