Altamonte Springs' First Choice for Home Inspections
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Residential Home Inspection
A home inspection is an evaluation of a home's condition by a highly trained professional. The inspection is conducted with fairness and objectivity.
Purchasing your home may be the greatest single investment you ever make. Minimize unpleasant surprises and unexpected difficulties; learn as much as you can about the newly constructed or existing house before you buy it. A home inspection may identify the need for major repairs or builder oversights, as well as the need for maintenance to keep it in good shape. Once the inspection is complete, you can make decisions with confidence.
For the homeowner, a home inspection can identify problems in the making and suggest preventive measures that might help you avoid costly future repairs.
Selling your home, a home inspection can give you the opportunity to make repairs that will put the house in better selling condition.
In essence, a Home Inspection is a snapshot of a house on the day of the inspection. It is a non-invasive, visual evaluation of the property's structure, foundation or basement, interior, exterior, roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling systems. The purpose of an inspection is to detect major visible problems or defects and unsafe conditions.
Home Inspection includes an objective evaluation of the:
Structural Elements - Construction of walls, ceilings, floors, roof and foundation.
Exterior Evaluation - Wall covering, landscaping, grading, elevation, drainage, driveways, sidewalks, fascia, trim, doors, windows, lights and exterior receptacles.
Roof and Attic - Framing, ventilation, roof system construction, flashing and gutters. It does not include a guarantee of roof condition or a roof certification.
Plumbing - Identification of pipe materials used for potable, drain, waste and vent pipes, including condition. Toilets, showers, sink faucets and traps. It does not include a septic or sewer inspection.
Systems and Components - Water heaters, furnaces, air conditioning, duct work, chimney, and fireplace.
Electrical System - Main panel, circuit breakers, types of wiring, grounding, exhaust fans, receptacles, ceiling fans and light fixtures.
Appliances - Dishwasher, range and oven, built-in microwaves, garbage disposal and smoke detectors.
Garage - Slab, walls, ceiling, vents, entry, firewall, garage door, openers, lights, receptacles, exterior, windows and roof.
The home inspection is used to assist a client in making a more informed purchasing decision. The inspector may also educate the buyer as to typical life expectancies, items to budget for replacement as well as how to take care of and maintain the property.
Residential Home Checkup Package
The Residential Home Checkup Package is a unique program of ongoing home checkups, performed by professional home inspectors, for the purpose of keeping a home in optimum condition and protecting the investment in the home. It is offered to homeowners who need professional help to guide them in taking care of a home. The checkup package enables the homeowner to create a maintenance plan.
The home checkup package is a five year maintenance plan that includes an initial residential home inspection and four annual home checkups. The ultimate goal is to create an ongoing plan for maintaining the home and prioritizing repairs that are most urgent and those that must be budgeted for future repair or replacement. First Choice Home Inspections is not a contractor and will not complete any of the repair, we are therefore impartial and only represent the home owners interests. We do not profit from any repair performed on your home.
Your home is one of the biggest investments your will ever make and just like your car it requires regular checkups and service. You should always be aware of the condition of your home and check your entire house yearly for maintenance and safety concerns. Home owners should also have their homes inspected before they purchase and every five years thereafter by a licensed and insured home inspector.
New Home Warranty Inspection
A New Home Warranty Inspection or Anniversary Inspection can save you thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.
In all of the excitement of settling into your home, it is easy to forget about the warranty that most builders put on new homes. Typically these warranties expire after only one year, leaving the new homeowner and their sizeable investment at risk. A complete and thorough inspection of your home, before your warranty runs out, could save you thousands of dollars.
As an impartial, third-party inspector, First Choice does not perform repairs and we have no vested interest in discovering or concealing problems. We just present you with our findings and make recommendations as to what requires repairing or replacing.
The inspection is a detailed visual evaluation of your home performed by an experienced and professional home inspector prior to the expiration of a builder's new home warranty. This inspection addresses any warranty-related concerns that you may want to bring to your builder's attention.
