Recently one of our clients had a purchaser who planned to “only have a structural engineer plus an HVAC specialist examine his property since that was the only thing he cared about”. I inquired “how old is the roof structure?” He didn’t know. I inquired “how much electricity does the buyer need for what he will be doing in the property?” He did not know. I asked him a number of other questions and he wasn’t sure about those answers, either. He called me back shortly and booked our standard general visual inspection.
Nothing is wrong with having specialists to come out and have a look at the site and I am certain you will get a lot of data from them. But concerns generally remain: What about the condition of the other systems? How do they relate to each other? What is the relative significance of the information you are being presented? Does the individual who is performing the inspection possess a vested interest in getting more business out of the inspection and if so how will that affect the inspection he does?
According to the California Business Codes if a paid inspection is done, no compensated work may be done on the site by businesses that performed the inspection for a minimum of twelve months. The objective of this is to help do away with potential conflicts of interest. Personally I agree with this particular school of thought. You will need your inspection performed by someone who has NO vested interest in the results of the inspection.
Due to years of practical experience I know that a high quality, comprehensive general visual commercial real estate inspection is the only way for getting an overall understanding of the property and may reveal areas of concern. Then you can get specialists, should they be needed, to check those areas of concern and pinpoint the best strategy to remedy those specific issues.
A good, general visual inspection covers from about 300 to 500 various items. It should look at the primary systems, namely: Electrical, Plumbing, Heating and AC, Roofing, Structure and the site itself in addition to the interiors, doors, windows, floors, restrooms, ceilings, etc, etc.
A good example of examining how the systems relate to one another is that while examining the roofing, I will be additionally examining electrical connections, the heating and Air conditioners and the way they were installed along with the skylights, etc. While in the restrooms I will be looking at the drains, the hot water heating system, the lighting, flooring, fixtures, and so forth.
When I inspect the sprinkler system I look for the five year inspection tags along with the age of the gauges and the pressure within the lines, etc.
I’m sure you get the drift. A general visual inspection brings to light the good in addition to the bad. The goal of a good, comprehensive general visual inspection is not to only find out what is wrong with the building components and the site but to find out what the true conditions are for each and every system. It may very well be true that all the major systems are serviceable and display standard wear and tear for their age and type and only need normal routine servicing. This would be great news and helps give you the added security of knowing you are making a smart investment. It might also be true that the roof is old and worn out. This might not be the best news, nevertheless, it is important information and it really should be noticed BEFORE you buy the property.
Should you have a known issue, for instance the roof is bad or perhaps you already know you’ll have to update the electrical system, then by all means find a specialist to explain the parameters and price of the job. But get a competent, thorough general visual inspection on top of that. The information could make all the difference in your understanding of the site and its overall condition. A general inspection will also help you evaluate the priorities for problems that do come up. Some inspectors include simple pricing so that you have an idea of just what the repairs or upgrades could cost.
To see an example of a commercial real estate inspector report which incorporates our RISK Assessment, visit http://www.commercialrealestateinspectors.com.
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- Brazil Residence And Land: Why A Pre-Purchase Inspection Is Definitely Vital
- Commercial Real Estate Property Guide
- Finding The Finest Commercial Property Broker To Handle Your Real Estate Needs
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