It’s important to have a home inspection when buying a house that has been flipped. Investors buy a house at a low price, do cosmetic repair work, and re-sell the house for a profit. The trouble is that significant problems are covered up with siding, paint, fillers, and new flooring.

Inspectors frequently find work that was performed without a permit. I have found several homes with entire room additions that were never permitted and were not built correctly. Homes are sold as is, so inspections are important to keep you from buying someone else’s problem. Don’t trust the sellers’ disclosure. Sellers can claim they didn’t know they needed a permit, and in some cases, they don’t. It can be a real problem to get the home up to code after it’s already been built.

Before going out for a home inspection, I look up permits and other background information on the property that I am inspecting. Frequently, when permits were not obtained, the work is sub-standard and my need to be corrected. That can mean a large expense.

Some other issues that I have found are termite and other pest damages that have been covered up, dangerous electrical issues, patched roof leaks, incorrect plumbing, and many more.

In each case, the home that I was inspecting looked great in photos and during a walk through. Home inspections find the items that are not easy to spot.

Before buying a home in Jacksonville or the surrounding counties, please schedule a full home inspection to be sure you know what repairs will be needed.

For a more complete list of services, please visit http://www.neflhomeinspector.com and http://www.homebuilderjacksonville.com.