Our Services
Northern Michigan Home Inspections adheres to InterNACHI’s excellent Standards of Practice to provide our clients with comprehensive home inspection services. Our inspections are detail-oriented and completely non-invasive, revealing the overall condition of a property so that you can determine how to best proceed in your negotiations to buy or sell a home. Evening and weekend appointments are available by request.
General Home Inspection
In our residential property inspection, we’ll carefully evaluate the visible and readily accessible areas of a home for any defective components, providing a subsequent report that will detail our findings. We encourage our clients to attend their inspection in order to see the process in person, and we welcome questions afterward. Our inspector will gladly take the time to answer additional questions over the phone, never deferring you to a third party.
We inspect the following areas:
- Roof
- Structural Components
- Foundation & Crawl Space
- Basement
- Driveway
- Deck & Balcony
- Fireplace & Chimney
- Exterior (doors, windows, cladding)
- Attic, Ventilation, & Insulation
- Interior (doors, windows, floors, walls, ceilings, stairs)
- Attached Garage
- Electrical System
- Plumbing System
- Heating & Cooling Systems
- Built-in Appliances
A basic thermal imaging scan will be included when necessary. Infrared thermography allows us to assess the temperature variances of scanned components, revealing areas of moisture intrusion and energy loss. A moisture meter may also be used.
We offer these additional services:
Commercial Building Inspection
Our licensed inspector will be glad to inspect a commercial property of any size before you commit to an investment. We’ll make sure that the structure and installed systems are safe and sound, reporting on any defects that we discover—giving you a clearer idea of what you’ll be walking into should you choose to move forward.
Pre-Listing Inspection
This inspection is for homeowners who intend to sell their property. Before you list, we’ll inspect the readily accessible areas for any defective components that may need repaired or otherwise disclosed with your listing. The likelihood of a successful transaction is much greater when a prospective buyer’s inspection fails to turn up anything that wasn’t already communicated by the seller.
Re-Inspections
A Re-Inspection is for clients who have arranged for the repair or replacement of a component that was found to be defective in our original inspection. We’ll reevaluate the component once the work has been completed to ensure that it was installed or repaired correctly, and that it poses no unnecessary risk to residents.
Mold Inspection
When mold proliferates inside a home, it can contribute to allergic reactions and far more serious health problems—and though it can often be an eyesore, mold is not always readily detectable. We’re trained to inspect a home for mold, using the appropriate instruments to test for the areas of moisture that attract it.
Radon Testing
Radon is a radioactive gas emitted from the natural breakdown processes of certain types of rock and soil. These processes typically occur deep underground, but pockets of radon are sometimes able to penetrate the surface. This can be problematic when the gas is able to enter and concentrate inside a home, posing numerous health risks to residents. Radon is odorless and invisible, requiring specialized instruments for detection. We have the training and necessary equipment to ensure that your investment is free from radon contamination.
WDO/Termite Inspection
Wood-destroying organisms such as termites are responsible for exorbitant repair bills paid by homeowners each and every year. Sometimes the damage that termites cause isn’t immediately apparent, leading to bad investments by homebuyers that quickly become money pits. We’re qualified to inspect a home for previous and ongoing infestations, revealing any existing damage that these harmful insects may have caused.
Water Testing
Clean water with a sufficient delivery system is a basic requirement for a home to be a viable investment. Northern Michigan Home Inspections will take water samples from both from the tap and the well (if applicable) for laboratory testing to ensure that no heavy metals or other harmful contaminants are present.
Septic System Inspection
The septic system is one of the most vital components of a home, responsible for waste removal and basic environmental protection. Our inspector is a Certified Septic System Installer, trained to diagnose the many issues that can affect a septic system. By using a specialized camera, we’re able to scope out damage to the inside of a tank and locate dysfunctioning components. We’ll also make sure that the septic tank isn’t at or past capacity.
Northern Michigan Home Inspections helps our clients see more than what first meets the eye, providing an accurate and unbiased home inspection that will leave you confident and better prepared to buy a home.