Category Archives: Smart Finance

Can A Home Inspector in New Jersey Tell Me if My House Is Worth Saving?

Buying and Selling, Home inspections, Smart Finance

Home inspectors in New Jersey play a lot of roles, from helping homeowners get the best sales price, to home buyers know the risks of their new home, to inspecting for specific conditions like radon intrusion. Most of the time, you have at least an idea of the condition of your home—but what if you don’t? If you rent your property out to tenants, if a relative has been living there for many years and out of contact, or if your property has simply sat vacant for many years, a home inspector in New Jersey can tell you something even more important: If your home or property is worth saving. Keep reading to see what a home inspector can do for you!

Why Would Someone Need A Home Inspector in NJ?
Homes that get neglected can be destroyed. For example, if your property has sat vacant through multiple NJ winters, it is likely that pipes have broken and caused leaks. If pests become out of control, especially pests like termites or rodent infestations, the flooring and structural support of the home could be compromised. If someone has conducted inappropriate activities in the house, such as producing illicit substances, hoarding to a dangerous level, or failing to secure the home from the elements, any number of crucial home elements may be damaged. A home inspector in NJ can help you understand this damage and what it means for your home.

Can a Home Inspector in NJ Tell Me If My House is Safe?
While a home inspector usually cannot make an official designation of a home’s safety or habitability (this usually falls to a county professional), they can tell you if it is safe in general, or if there are major damages that could threaten a person’s safety. For example, a home inspector can easily assess for major damage to the home’s structural walls, flooring, and roof, and is trained to look for damage to other elements like the plumbing, sewage, and other utilities.

NJ’s Home Inspectors Provide Valuable Referral Information
While the decision to repair or sell your property and any accompanying structures depends on various factors, a home inspector in New Jersey can and should be an important part of that decision. Based on the information your home inspector shares with you regarding damages, you can seek the advice of qualified contractors in the repair field, for example, plumbers, electricians, or general contractors. Having this information prepares you for the difficult decision of whether your property can, or should, be saved.
Dealing with home damage in New Jersey is never fun, but when you work with a professional home inspector, you can count on a fair an accurate inspection that will provide you with the information you need most.

Should You Be Worried About Black Mold? Home Inspectors in Northern NJ Share Tips!

Buying and Selling, DIY, Home inspections, Pests, Smart Finance, Uncategorized, Water Issues

One of the things that plagues many homeowners is the threat of black mold, toxic mold, or toxic black mold. Home inspectors in New Jersey have encountered this environmental challenge a few times, but not as often as we hear questions about it! Here’s your basic primer on “black mold” and how a home inspection keeps you safe.

What is black mold, exactly?

Contrary to many people’s belief, there is no scientific “black mold.” In fact, up to 20,000 species of mold can be black in color, and many others that are green, purple, or brown, can look black in certain lighting. The mold that most people refer to as “black mold” or “toxic mold” is usually Stachybotrys, a specific type of mold that has been found in many homes where people have gotten sick. But keep reading, because your trusted home inspector has something even more important to share!

Will it kill me? Or make me sick?

Unlike actual toxins, like certain chemicals or botulism, coming into contact with mold will not immediately kill or harm you in most cases. When people have problems with mold, it is usually due to a number of factors, including allergies, immune system responses, and the types and severity of mold. Good news and bad news: While there is no single “toxic black mold” that will come in and get you while you sleep, mold of any sort can cause respiratory, allergy, and skin problems, as well as other reported health symptoms. Mold is also a sign of water or moisture collecting inappropriately in your home—something any home inspector in NJ will warn can create major problems such as structural challenges.

How do I ensure good air quality?

There are two ways to judge the air quality in your home—unofficial, and scientific. The unofficial way to check is to give it a sniff! Do you notice mold, mildew, or other unpleasant scents? Does a certain room always trigger a sneezing fit? For major issues, your nose knows! For a more scientific and accurate air quality inspection, you need expensive tools that actually collect and measure the particles in your air! Fortunately, your trusted home inspector in Northern New Jersey has these tools and technologies ready and waiting.

For the deepest peace of mind, and best assurance of clean air, hire a home inspector in NJ to help. Eagle Home Inspections in Northern NJ is ready to help address your air quality and mold issues today!

Top 5 Reasons You Should Have Your Home Tested for Radon

Buying and Selling, DIY, Home inspections, Pests, Smart Finance, Water Issues, , , , , , , , , ,

When you work with a skilled home inspector in New Jersey, you can find out if you have radon in your home and decide what to do about it. Here are 5 reasons why you should have your home tested for radon.

1. Lung cancer. That’s right, breathing in radon increases your risk of getting lung cancer—it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States! If you like to breathe, you don’t want radon.

2. You smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoke is the leading cause of lung cancer in the US… and radon makes it worse! Studies have shown that smokers in particular are at increased risk when they also breathe in radon.

3. You’re selling your home. See those lung cancer statistics above? These could be affecting your potential home buyers! Give your interested buyers some peace of mind and have your home tested before you sell it.

4. You’re buying a home. So maybe your seller didn’t bother testing for radon… do you want those risks? If you’re buying a home in New Jersey, you are committing yourself to a lifetime of responsibility—one that radon will interfere with!

5. You find yourself getting colds, coughs, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Even when radon does not cause lung cancer, it can still wreak havoc on your lungs! This is especially detrimental for the elderly, young children and infants, and those with compromised immune systems. Fight back by testing today!

At Eagle Home Inspections in New Jersey, we can check for radon and all sorts of other contaminants. As licensed radon measurement technicians, we typically perform Canister Radon Tests, but also use the more precise Continuous Monitor Testing as well. In less than a week, we can measure the radon in your home and advise on the next steps to ensure safety and health!