Condo Inspection
Customer purchasing a condo should also have a home inspection. The major difference between a condo inspection and a traditional home inspection is that with the condo, we only inspect components owned by the homeowner. Items that are the obligation of the condo association are not inspected. Items that are not the responsibility of the condo owner frequently included roofs, landscaping, foundations, common stairwells and exterior lighting. Amenities such has clubhouses, workout facilities and pools are also the responsibility of the condo association.
Components such has kitchens, appliances, heat and air, lighting, electrical panels, fireplaces, floors and bathrooms are common items included in a condo inspection. The same standards of practice apply to these components has when inspecting a traditional home. Condo Inspection reports should always be in writing and the inspector, and the condo buyer should always have a written contract. Common problems in condo’s center around mechanical components included central air units, hot water heaters and furnaces. In practice other issues are not common. Issues with central air, are simple, the age of the system. Central air units have a life of fifteen to twenty years and after that they require replacement. Hot waters heaters have a similar life cycle. Furnaces have a longer life cycle, with an average being thirty years.
Should a buyer of a condo, skip the inspection? The answer is simple no, the last condo I inspected was in top shape, had excellent flooring, nice stainless-steel appliances, and central air that was 21 years old and original to the development. After walking around the complex, this was one of only a few of the original central air units the rest had been replaced. The buyer of this unit called me after the inspection and told me the sellers agreed to give him a concession for the central air. He received eight times what he paid me. How many condo buyers know how to determine the have of a central air unit? While searching for your condo, make sure you have a condo inspection checklist.
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