Objects that are evaluated in the inspection include the following:
Structural Elements - Construction of walls, ceilings, floors, roof and foundation.
Exterior Evaluation - Wall covering, landscaping, grading, elevation, drainage, driveways, sidewalks, fascia, trim, doors, windows, lights and exterior receptacles.
Roof and Attic - Framing, ventilation, roof system construction, flashing and gutters. It does not include a guarantee of roof condition or a roof certification.
Plumbing - Identification of pipe materials used for potable, drain, waste and vent pipes, including condition. Toilets, showers, sink faucets and traps. It does not include a septic or sewer inspection.
Systems and Components - Water heaters, furnaces, air conditioning, duct work, chimney, and fireplace.
Electrical System - Main panel, circuit breakers, types of wiring, grounding, exhaust fans, receptacles, ceiling fans and light fixtures.
Appliances - Dishwasher, range and oven, built-in microwaves, garbage disposal and smoke detectors.
Garage - Slab, walls, ceiling, vents, entry, firewall, garage door, openers, lights, receptacles, exterior, windows and roof.
A home inspection provides you with an independent opinion as to the condition of the property at the time of the inspection. The inspector typically spends between two to three hours evaluating a home, and may recommend further evaluation if problems or symptoms are discovered. We strongly encourage you to attend the inspection with our inspector so that you can ask questions and learn even more about your home.
Don’t miss out on this exceptional opportunity to have your new home professionally evaluated while it is still under the builder’s warranty. You will know your investment in a new home will last well past the limitations of your builder’s one year warranty.
Four Point Insurance Inspection
A Four Point Insurance Inspection is often required when obtaining a new homeowners insurance policy or renewing an existing policy. The inspection includes a limited scope evaluation of the following four systems:
Roof Inspection
Electrical Inspection
HVAC (Heat, Ventilation & A/C)
Plumbing
The focus of the 4-point insurance inspection is to determine the approximate age, components, and general condition of these systems. A 4PT inspection is NOT a comprehensive home inspection and can take as little as an hour to complete. This type of insurance inspection should not be confused with a residential home inspection which is more comprehensive in detail and scope.
The insurance company will typically require that the inspections be performed by suitably licensed and qualified persons. 4-point inspections are performed by Florida State Licensed Home Inspectors.
The Four Point Insurance Inspection was created after Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992. It is performed on behalf of the insurance companies as a requirement for the insurer offering insurance to the new homeowner. After 2004 salvo of hurricanes in Florida, the Four Point Insurance Inspection has taken on renewed importance.
Insurance companies see the benefit of the inspection; the program is spreading to other areas of the country. The benefit to the insurance company is reduced loss on homeowner’s insurance policies.
The benefit to the home owner is you know what state your 4 main components are in. You can budget for future repair or replacement.
The insurance companies are looking for the four systems to be in generally good working condition and fulfilling their intended function. In older homes the insurance companies want to see that the systems have been updated.
A 4-point inspection looks at age and functionality of the roof systems, electrical, HVAC (heating and cooling), and plumbing of the home. Specifically, what is the age of each system, what is the life expectancy and has any of the systems of the home been upgraded and if so, when.
The roof inspection is checking for what type of roof systems are installed and how many layers there are. The inspector checks to see if there are any visible truss damages; any visible roof leaks; any flashing damage or are there any missing shingles. The insurance companies want to know the age of the roofing materials and estimate life remaining.
The electrical portion focuses on the main panel. Is it a fused box or breaker panel? Can the panel handle the load of the home? With breakers, what type of panel and breakers are installed (there are panel types with known defects). The type of wiring and grounding, outlets, GFCI outlets within 6 feet of wet locations, and AFCI outlets in bedrooms are checked.
The HVAC or heating and cooling system details the type of system in the home, the age of the system and when any upgrades may have been made.
