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How to do self inspection for my house?
July 20, 2022Why should you hire a professional home inspector?
A couple reasons why you should hire a professional Malaysian home inspector is because these experts can ensure both the quality and the safety of your home.
The home inspector, depending on what type you decide to hire, will examine your property’s foundation, walls, flooring to the roof to make sure that there are no cosmetic imperfections or problems that will potentially compromise the safety of you and your family in the future.
For example, the inspector might be able to notice the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning from the brownish stains around appliances or even stale smelling air. Taking in excess amounts of carbon monoxide can greatly reduce your red blood cell’s ability to carry oxygen throughout the body and if detected early you can be spared from the side effects which includes headaches, confusion or in worse cases, death. Either that, or the inspector might be able to seek out subtle property defects such as uneven paint or cracked walls covered with paint.
Not only can you ensure you and your loved one’s safety, hiring a Malaysian-based home inspector is a sound investment that can help you save money. By catching any problems or potential problems in a property before it becomes a big issue would most definitely save you from having to pay for hefty fixing costs or medical bills just in case any damage in your house causes any injuries.
Other than that, if you are planning on buying or renting a new house, once you know the issues with the house, you would still have the chance to back out from buying the house, or request that the sellers resolve the issue. Even better, in some cases you would be able to request the seller to lower the price of the house.
Things to take note of doing of when looking for home inspection service
When choosing a home inspector, it is important to ensure that the inspector chosen depending on your budget is certified and experienced, which leads to the discussion on things to note when scouting out the perfect home inspector. Regarding price, the cost of a home inspection service would depend on how big your house is and what you want to have checked out. For example, a small studio apartment would cost significantly lesser than a double-storey terrace house. Different companies might also have differing levels of experience in the field, qualifications and standards as well as having different special tools to conduct inspections such as drones or thermal image scanners.
Average cost of home inspection
The more affordable costs for home inspections can start from RM200 for smaller apartments and can go up to RM599 for high-rise residences or RM699 for terrace houses. Some examples of different types of home inspections in Malaysia that can be done covers new residential inspections, sub-sales pre-purchase property inspection, thermal imaging scanning, roof inspection, as well as post defect inspection. A brief explanation will be given on the aforementioned inspection types.
New residential inspections
This inspection is suitable for new homes and can protect your rights during the Defects Liability Period. This inspection will cover every aspect of the house, from the roof covering, window, door, wall, door, cabinet to electric and plumbing fittings of your new property.
Sub-sales pre-purchase property inspection
This sub-sales pre-purchase property inspection is favorable for people who are buying second hand houses, and the inspectors will help you examine your house to look for defects so you can understand the investment that you are about to make, which is your new property. Through the home inspection, major defects, any component’s functional defects as well as safety issues can be revealed so you can make the final decision with ease.
Roof inspection
Roof inspections involve the inspectors climbing onto your roof to inspect the quality of the shingles so the inspectors have better knowledge on the condition of the roof. If the property inspector is unable to get on to the roof due to safety precautions, the alternate method of deploying a drone will be used to inspect your house instead.
Post defect inspection
The purpose of the post defect inspection is to check whether there are any imperfections from the work done by the contractors. Since contractors just build the house, they do not really do thorough house inspections. There might be subtle defects like cracks which normal untrained people can not spot easily, which is why post defect inspection should not be forgotten.
Thermal imaging scanning (Electronic inspection)
Thermal imaging scanning involves using a thermal scanner to identify the problems in electric components and water seepage that is unable to be noticed with the naked eye. Infrared Thermographic Scanning is a fast and non-destructive and effective way to detect flaws that might exist in your electrical equipment so you can get them fixed before they worsen.
The average time taken to inspect a house
The average time it would take to inspect a house between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet will take around 2 hours, with an addition of 30 minutes for every 500 square feet. Different companies have different standards and qualifications they adhere to when conducting these inspections, such as inspections being done according to the Construction Industry Development Board’s (CDIB) Construction Industry Standard, Quality Assessment System for Building Construction Works (QLASSIC). Here are some Important things to look out while inspecting your house. This section will be discussing inspections for both old and new houses. Old houses would have different aspects to focus on compared to new houses. This is because for old houses, some of the components are aged and are probably way past their prime, so a more thorough checking would be needed. Newer houses on the other hand, require a less thorough checking as most of the components are new. Usually, newer houses will only need checking for the installment quality and whether the faucets or power sockets work or not.
Pipe and sewage systems
For pipe systems and sewage systems, old houses may need a condition check to make sure that the pipes are not too aged, rusted and cracked. Meanwhile, since the pipe and sewage system in the newer houses are newly built, just a simple test like turning on the faucet would be sufficient. Unless there are any blockages, which would require additional work to be done.
