With winter approaching, I recommend home owners check the emergency heat function of their heat pump. When the temperature drops below 25 degrees F, the emergency heat is needed to keep the home warm. With our mild winter last year in SC, the heat pump would have kept the home warm without the need for the emergency/auxiliary heat. Recommend turning your thermostat to emergency heat only and determine if you get hot air from your registers.
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For two or three story homes, the client may desire to have a drone inspection of the roof. The drone can fly over the roof and take pictures of the entire surface.
We are proud to announce that we have partnered with Spec Drones to offer drone inspections of roofs if desired by the client. Not every two or three story home requires this service but sometimes it could be a good additional step to take to ensure the roof surface is in good condition. Thank you note from a realtor. It is a privilege to assist our clients and their realtors.6/13/2019  When buying a flip house beware! Many flippers do a good job remodeling and updating a house but there are many exceptions. Some flippers buy new kitchen appliances, paint, and possibly put down new flooring and list the home. Many times the work is done by someone who watches HGTV or cruises the internet and decide they are qualified to do the work. Typically, these jobs turn out to less than professional.
Also, many flippers focus on what appeals to buyers such as new appliances and granite counter tops with no regard to the important unseen items. All home renovations and new builds should begin with the outside structural concerns. If you are considering buying a flip house, please hire a home inspector. We would prefer you hire us but please hire someone. I recommend having easy access to your attic. It is preferred to have metal pull down stairs with a platform to access any systems located in the attic. It is important from a safety standpoint that a repair man or you as the homeowner have to attempt to walk on joists or step over ducting to access the systems.
If pull down stairs are not practical, at least have a hatch that is easily opened. If you have any questions regarding this concern, please reach out to WC Home Inspection at 803-448-5512. An excerpt from an article written by Tarek El Moussa of 'Flip or Flop'.
4. Bypassing a home inspection because the house looks perfect One time at the start of my career, when I was trying anything and everything, a homeowner called me with a proposition. He had an old home he'd just inherited, and no cash for renovations. He would put up the property, I would put up the cash to renovate, and the profit we would earn when we sold would be split 50/50. We started ... and it was one thing after another. The electric system needed to be totally replaced. The pipes were rusted. Then we found termites. It got to the point where I'd feel nervous whenever my phone rang. When we finally sold, I lost money. I'd been certain it would be a sure thing. It wasn’t. Moral of this story? Hire a professional home inspector to carefully examine all the details and bones of the home before you buy. With a home, it’s what’s underneath that counts. Just remember, building inspectors look for faults: It's their job. So don’t get upset when you see their 40-page report. Pay attention to the big-ticket items, which include the electric wiring, plumbing, foundation, and things that concern health, like old building materials such as lead and asbestos. This is why home inspections are a major contingency in most home purchases. One of my clients was so excited about a place, she decided to forgo the inspection contingency on her offer. The good news: Her offer was accepted. The bad: There wound up being an issue with the foundation that cost her an extra $45,000 to fix. 5. Assuming new construction is in great shape One time, I put an offer on a new house being built in Tustin, CA. Since it was new construction, the buyers didn’t think that an inspection was necessary. I told them it was worth the few hundred dollars, and insisted. We ended up finding that the builder had faulty plumbing ... which was found to be the case for the entire newly built neighborhood! Even with new builds, do your due diligence. Many homeowners cover their electrical main panels with pictures, enclosures, or paint the same color as the wall. Electrical codes do not allow any of these practices. In reality, the "code police" are not going to show up and issue a ticket. Regardless of code, you want the panels visible and easily accessible in case of emergency. You need to think of fire fighters, renters, or guests that might not have any idea where the main panel is hidden. Is it really worth the risk to be cosmetically appealing to hide a panel?  Always be aware of any remodels done to the home by the owner. Many people watch TV and get on the internet and think they are qualified to do remodels. I recently inspected a kitchen that had been remodeled by a homeowner. They installed new cabinets and placed a cabinet on top of a HVAC register. Instead of ducting to the outside of the cabinet they just removed the register and had the air flow deadheading against the bottom of the cabinet. It does not take a Mike Holmes to realize this is wrong in so many ways. Without a diligent home inspector like me this would have never been realized by the potential buyer. Just another example of the importance of hiring a good home inspector.
We are in the ultimate service business, so when we get a review like the following it is very appreciated.
"To Whom It May Concern" "When we decided to build a future retirement home in Myrtle Beach, SC, we pondered whether we would need a home inspection service since we were doing new construction. I have used a home inspector on a new build in the past and valued their services greatly in keeping the builder honest in making sure everything comes out perfectly as much as possible. Since I was new to Myrtle Beach coming from Cleveland, the first place looked to find a trusted professional was on Angie's List. I read the reviews on Dale Herendeen at WC Home Inspection and called him up. I was surprised when he answered. I found him to be very knowledgeable and he gave me a lot of pointers how he could help in the new construction process starting with a pre-drywall inspection and then final walk through inspection prior to closing. Dale was the ultimate professional, and very friendly as well. He found numerous items that could be improved and/or needed rework, even items that I might have overlooked. The end result would be a house that would surpass my expectations. So you if are looking to buy an existing house or a new build, don't hesitate to contact Dale Herendeen at WC Home Inspection. The small fee that he charges will pay back great dividends in your home satisfaction!" A busy week with 5 inspections and all of our clients were pleased with our service. We did homes in Roebuck, North Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, and two in Myrtle Beach. Keep in mind that home inspections before listing the property could save you some trouble and possibly put money in your pocket as a seller. Several of the owners would have been well served by having a pre-listing inspection. Keep us in mind for your home inspection needs in South Carolina.
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