Why you need a roof inspection

Imagine if you were buying your Dream House and then found out it needed a new roof before you could get insurance. That would be a very nasty surprise. Some people have even moved into their new house with a temporary certificate of insurance, only to find out later that their insurance company won't insure the house's existing roof. If, instead, you had the roof inspected as part of your Complete Home Inspection during the home-buying process, you'd be able to negotiate with the seller and get the roof situation handled ahead of time.

Roof inspections have had most of the fun and excitement taken out of them in the last few years due to changes in homeowner's insurance underwriting. Today, depending on what we find, you may not be able to get homeowner's insurance for your new house.

It used to be that, in a roof inspection, I'd use various clues to ascertain the age of the roof and then weigh all of the evidence to give you an idea of how many years your Dream House's roof might last. Now, if the clues indicate that the roof is more than fifteen years old, you probably won't be able to get homeowner's insurance. It doesn't matter how much life we may think the roof has left. Underwriter's simply won't write the policy.

The same is true if I find that the existing roof has three layers of roofing material on top of each other, or only two layers, if the lower layer is wood shingle. You won't be able to get homeowner's insurance until the roof is replaced. That's something you need to find out during the home-buying process. And that's the kind of knowledge you'll get from your Complete Home Inspection. Then, armed with your home inspection results, you can get, in writing, confirmation from your insurance company that they will cover the roof.

Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing, and more, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.

Your inspection report

The written report you receive, by E-mail, following your Kansas City home inspection will be thorough, detailed, easy-to-read, and understandable. It's a summary of your inspection that includes a list of recommended repairs, suggested maintenance tips, and photos. Your report acts as a permanent record of the condition of the house at the time of the inspection. It may be useful as you negotiate with the seller of the house. And, it might help you figure out what needs to be done after you move in.

Miki Mertz's Report Writing session

In early January, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) again asked me to teach other home inspectors how to improve their inspection report writing. It's always an honor to be asked to share my knowledge and experience with my colleagues. This is two years in a row I've presented this topic at ASHI's annual Inspection World. I've also presented the topic to the Great Lakes ASHI chapter and will speak to the Minnesota Society of Housing Inspectors in March.

Obviously, I take inspection report writing very seriously. That is just one more benefit of hiring Complete Home Inspection to do your Kansas City home inspection. You can be assured that your report will meet your needs and be the best it can possibly be. Watch a video explaining and describing your inspection report: www.completehomeinspectionkc.com/kansas_city_home_inspection_013.htm

Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing, and more, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.