Quite often, a person interested in buying a home will have a friend or family member who is a contractor, and is willing to inspect the home for a minimal or no fee. If you are the seller of a home, this won’t affect you negatively, but if you are the buyer, you are doing yourself a grave disservice.Contractors and home inspectors in NY are two different animals; many home inspectors do in fact begin their careers in the building trade, but contractors are mainly experienced in construction. Contractors may possess some knowledge or experience with certain aspects of building defects, damage, and deterioration, but they are far from being experts, and they are certainly not a licensed home inspector. A licensed home inspector is the only individual who is qualified to perform home inspections in NY, and in many other states.A contractor may be able to conduct a proficient walkthrough inspection of a home, but a licensed home inspector has been specially trained to look for things that will not be revealed by a mere walkthrough. A thorough home inspection by a licensed home inspector in NY is very comprehensive, and an official inspection report is provided to the buyer and the seller afterwards.Some of the steps a professional home inspector would take during a home inspection that a contractor probably would not: examines and tests electrical outlets, operates and evaluates the plumbing, inspects breaker panels, crawls through attic space and crawlspaces, inspects all major appliances, climbs onto the roof, crawls beneath the foundation if possible, inspects the surrounding landscape, checks smoke alarms, heating and cooling equipment, and much, much more.But the worst disadvantage of using a contractor in place of a home inspector may occur after the sale is completed. If any defects are found in the home afterwards, and the sellers recommended that a licensed home inspector should be hired but you failed to heed their advice, you will have little recourse to reclaim any funds to make the necessary repairs. However, if, as a seller, you choose to allow a contractor to perform an inspection and fail to disclose any defects or damage, you might also be held liable afterwards.
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