Can’t Say Enough About This Indiana Inspector!

That was the best and most comprehensive home inspection.  I would recommend you guys in a second and have told many a friend and relatives about the inspection that was done!  I cannot say enough good things about the two gentlemen that did our home inspection.  Many thanks! Karen Durall New Albany Indiana

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Home Inspections So Good…They’re Guaranteed!

At Certainty Home Inspections, we offer a simple, no weasel words guarantee.  Attend your Indiana home inspection and if for any reason you’re not satisfied with the “Quality” of the home inspection service, tell the inspector before receiving your report and we’ll either make it right, or you don’t pay the home inspection fee! Please know that in the case of an ongoing complaint, no refunds will be issued after one year from the date of service.

How Can We Guarantee Our Inspections?

It’s easy.  We find more defects than our competition.  The end result is that you save more money.  Most contracts allow negotiations with the seller to make repairs or give you credit at closing.  So the more defects our inspector finds the more money you save.

We are a  multi-inspector firm with three licensed home inspectors.  This allows us time to do a thorough inspection of your new home.  This also means we charge a little more than most of our competitors.

You don’t want a cheap inspection.  A cheap inspection may be the most expensive thing  you’ll ever buy, it may cost you thousands of dollars down the road because of missed or overlooked defects.  Cheap inspectors often know less and do less, which is one reason why they’re cheap.

The More Thorough We Are, The More Defects We Find, The More Money You Save!

Home Inspection Guarantee – How Can We Possibly Promise This?

We take the time to do a thorough home inspection, write a detailed home inspection report with digital photos, and deliver the BEST SERVICE possible to you. And we know that once you have seen our  work, that you will be completely satisfied.

Water Entry In Basement

First Time Home Buyer Worries

Certainty Home Inspections was excellent with explanations and understanding a first time home buyers worries.  Alaina Chastain

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

A growing number of states and cities are requiring homes to install a device that detects the presence of carbon monoxide, a dangerous gas that kills 2,000 people a year and sickens many times that number.

Surprising to most homeowners, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning in the U.S. Detectors have been available for almost a decade, to alert people to the gases — odorless and colorless — spewed out by faulty furnaces, stoves and even barbecue grills. However, fewer than one-third of American homes have these inexpensive devices, according to industry surveys.

Just as laws requiring smoke alarms spurred nearly every household to install them during the past 20 years or so, legislators and doctors are hopeful that the new carbon-monoxide detector requirements will have the same effect.

Starting next month, most homes sold in New York state — new or resale — must have a carbon-monoxide monitor. Similar laws have already passed in Rhode Island, New Jersey and West Virginia. A number of other states are contemplating legislation. Action is being taken at the local level too: Cities such as Chicago and St. Louis have ordinances requiring detectors.

“A detector can save families from something they can not control,” says Stephen Gladstone, vice president of the American Society of Home Inspectors. “If somebody doesn’t have a carbon-monoxide alarm and their heating system malfunctions, they might just not wake up.” Nearly a decade ago, tennis star Vitas Gerulaitis died of carbon-monoxide poisoning from a faulty heater.

Legislation seems to have life-saving effects: Cities with ordinances that require carbon-monoxide detectors have much lower death rates from exposure to the gas than those that don’t, according to a study published last year in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

While fires and automobiles are the top producers of carbon monoxide, a typical family home has many possible culprits. Furnaces, kitchen stoves, water heaters, fireplaces, generators, camping stoves and charcoal barbecues — anything that burns fossil fuels such as gasoline, diesel fuel, wood and kerosene — can produce dangerous levels of the gas.

Carbon monoxide is produced when these fossil fuels don’t burn completely. Incomplete or “dirty” burning can occur if rust or grime falls into a furnace burner, if equipment cracks or rusts, if gas pressure is out of adjustment or if there isn’t proper ventilation for these devices. Health officials have seen carbon-monoxide poisoning occur after people warm up their cars in their garages, even for a few minutes.

“It can be produced so easily and it can spill into a home so easily,” says Tom Greiner, an Iowa human-housing engineer who is pressing for a law in his state to require detectors.

Today’s carbon-monoxide detectors don’t go off anytime they sense the gas. Earlier versions of the device (those made before 1998) did that and were tripped off so easily — a car pulling into the garage could cause it to go off — that many consumers saw them as an annoyance and were inclined to ignore them. New models go off when they sense a certain level of gas over a period of time. The detectors measure how many molecules of carbon monoxide are present in one million molecules of air (parts per million). Government regulations state that 50 parts per million is the maximum concentration a healthy adult should sustain over an eight-hour period. (A concentration of 400 parts per million can be life-threatening within three hours.)

