I've been telling myself for a year that I wanted to begin a blog in order to reach more people and share more knowledge with them. Today, after a hot and humid day, we are now enjoying intense rain and storms. There are many things about living in Middle Tennessee that I love. 
               Very often, a home inspection is performed during a dry spell in our area. In those cases it can be difficult to determine where all moisture intrusion could be taking place. As Inspectors we want to give the homeowner an opportunity to move into their desired residence without any major surprises. How do we see moisture intrusion when there has been no moisture for possibly weeks at a time?
                Home Inspectors can look for many clues.... dry rot, stains, bubbling/warping, insects, soft materials that should be hard, efflorescence, signs of mold and more. Also, moisture meters allow us to gauge moisture content of some materials. In Middle TN, my home, my hood, we have 4 seasons which can really take a toll on the home over the years. It is important, as you have a couple of years under your belt as a homeowner, that you maintain and protect your invesment. Some inspection companies offer inexpensive maintenance inspections to make you aware of possible improvements that, in may cases, will save money in the long run. Waiting for things to go wrong really may be more expensive.  I recommend, for anyone who  has been in their current home for 5 years, to have an inspection. Many of us have found ourselves taking out a HELOC or refinancing in order to take care of all of the things that have deteriorated over the years and to update. Who wants that financial weight? We keep a rolling checklist at my home now and don't go further into debt to cover repairs any longer.
                  When you have that home maintenance inspection, you should use it to prioritize your new TO-DO list. Even if you find yourself with a larger repair, you will have given yourself a chance to plan. When your $8000.00 A/C unit went out on a 98 degree humid tn summer, you must figure it out quickly and it can cost even more if you arent prepared. If you have an inspection done and your certified TN inspector tells you that your A/C unit is 35 years old and that it may be the last one like it in the mid-state, you have the knowledge to plan! Here is to protecting your home! 

Does it seem as though customer service is lacking in your day to day life? Personally, when I receive great service I am so appreciative and surprised that I forget that this is the way it should be any time someone provides a service. When it comes to the purchase of your home you should expect nothing less than an inspector who relates..who truly cares..someone that sincerely wants you to feel confident and pleased with the entire experience. Many home buyers get their references for home inspectors through their agent, and i believe that is a good thing. If  I could give one recommendation I would tell the home buyer to ask a few simple questions about the inspector such as: " Do you like Joe home inspector?" "Will Joe home inspector spend as much time with us as needed?" and "Have you had any negative experiences with past clients related to Joe home inspector?" Many buying agents do not want the liability of referring a specific inspection company. Most likely, your agent isn't going to recommend someone with which they have had a negative experience, but what this does is force them to take another second to think about the character and professionalism of the ones they recommend and may help ensure that you have gotten the absolute best!