The plumbing checks the water pressure in the home, type of water supply, drain lines, and shut off valves. It covers the hot water heater (electric, gas or on demand), is the TPR valve present and properly installed and the age of the unit. Have the systems been upgraded and when?
Pool / Spa Inspection
A Florida pool is a must for some homeowners. It is a major pricing factor for home values. A home with a pool will most likely appraise for $15,000 more. A home without a pool will likely appraise for $15,000 less. If the market value of homes in your neighborhood is $150,000 a home with a pool will be worth 165k while one without 135k. Would you purchase a secondhand $30,000 car without an inspection?
We inspect new and existing pools and spas. This is a non-invasive visual inspection. The Inspector will evaluate the pool and /or spa, it current condition and all accessible components. After the pool / spa inspection we will present you with a comprehensive inspection report. Our pool / spa inspection report includes deficiency findings and our recommendations for following items:
Structural components
Electrical components
Plumbing components
Filtration components
Heating components
Safety components
Placement and protection - includes fencing, gates, screen enclosure, proximity to electrical wires, location of electrical outlets and placement to the home.
Vessel and coping - includes the pool and deck surface condition (cracks, discoloration, and pitting) and the coping surrounding the pool (open joints, cracking). Drains are inspected for the presence of anti-vortex covers for safety reasons.
Equipment - includes inspection of pool / hot tub lights, the presence of GFCI devices, junction box condition and location, pumps, filters, piping, timers, disconnects, heaters, controls, accessories, skimmers, and the appropriate electrical bonding is in place.
Operation - includes operation of the pump, inspection for leakage, proper skimming and filtration, heater activation, filter pressure and the operation of the spa blower.
Pool / Spa inspection is particularly beneficial and should be done at the same time as your home inspection, or after installation of the new pool or spa.
WDO (Termite) Inspection
A WDO* Inspection is a visual inspection of all accessible areas of a home for evidence of wood-destroying insects (WDI) and wood-destroying organisms (WDO). The inspector will visually inspect the interior of a home, basement or crawlspace (including accessing and entering any scuttle holes, or pull down attic access points where Drywood termites are predominant) and exterior of the property. The inspector is checking for WDI (ants and bugs) and WDO (fungus). After the inspection has been performed, the findings are reported on a WDO form.* All WDO Inspections are performed by a Licensed Termite Inspector that may or may not be an employee of FCHI.
Irrigation Inspection
An irrigation inspection is a series of tests on an underground lawn irrigation system that determines how efficient the system is. An inspector will check the application rate, uniformity, and pressure of your system to determine how the efficiency of the system can be improved and to develop an appropriate watering schedule for the landscape. The entire process takes up to a couple of hours for the average residence depending on the size of the irrigation system.
The inspector will check the following areas of your irrigation system:
Backflow preventer
Controller and rain sensor - make sure devices are working properly and installed correctly
Operating the system - walk each zone to ensure no leaks or breaks exist in the main line or section piping, all valves are opening and closing correctly, check wiring connections to ensure proper wire connectors have been used, check for broken sprinkler heads, nozzles, shrub risers, drip irrigation, improper spray over impervious surfaces, head-to-head coverage, low or high pressure, low-head drainage and sprinkler heads set too high or too low.
Zip Codes by County
Volusia County
32174, 32176, 32117, 32118, 32114, 32119, 32129, 32127, 32132, 32141, 32169, 32759, 32130, 32724, 32124, 32128, 32720, 32744, 32168, 32738, 32763, 32713, 32725, 32764, 32180
Seminole County
32771, 32746, 32773, 32765, 32732, 32712, 32779, 32750, 32708, 32714, 32701, 32730, 32707, 32792, 32751, 32789, 32810
Orange County
32804, 32789, 32792, 32817, 32826, 32820, 32803, 32807
Lake County
32736, 32712, 32776, 32798, 32757, 32726, 32735, 32784, 34788, 32778, 32703