Can A Home Inspector Condemn A House? 4 Things To Know
Whenever it’s time to sell or purchase a house, the home inspector is the first person who checks every detail of the building. The inspector can detect the issues with the building. That’s why, before scheduling their inspections, people ask if the home inspector can condemn their house.
Can a Home Inspector Condemn a House?
It’s not the job of a home inspector to condemn a house. The job of a home inspector is to inspect the building and make a report against the inspection. The report highlights the areas where repairs are needed. In case of major structural issues, the home inspector can just recommend that the house is not safe for the residents to live in, unless the issue gets resolved by the experts. Simply put, the home inspectors can just highlight the issue where repair works are needed.
What Role Can a Home Inspector Play into Condemnation of a House?
The home inspector knows about the problems and potential hazards. There are four things to know that home inspectors can do when they find any problems in a house.
- Early Detection of Issues
A timely executed home inspection can help detect issues at an earlier stage. When a home inspector performs an inspection and highlights issues related to the foundation, water damage, pest infestation, or any septic issue, the issue needs to be addressed at that initial stage. If the issue persists for a long time and keeps damaging the building, it leads your home towards condemnation.
- Documentation of Issues
It’s the duty of a home inspector to warn residents of possible damages and their outcomes. The home inspector formulates a detailed report by documenting all issues and safety concerns. If there are severe issues with the building, the home inspector documents them, and if those issues are not addressed in a timely manner, the home can be condemned by the related authorities.
- Recommend Inspection by Specialists
The home inspectors work to ensure a safe living environment for the residents. If they feel that the place is not habitable due to a certain issue, they can forward the report to specialists for a deep investigation. The investigation by the specialists can be decisive about the house. According to the InterNACHI code of ethics, it is the duty of the inspector to provide the accurate results to the client, so that they can recommend the inspection by a specialist to ensure that the complex issues may not remain hidden.
- Protection of the Buyer
The home inspection report gives the buyer confidence to purchase the property. People get the properties inspected to secure their investment and live safely in their new homes. If there are any severe issues in the building, a home inspector can share the details with the buyer so the buyer can be protected from purchasing a home that can be condemned in the near future.
Who Can Condemn a House?
It is clear that a home inspector cannot condemn a house. There are a few government agencies that have authority to condemn a house if needed. Those agencies are:
- Zoning Departments
- Environmental Agencies
- Local Health Departments
- Local Housing Code Enforcement Departments
- Government Building Departments
What Are the Things a Home Inspector is Not Allowed to Do?
The home inspectors have a specific area of responsibility. There are a few things that they are not allowed to do.
- Enforcement of Building Codes
To enforce building codes, there are specific authorities. Although the home inspectors know building codes, they cannot enforce them. The home inspectors can highlight the areas where the building codes have not been met, and homeowners can improve their homes according to the rules.
- Determining Value of a Home
Determining the value of a home is a job of a professional real estate appraiser. The appraiser visits the property and determines its worth according to the worth of similar properties in that area.
A home inspector cannot do the job of an appraiser. He just has to inspect the property and make a clear inspection report.
- Repair Work at Home
It’s right that the home inspector finds out the problems in a house and highlights the areas that need repair work. But the home inspector cannot do repair work. It is the job of a contractor to make repairs in a home. The home inspector can refer to the contractor if necessary repairs are needed.
- Determining Home’s Insurability
A home inspector cannot determine the home’s insurability. It is the duty of the insurance company to do so. Secondly, the insurance agent can answer the question of whether your home is insurable or not. The home inspector cannot guide you in this field.
Schedule Inspection to Avoid Condemnation
The homes with less maintenance are more likely to get condemned by the authorities. Condemning a home is not a job of the inspectors. The home inspectors can just highlight the areas that need repair work. So it’s better to schedule routine inspections with The Brickkicker to keep your place in good condition and livable.