WHY HAVE YOUR HOME INSPECTED BEFORE A REMODEL?
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.
I love that you point out that having your home inspected before you change anything on it can help you avoid costly repairs and damages and get you more aware of your house’s condition. My mom wants to remodel the kitchen and put in a pantry. We’ll have to look into getting to old house inspected first to make sure there isn’t anything to complicate the process.
Hello Jessie
Thank you for your comment
There is another reason as well. If a person has a certain amount of money for the home there may be things that should be dealt with so there are no nasty surprises down the road. An example is a roof leak that caused a hidden mold problem. A new roof can fix the leak but if the mold is not discovered then remediated it may have been better to direct portion part of the money to correcting that and perhaps cut somewhere else if needed.
Just a thought
I appreciate what you said about building a dormer. My house needs a second-story remodel. I’ll have to hire a contractor to help out with the scaffolding.
Hello Tex
Thank you for your comment
I am so glad you brought this up. I have been in construction for a long time and if a person does not put safety first terrible things can happen. I have seen it first hand.
Another possible option is a “Man-Lift” if that will meet the need. They can be rented for short periods of time.
It was helpful when you said that you should get your foundation inspected. My husband and I wanted to look into getting our living room and kitchen remodeled next month, so we wanted to make sure we knew how to do everything right. We’ll have to look into hiring an inspection service that can make sure nothing is wrong with our home before we start working on the remodel.
Hello Daisy
You are spot on! It will also give you an idea if other things need done to preserve the protect the home. Especially if you are going to be “Under Construction: anyway
Renovate your kitchen, bathroom, or floors and remodel a space with the help of master carpenters, electricians, and general contractors.
Greg, I agree 100%
I have been in construction for almost 30 years and have held licenses as a General Contractor and General Engineering Contractor (among others) in the State of Utah when I lived there. Inspectors don’t necessarily know more than licensed professional tradesmen/tradeswomen. They need to know their trade and be certified however. Its that we look at a building differently. Ever notice when you buy a certain kind of car you start seeing them all over the place. Its like that. more about the “Trained Eye” and knowing how to look.
I do agree. The most common issues we find are created by “Do it Yourself” homeowners. Its their home to do with as they wish. Second is unlicensed and undertrained workers that operate at the DIY level. Always use a pro or pay the price later!