If you’re planning a home remodel, you probably have a lot on your mind. You’re thinking about contractors and permits, timelines and budgets. But what about a home inspection?
Most homeowners understand the importance of getting a home inspection before buying or selling a property. Unfortunately, fewer people understand how critical it is to invest in a home inspection before beginning a remodel.
In this post, we’ll discuss how to protect your best interests as you remodel your home, and how a Montana home inspector can help.
Let’s dive in.
Why Inspect Your Home Before You Remodel?
Renovating your home is an exciting process, but it’s also a significant project.
When you invest in a home inspection before you begin your remodel, you check a few important boxes. These include the following:
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You can find out if there are important repairs that you should be paying attention to prior to the remodel.
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A home inspection may help you save money and avoid costly repairs.
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Having an expert home inspection could help you identify problem areas that could impact the long-term stability of your renovation—and will be easier to fix now than later.
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You take a proactive step to ensure the work is done safely and abides by local building codes.
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If you’re doing exterior work, the permitting and inspection process protects the aesthetic of your building and neighborhood, and helps avoid disruptions to neighborhood services like utilities.
While getting a home inspection before remodeling may seem like an unnecessary step, it can save you time, money, and stress in the long run.
4 Things to Inspect Before you Renovate
If you’re planning a renovation, be sure to have these four things inspected before you begin the project:
1. Mechanical Systems
If your remodel will place an increased load on your electrical service, plumbing system, or HVAC system, have those mechanical systems inspected before you begin.
A skilled home inspector will evaluate these systems, and identify any weak points. They’ll also recommend changes needed to ensure your home’s mechanical systems are safe and up to code.
2. Your Home’s Structure
Many home remodels change the structure, number, or placement of interior walls. What most people don’t realize, though, is that changing the layout of your interior walls can compromise the structural stability of your home.
Before you move, add, or eliminate interior walls, contact a home inspector to evaluate your home’s foundation and load-bearing walls. The inspector will help you identify important load-bearing points of your home, and develop a plan to work around them.
3. Your Roof
If you’re planning to add onto your home, build a dormer, or simply add a skylight to the kitchen or bedroom, it’s going to require altering your home’s roof. This requires the expertise of a skilled home inspector.
A home inspector can evaluate your roof and help you understand whether it’s safe to tie your new roof work in with your existing roof, or whether you have to rebuild the entire thing.
A housing inspector will also help you identify underlying roof issues and ensure your remodel doesn’t inadvertently cause structural problems or leaks in your roof.
4. The Home’s Basement
If you’re planning to finish the basement in your home and turn it into a functional living space, have it inspected first. The reason is simple: basements tend to be damp, and are very susceptible to mold.
A home inspector can evaluate the basement and look for pockets of mold before you begin your remodel project. If the inspector finds mold, they’ll provide recommendations on how to eliminate it safely.
A home inspector can also help you understand how to finish and remodel your basement to minimize the risk of mold, water pooling, and water damage down the road.
Make Your Remodel as Safe and Efficient as Possible
Remodeling is an exciting experience, but it can uncover serious underlying issues in your home.
Fortunately, you can do your due diligence by hiring a Montana home inspector to conduct a home inspection before you begin your remodel. In addition to saving you time and money, a home inspection can uncover underlying or dangerous issues that could derail your remodel process.
If you’re planning on remodeling your home in the coming months, book an inspection with 406 Home Inspection Pros. Our team of home inspection experts can help you identify issues that will impact your remodel, and keep your project safe.