Consumers can choose from inexpensive no-frills monitors that simply beep and cost around $15 to fancier $50 devices that have digital displays and flash the concentration detected. There are also combination smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms. Safety experts recommend that an alarm be placed outside bedrooms and on each floor of the house. Some also suggest putting a detector near carbon-monoxide-producing devices such as furnaces. Manufacturers suggest that people replace their alarms every seven years since sensors can degrade and electronics can fail. Companies that sell detectors include U.K.-based Kidde PLC and BRK Electronics’ First Alert.

Symptoms of carbon-monoxide poisoning vary depending on the concentration of gas in the air. Mild carbon-monoxide exposure often mimics the flu or food poisoning — with headaches, nausea, vomiting and fatigue — and is thus commonly misdiagnosed. Higher concentrations of carbon monoxide can cause almost immediate dizziness and nausea and can lead to convulsions, coma and death within a few hours, or even minutes at extremely high concentrations. Small children and those with heart and respiratory conditions are most at risk. And some patients complain of neurological symptoms months and even years after exposure.

Carbon monoxide suffocates the cells of the body: It enters the bloodstream and prevents the release of oxygen to the tissue. The only treatment for carbon-monoxide poisoning is to immediately leave the source of the gas and to administer oxygen.

If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning in your Kentuckiana home, get everyone out of the building immediately, and call 911.  If it is safe to do so open windows to allow entry of fresh air, and turn off any appliances your suspect my be releasing the carbon monoxide.

When needing to test for carbon monoxie in your home locate a home inspector in Southern Indiana or Louisville Kentucky. Be sure to call one that is certified, licensed and insured. Certainty Home Inspections has three licensed home inspectors to make sure we can get your inspection done in the time you have left on your real estate contract. Don’t waste your money on a cheap Charlie inspector, have “Certainty” with your new home purchase.

Home Buying In Kentuckiana

 

So many questions, so little answers!

Who do I choose for my realtor?  There are several excellent realtors in Kentuckiana to choose from.  Choose one who seems to be knowledgeable about the home buying process.  One who will take the time to find you that perfect home.  Find one whose character you like, one who listens to what you want.  Are they available to show you homes when it’s convenient for you! 

What kind of home do I want to live in?  Are you interested in owning a home with a basement, crawl or slab?  Do you prefer a one story or two? Brick or Vinyl?  Condo, Farm House, Manufactured Home?  How many bedrooms and baths do you need?  Garage or no garage?  Small lot or lots of acreage?

Where do I want to live?  Are you a city person who likes to live next to a park or a country person who likes their privacy?  Are you tied to a specific geographic region or will any town work?  Something close to work or you don’t mind if you have to commute?  

When is the right time to buy a home?  Are you financially ready to buy a home?  Are the interest rates right?  Will you be able to provide the upkeep necessary on a home?  Is my job secure for long term payments?

Why do home inspectors prices differ so much?  Some inspectors just do the minimum, making sure your home inspector does a thorough job is the most important part of the home buying process.  All inspectors are required to be licensed in Indiana and Kentucky but don’t cut corners where it matters the most in your home buying process.  Their are plenty of Desperate Dan’s  in business and needing work.  Even though someone has a license to perform home inspections not all are truly qualified to trust with the condition of your new home.  Look at what others have to say about them, visit their website, call them, talk to them, and judge their character.  Find one you know, like & trust.  Ask what other offers you may be eligible for when you use their service?  Do they charge you full price again if you don’t buy the first home you look at and need a subsequent home inspection.  Last, do they inspect homes full time or are they a weeknight warrior of home inspections?

How do I get started looking for my new home?  Start by finding a realtor you can trust to lead you in your home buying process.  Talk to your realtor, tell them what you’re looking for and what your finances are.  Do not over estimate your income, you want to be able to keep your home and live comfortably in it financially.  Let your realtor help you chose a lender that is right for your circumstance, one who offers the loans that are the most beneficial to you and your situation.  Be honest with what you want!

What questions do I need to ask my realtor, lender and home inspector?  What type of a payment can I afford based on my income?  What are good locations to buy in?  What are the interest rates? What are the taxes on the home?  Are there any exemption filed on the home for tax purposes?  Is it located in a flood zone?   What are the major problems of the home?  What are you required to inspect & not inspect?  What can I do to maintain my new home in good condition?  Although you can ask an inspector whether a home is worth the money or not, a professional inspector cannot advise you on whether the home is a good or bad investment but rather only advise you on the homes condition at the time of inspection.

