If you’re a first time home buyer, or it’s been awhile since you’ve purchased a home, I made a list of questions you may have for a home inspector and answered them below. If you have a home inspection question that isn’t answered below, please contact me.

Do I need a home inspection?

A home inspection is one of the biggest parts of buying or selling a home. If you are a seller you can use it to fix current issues before listing the home. If you are a buyer you can use it to negotiate repairs and/or price before you buy the home. It’s a lot easier to spend a couple hundred on an inspection than to spend thousands on possible repairs later on.

What do you inspect?

When performing a home inspection I follow the ASHI Standards of Practice.

What is not inspected in a home inspection?

Here is a link to a list of things that are not inspected by a home inspector during a regular home inspection. LINK

How long does the inspection take?

That depends on the size and other factors regarding the home, but on average it will take 3-5 hours for me to perform a home inspection.

Do I have to be present for the inspection?

Our home inspection process is completed thoroughly and through various steps which require immediate attention to detail.  Although a customer may be present we ask for respect of work space during inspection process.  It is recommended the customer be present when home inspection is complete to review and discuss inspection results.

How much will the inspection cost?

This depends on the size of the home and services you decide to get. My home inspections start at $225 and go up from there. I also offer many other services along with the general home inspection including Single Component Inspections, Radon Measurement, Termites and Sewer Inspection.

When is payment due?

Payment is due before the inspection report is released. I accept cash, and credit/debit cards as payment.

If there is a problem, will you give an estimate on what it will cost to fix?

I avoid giving estimates on cost because I’d hate to give a client an incorrect or false estimate on something. If I do find an issue with your home, I will generally recommend that the proper qualified professional be called to come take look at it, that way you can get a more accurate estimate.

Do you make deals with realtors to leave things out of the report so they have a better chance of selling the house?

Absolutely not, I am there for you (the client) and you only. I will give an honest, unbiased, report on everything I see as accurately as I can.

Will I get a copy of the report?

You bet! Once I finish the home inspection, I will put the report together and email it to you in an online and PDF format within 24 hours of the inspection being completed.

Does the report include pictures?

Yes it does, I include pictures of issues to help better point out where the problem may exist.

Does the report have a summary page?

Yes it does! The summary page has a list of any major/safety concerns, recommended improvements and maintenance items. This page will be at the beginning of the report and although it’s nice to have most issues listed out here, I highly recommend reading the report in its entirety as it will give you more information and photos on any issues or concerns.

Don’t let the summary page overwhelm you! Most of the items listed in summary pages are just suggested improvement items that would benefit the house. Always remember, no house is perfect not even brand new ones!

Do you belong to a professional association?

Yes I do! I am currently an associate member of ASHI you can view my. ASHI profile here.

Are you registered in Kansas?

SightMark Home Inspections is registered as an LLC in the state of Kansas.

I have completed extensive training through various methods including AHIT training courses, mentorship through veteran home inspectors with years of experience, in addition to having obtained a Kansas Radon Testing registration certificate through completed academic studies at K-State.

Do you participate in continuing education programs to keep your expertise up to date?

I sure do! As a matter of fact as a member of ASHI I am required to have 20 credit hours of continuing education per year.