• Laundry room: Ventilation and dryer systems; leaks and potential fire hazards. • Bathrooms: Bathtub, shower, sink, and toilet inspection. Proper ventilation and plumbing. • Kitchen appliances (if part of the purchase): Properly working devices and correct installation. • Fire safety: Smoke detectors in place and operating, fireplaces, and stoves. Some inspectors offer different packages of inspections. If you live in certain high-risk areas, you may order an additional service such as earthquake, tornado, or flood inspection. The specialist will help you to estimate the resistance of the property during natural disasters. In our area, many inspectors offer mold or water quality testing. The Pest inspection. The presence of wood-boring and other insects, molds, and fungi is a mandatory inspection in South Carolina, called CL100. It’s ordered and paid by the seller about 10 – 14 days before closing. Your inspector may recommend you ask for a specialized opinion, such as a structural engineer in case weakness is suspected in bearing walls. Don’t procrastinate and wait to get this done. There have been situations where the closing had to be postponed because of failure to properly deal with discovered inspection issues in time. A good expert is hard to find. Choosing the right inspector is key to a thorough and comprehensive report. You may search online, paying attention to reviews of that inspector. Many real estate websites have a list of professionals with ratings and reviews. Ask your friends and family for a recommendation. The best source of recommendations may be the real estate agent with whom you’re working — your buyer’s agent, not the seller’s agent. He or she works with different inspectors all the time and knows who to trust. A good realtor will attend the inspection and invite the buyer to be in the house and take the chance to ask questions. This is a very good opportunity to fully take a 43
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