Electronics
Electronic inspections for the new house can also be conducted simply by turning the switches on and off and trying to charge your electronic devices using the sockets. Unless there are any issues, no further action should be required. Whereas for older houses, the wires might be really aged, so replacements might be needed.
Roofs
Moving on, for the roofs, just like the pipe and sewage systems, a condition check to confirm whether replacements are necessary should be done. As for new houses, visual checking to ensure the components are fixed properly could be done.
Floors
Similarly, the floors for both the new and old house can be visually checked for any imperfections such as cracks.
External checking
As for external checking for uneven paint and cracks in the walls, a visual test could be done on both types of houses to make sure the paint job and overall components of the house are in good condition.
Attic checks could also be done to check for whether the ventilation and insulation is good and whether there are pests living in the attic.
Important things to look out for when inspecting homes
Internal Home Inspection
Piping system
Roots
Roots from large trees or a root infestation are things to look out for when inspecting your piping system. This is because roots tend to grow in the vicinity of pipelines due to the fact that there is an abundant combination of nutrients and moisture in the drain lines.
Blockages
Blockages are highly common and can be caused due to plant roots since the environment is optimal for plant growth. Another cause of blockage would the garbage from the sink or domestic waste that is not disposed of correctly.
Deterioration
Cast iron pipes have an average lifespan of 50 to 60 years. For some older houses, the piping systems have not been replaced or maintained in a few decades, having a high risk for cracks and leaks.
Methods to inspect pipes
Visual inspection
This is appropriate for pipes that are exposed and accessible, wherein the inspector will examine the pipes to see if there are any small blockages, or how bad the pipes are deteriorating.
Push cameras
In certain scenarios where visual inspections are impossible, such as when the pipes are located in a hard to reach place, a push camera will do the job. The push cameras are essentially cameras attached to the end of a long cord, and are then pushed through the pipe while the live feed from the camera is being streamed to the streamer. However, the limitations to these push cameras is that they can not do any complicated movements.
Sewage System and Plumbing
Inspecting the sewage and plumbing systems usually means inspecting the home’s pipes which are attached to a snake line or a sewer scope. Sewage and plumbing system inspections typically occur to prevent future issues such as flooding in the kitchen and toilet.
Indoor plumping pipes
supply lines and the sewage lines.
Outdoorplumping pipes
Hose bibs in the outdoors as well as the laundry room, sinks and bathtubs, faucets and showers, toilers along with water heaters.
As usual, newer houses will just need a simple checking to see if it is working whereas older houses need to see if these components need to be replaced or not considering they are way past their prime.
Type of inspections that can be done
Sewer lateral inspection
A camera will be used by the home inspector to record everything within the snake line. The footage is then reviewed to try and figure out the issues with the plumbing. For example, there could be cracks in the pipes, a root infestation, clogging or collapsed lines. For a visual guide on how to do inspection for plumbing, viewers can refer to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPp03QztEXo
Thermal imaging scan
Infrared Thermographic Scanning is a fast, non-destructive and effective way to detect any potential problems in your water seepage that is unable to notice with bare eyes, before they become serious faults.
Roof
Inspecting the sewage and plumbing systems usually means inspecting the home’s pipes which are attached to a snake line or a sewer scope. Sewage and plumbing system inspections typically occur to prevent future issues such as flooding in the kitchen and toilet.
Walk on the roof
The home inspector can then see the true condition of the roof coverings. By standing on top of the roof tiles, they can also feel the sturdiness of the roof sheathing they are stepping on. By walking on the roof, they can also do more accurate hands-on inspection of the flashings, roof penetrations, skylights as well as the gutters. Other things that the home inspector will look at when doing inspections are to look for any leaks, unusual wear and tears, damages caused by debris blown from the wind, organic growth issues such as root growth affecting the roofs, as well as any other problems that may have occurred when the shingles were installed or repaired.
Binoculars or drones
The house inspector can still conduct visual inspections, but it does compromise some accuracy you can get from hands-on inspections. The things that these inspectors look for when examining your roof are if there are any damage from the weather or just wear and tea to the roof coverings, exposed nail heads on ridge shingles, the venting, roof penetrations, plumbing vent boots that are deteriorating as well as soft roof decking and loose flashings.
Types of inspections that can be done
Structural Inspection
Check for roof planes that are uneven along with signs of the roof sagging due to wear and tear.
Condition of the soffit, fascia and gutter system will be checked as well.
Check attic for the condition of the venting, which if there is improper venting will lead to the buildup of heat and moisture that will reduce roof life.
Material Inspection
Check loose, missing or shingles that are curled along with stains, moss, rust and missing flashing or fasteners. Shingle aggregate that has been compiled in the valleys of the roofs or on the ground at the bottom of gutter downspouts would mean that the roof could be near its expiration date.
gaps or deterioration in the rubber boots and seals around vent pipes.