Where do I get the answers to the questions I have?  Ask your realtor, your lender or your home inspector about any questions you may have.  Be sure you understand clearly the condition of the home and any maintenance that may be required in the future.  To book your home inspection with a qualified Kentuckiana home inspector call 1-866-417-9591.

Important Propane Gas Information

When heating your home on a cold winters night in Indiana or Kentucky, if you smell gas follow these instructions:

1. No flames or sparks, immediately put out all smoking materials and other open flames.   Do not operate lights, appliances, telephones, or cell phones.

2.  Leave the area immediately.  Get everyone out of the building or area where you suspect gas is leaking

3.  Shut off the gas.  Turn off the main gas supply valve on your propane tank.  If it is safe to do so.  To close the valve, turn it to the right, clockwise.

4.  Report the leak.  from a neighbor’s home , call your propane retailer right away.  If your can’t reach your propane retailer, call 911 or local fire department.

5.  Do not return to the building or area until your propane retailer, emergency responder, or qualified service technician determines that it is safe to do so.

6.  Get your system checked.  Before you attempt to use any of your propane appliances have your propane retailer check the system for leaks.

Propane smells like rotten eggs, a skunk’s spray, or a dead animal.

If you have questions regarding your gas furnace or hot water and need an inspection done, please give us a call toll free at 1-866-417-9591. We serve New Albany, Jeffersonville, Clarksville, Louisville, Bedford, Seymour, Corydon, and Floyd Knobs.

Do You Want Top Dollar Out Of Your Home!

When selling a home in Southern Indiana or Kentucky, the biggest selling point is neatness and cleanliness, even when it comes to newly finished homes.  It’s a matter of pride.  Basement walls are painted a light color.  All windows are washed and all trash is hauled away.  Lawns and yards should be cleared of clutter, especially kids toys.  Grass should be cut, walks edged,  and hedges cut.  Give the yard a well kept look .  Clean your house and buildings up, make everything neat.  Exteriors should be washed, painted and repaired if needed.  The garage should be straightened up and its walls painted.  All doors and windows should be in good operating order and clean.  Sellers should consider storing unnecessary clutter elsewhere but don’t store unwanted items in closets.  All plumbing problems should be repaired so that there are no leaks.  Replace all light bulbs with higher wattage bulbs.  When the house is shown, all lights should be on for a well lit presentation of the home.  Bathrooms should be neat, clean and fresh smelling.  Beds should be made.  The appliances should all be clean and all dishes washed and out of the sink.  When a realtor needs to show your home, be polite and leave the home so that the buyers are more comfortable about looking through and talking about the house.  An hour or so before the buyers are to arrive bake cookies or light a candle to give the house an at Home smell. For more tips on selling your home visit us online at www.certaintyinspections.com We service all of Southern Indiana and Louisville Kentucky for complete home inspections, termite, radon, septic, water, appliance recall chek, Indiana Housing and Rural Development.

Trees As Windbreaks

The biggest and most energy efficient air conditioner and heat assistant is a tree.  A tree provides windbreaks and can keep it cooler in the summer and make it easier to heat in the winter.  A little care taken in the choice of trees and their placement can result in savings when you pay the bills.  Evergreen trees such as pines and cedars are the most efficient blocking the wind.  Trees slow the wind by up to 15 times the height of the windbreak.  Homeowners can save as much as 25 percent on their heating bills with a windbreak on the north side of the house.  Windbreaks on the north and west sides can result in a 33 percent savings.  A row of trees running from southwest to northeast will be the best windbreak since winds usually blow from the northwest.  Hardwood trees are most effective on the east, west, and south sides of your home.  Trees should be planted far away enough that their roots will not damage the foundation. Certainty provides thorough home inspections in the Southern Indiana and Louisville area. We offer 1/2 price on any second home inspection.

To book your inspection today call Certainty Home Inspections at 1-866-417-9591.

2009 Realtor of the year tells all!

Your inspection was great and I truly appreciate you!  I wanted to take the time to tell you how much I respect you as an Indiana and Kentucky home inspector.  You have always been professional and efficient for my clients and you go the extra mile for us.  I will definitely use you in the future.  Thank you for everything.  Betty Jo Tucker Broker Associate Semonin Realtors 2009 Realtor of the Year

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