deal, then these will need to be inspected as well, to ensure they are in good working order, and that they are correctly installed. As well, their general condition will be checked. • Fire safety: Fire safety is of utmost importance, and smoke detectors will need to be in place and operational, and thoroughly inspected for condition; stoves an d fir eplaces must also be checked. • Pest and mold: Inspections for the presence of wood- boring and other insects, as well as molds and fungi, will also be necessary components of the home inspection process. Something else to consider is where you live — or, more spe cifi cally, where you’ll be moving if the deal on the home goes through. For example, if you live in certain high-risk areas, such as areas that are prone to natural disasters, most notably earthquakes, tornadoes, and fl oods, then it’s a good idea to order additional services. Th e proper specialist(s) will help you to estimate the resistance of the property during such natural disasters. During any inspection, the inspector might recommend that you ask for a second, more specialized, opinion if major issues are found. For instance, contact a structural engineer in case weakness is suspected in load-bearing walls. Don’t procrastinate and wait to get this done. Th ere have been situations in which the closing meeting had to be postponed because of failure to properly deal with discovered inspection issues in time. CHOOSING THE RIGHT EXPERT Don’t assume that good and qua lifi ed inspectors are readily available at your fin gertips. In fact, o ft en, quite the opposite is true. A good expert can be hard to fin d. But don’t just hire the fir st one you fin d with a quick search online, or go with the 127
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