Interior Inspection
Leaking roofs will ultimately ruin the interior of your home, the inspector will check your home interior such as your ceilings, the attic and interior walls for water stains, mold, rot and other signs of the water seeping into your house.
Workmanship Inspection
Examining the laws in your roof’s workmanship. These flaws have the potential to cause leaks or other roof damage in the future. Red flags that you should take note of includes the incorrect flashing around roof penetrations, including vent pipes, and skylights.
Tiles and Flooring
To inspect your tiles, examine your floor tiles to determine whether they are laid properly or not. Tiles should be laid with zero slope and the levels between title joints should be equal. The spacing between the tile joints should be equal as well and has to be filled with suitable grouts. Tile damages such as chip offs and cracks should be given attention to as well.
Lippage
Check if the level the tiles are in relationship to the adjoining tiles. If the tiles are not level it would imply that the tiles weren't set properly in the mortar, which would create problems in the future that might call for reinstallation.
Cracked Tiles
Always check the tile installation to detect tiles that are cracked, tiles that are loose, tiles that are already beginning to lift, tiles that have started chipping and splitting. All of these pertain to either the quality of the initial installation or the structural problems.
Crazing in tile glaze
Look for crazing in the glaze of the tile. These are tiny fissures in the surface glaze caused by the tiles being cooled too quickly after they were fired in a kiln. These are inferior tiles and hold the potential for the glaze to shale off the surface.
Cracked grout lines
Watch for cracked grout lines between the tiles, especially in showers and on counter tops. This is a sign of an old tile installation, a building that shifts or a sub-standard installation. Examine the grout closely to see if it looks dry and porous or if it has been properly sealed with grout sealer. Unsealed grout is porous and readily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere or from liquids being spilled on the floor. Check for stained grout.
Types of inspections that can be done
Sound Detection Hammer
To test whether wall, tiles, ceilings and other structures are empty.
VIsual Inspection
Check all tiles laid true and square, no small cuts, no lipping and clean
Electronics
An electronic test while doing a home inspection is also highly important as it ensures all of the house’s switches and plug points are in working condition.
Lights and appliances
Lights and appliances not working due to the faulty wiring or circuit or outlet.
Faulty socket
The installation of socket is not in the right position where the aligment leave spaces. There might also be a chance of having the wiring connection issue
Old electrical wiring
Its soldered connections may melt if too much current flows through them. that causes this wiring to overheat.
Types of inspections that can be done
Voltage tester
Inspection will be done to test out the light switches and sockets to make sure that there an adequate amount of functioning outlets in each and every room. They would also check the electric panels and visible wirings and note any problems they see such as dysfunctional switches or power plugs that are broken. Inspection via using a voltage tester or multimeter and read the line of the voltage measurement.
Electrical Inspection
Identifying electrical wiring and components that may have degraded over time. WIll also check if your premises has any leakages to ensure that your safety is assured.
Thermal imaging scan
Infrared Thermographic Scanning helps to identify the problem in electrical component which are unable to notice with bare eyes.
External inspection
As for external checking, it is used to check on the external components of the house, such as the walls to see if there are cracks in the walls or uneven paint, faucets, plug points and windows. A visual inspection would be enough for this checking. For uneven paint and cracks in the walls, it is usually easy to point out because the paint will look patchy and not consistent in color. For gaps between the faucets, walls and plug points, it is also important to inspect that as well to confirm if these faucets and plug points need to be caulked or not. This will ensure that there is no water leakage from the faucet and no one will get electrocuted by the plug points. Through an external inspection, the inspector might find windows that have been scratched while the developers are building the house. Readers can refer to this video as well for instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYiV-w5E31U
When do you need to get a house inspector?
When should you get a house inspector?
It is encouraged that you should get a Malaysian house inspector once you get the keys to your new property, which is the date your defect liability period (DLP) starts. For houses under the residential title, and under the Housing Development Act (HDA) law, the DLP for those properties in Malaysia would be 24 months. The defect liability period is the period where the developers are responsible to fix any defects. To ensure that any issues do not arise between you and the developer over who caused the defects, do make sure to submit the defect list before doing any renovation work or fitting work.
After renovating, you should also get a home inspector to conduct a post defect inspection to ensure that the work done is done properly, and does not leave any damages to your house.
Aside from that, if you yourself notice anything off with your house such as unusual leakages, and water stains you can also reach out to a house inspector to get your house checked out.
To conclude, hiring home inspection services in Malaysia is a good investment because buying a home whether it is new or big is a big deal, and should not be taken lightly, which is why you need to make sure that the house you are about to pay for is in perfect condition. When choosing inspectors, you should consider the company’s experience and inspection standards to ensure that the inspector is competent.
