"Black Bear Home Inspections"

"Black Bear Home Inspections"  is "Certified",  distinguishing us as a company whose inspectors have achieved the highest level of home inspection practice standards - as recognized by the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. (NACHI) 

This designation ensures that if you're a home buyer, a home seller, or a home owner - and use Black Bear Home Inspections for your home inspections needs - you will receive the highest standards of professional service.

Finding a home inspection company in southern Vermont or SW New Hampshire is not too difficult. Selecting the right company to do your inspection is even easier. It's Black Bear Home Inspections.

Why you should select Black Bear Home Inspections:

Choosing the right home inspection company can be difficult, especially in a state like Vermont which has no current licensing requirements. First, you need an inspector who has your best interests in mind. Add extensive experience to your "must have" checklist. Look for a company that uses "state-of-the-art" testing and inspection equipment. Then, when you think you've narrowed down the possible choices, select a company that has exemplary credentialing, education, and continuing education mandates for its inspectors. When your checklist is completed, choosing the best home inspection company just got easier. It's Black Bear Home Inspections.

BUYERS: 

As a potential buyer, the purchase you're considering could be the biggest investment you may ever make - so it's not in your best interests to "cut corners" when looking to have your potential investment inspected. Remember, as in most situations, you get what you pay for! You can be assured that Black Bear Home Inspections will provide you with an unbiased inspection of the home you are considering. You'll then have the necessary information to assist in your evaluation of the house and potential improvement costs.

SELLERS:

 As a seller, having an inspection done in advance of, say, listing it on the market, will provide you with some helpful incite. You may be made aware of possible "issues" prior to listing it for sale, or reassure you that your potential asking price is appropriate. Another benefit of having your home inspected in advance of listing it for sale is that it will greatly reduce the chances of having a closing date change, or worse, falling apart altogether!

One thing for sure is that a home inspection requires work, and a lot of it to ensure that your investment is properly examined. Ultimately, a thorough inspection depends heavily on the individual inspector's own experience and effort. If you honor Black Bear Home Inspections by permitting us to do your inspection, we guarantee that we will give you our very best effort. We'll inspect it once, and inspect it right.

This we promise you.

Standards of Practice:

Black Bear Home Inspections adheres to stringent guidelines when conducting home inspections for our clients. We strive to ensure that whether you're the potential buyer of a new home, or the seller, that we provide you with information useful in the decision making process.  We provide your home inspection report via Report Host - http://www.reporthost.com/

Here's a sample list of what our Full Inspection includes:

Roof, vents, flashing, and trim

Gutters and downspouts

Skylight, chimney, and other roof penetrations

Decks, stoops, walkways, porches, and railings

Eaves, soffit, and facia

Grading and drainage

Basement, foundation, and crawlspace

Water penetration and foundation movement

Heating systems

Cooling systems

Main water shut off valves

Water heating system

Interior plumbing fixtures and faucets

Drainage sump pumps with accessible floats

Electrical service line and meter box

Main disconnect and service amperage

Electrical panels, breakers, GFCI's, and fuses

Grounding and bonding

Fireplace damper, doors, and hearth

Insulation and ventilation

Garage doors, safety sensors, and openers

And much more

Review our "Standards of Practice" at : www.nachi.org/sop.htm

Buying or Selling a Home

The process can be quite stressful. A home inspection is supposed to give you "peace of mind," but often has the opposite effect. You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short period of time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs and, what the inspector says during the inspection. All this, and, if you're the buyer, the seller's disclosure plus what you notice yourself - makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should I do?

Relax. Most of your inspection report will most likely be maintenance recommendations and minor imperfections - maybe even some life expectancies on a few items within the home. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:

- Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure.

- Things that lead to major defects. A small roof flashing leak, for example.

- Things that may hinder the ability to obtain financing or insure the home.

- Safety hazards, such as exposed wires or defective ground fault circuits.

Anything in these categories should be addressed. Most often a problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property.

Most sellers are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. Realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the report. No home is perfect. You must keep things in perspective. Don't kill your deal over insignificant things that don't truly matter. If you're the buyer, it is inappropriate to demand that a seller address deferred maintenance, conditions already listed on the seller's disclosure, or nit-picky items. Focus on the complete inspection report and decide whether those smaller issues can be readily resolved in some manner between the seller and potential buyer of the home.

Our comprehensive home inspections include:

Structural Components: Foundations, slabs, floors and walls.

Exterior: Siding paint, windows, decks, garage doors, etc.

Grading relative to water flow and snow melt-off

Roofing: coverings, flashings, chimneys, etc.

Plumbing: Piping, fixtures, faucets, water heating and fuel storage

Electrical: Wiring, main service panel, conductors, outlets, etc.

Heating: Equipment, safety controls, distribution systems, chimneys

Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps, controls, ducting, etc.

Interior: Partitions, ceilings, floors, railings, doors and windows, etc.

Insulation and Ventilation: Attics, walls, floors, foundations, baths

NOTE: We do not test, nor do we offer specific testing, for Hot Tubs, Spa's, Sauna's or Swimming Pools. As part of our comprehensive inspection, we provide only a "visual" inspection (i.e., cracks, visual defects, etc.) not an operational or mechanical inspection, of these possible home amenities. We also do not test septic tanks due to specific testing regulations required in the state of Vermont. Check with your realtor for information on any septic testing requirements you may require.

We do, though, offer other additional inspection/testing services based upon your specific inspection needs