Residential Home Inspections in Fort Wayne, IN & Surrounding Areas
Comprehensive home inspections to ensure your peace of mind
Whether you are buying or selling a home, our expert team of licensed and certified home inspectors in Fort Wayne, New Haven, Auburn and nearby areas ensures a thorough inspection to provide you with all the information you need. From identifying structural issues to spotting safety hazards, we empower you with the knowledge to make informed decisions. Trust Apex Inspect for reliable, detailed home inspections, providing peace of mind every step of the way.
Types of Residential Inspections We Offer
4-Point Home Inspections
Insurance companies often require a four-point inspection for homeowners insurance policies, typically for older homes. The four-point inspection is shorter than a full home inspection and assesses the condition of four vital systems of the home: HVAC (air conditioning and heating), roof, plumbing, and electrical.
How long does a 4-point home inspection take?
A 4-point home inspection is much less comprehensive than the standard one you would get before purchasing a home. It typically takes 30 minutes to one hour. After the inspection, we will provide you with a short report that you can submit to your insurance company.
Pre-Purchase (Buyer's) Home Inspections
Purchasing a new home also means buying that home's problems. A pre-purchase house inspection allows you to see exactly what you're buying. Problems discovered during the inspection could allow you to renegotiate to offset the costs of repairs, potentially saving you thousands of dollars. We'll even help you become familiar with the property.
A home inspection doesn't just save you money. It also helps to protect your family. Safety issues can arise from dangerous handyman work, outdated electrical systems, lead pipes, etc. We'll check the home for potential safety issues such as fire hazards, electrical hazards, structural problems, and hazardous materials.
Do I need to be there for the inspection?
We highly encourage you to come for the inspection, especially if you're a first-time home buyer. We'll show you around and help you get familiar with the home's mechanics and the location of any water or gas shut-off valves. Feel free to ask questions along the way. We'll even give you home maintenance tips — especially useful if you've never owned a house.
Pre-Listing (Seller's) Home Inspections
Sometimes selling your home can be just as much of a roller coaster as buying one. Getting a pre-listing house inspection can help ensure a quick and smooth transaction. You can enter the selling process with confidence that there won't be any nasty surprises. You'll also avoid delays, which could last weeks or months.
How should I prepare for the inspection?
As the seller, you can do a few things to prepare for the inspection. Preparation will help the inspection go smoothly and increase your home's appeal to potential buyers.
- Cleanup: This may be stating the obvious, but it's imperative that your house is as clean as possible. Not only does this increase your home's appeal, but it also helps the inspector by making it easier to move around and access various areas of interest.
- Utilities are connected: The utilities need to be connected so the inspector can test things like water flow, electrical outlets, water heaters, furnaces, air conditioning, and so on. Without the utilities connected, the home inspector will have no choice but to reschedule or suggest an inspection by a specialist.
- Appliances are connected and working: The home inspector cannot turn on appliances not connected to water, power, oil, or gas. All appliances should be working correctly, and abandoned appliances should be removed.
- Brush and other exterior obstructions: In the winter, provide a clear path around your house. In the Summer, clear away any overgrowth or dead branches that come into contact with the home.
- Visible house number: This may seem silly, but make sure the house number is visible from the street. People will need to check out the house, so you'll want to ensure they can find it easily.
New Construction Home Inspections
Unfortunately, new does not always mean perfect. In fact, new doesn't even guarantee good. Material defects and human error during the construction process can lead to expensive problems later on. A new construction home inspection can help identify these problems early when they're cheaper to fix. Some issues may even be covered under warranty.
What problems should I worry about?
While there are countless opportunities for mistakes to occur during construction, there are a number of issues that pop up more frequently than others. Here are just a few examples:
- Non-functioning electrical outlets and switches
- Non-functioning or improperly installed appliances
- Improperly installed roofing
- Improper grading (ground slopes toward the home)
- Poor insulation
- Plumbing leaks
- Unsealed windows and doors
11th-Month Home Warranty Inspections
Don't release your builder from their warranty until you've thoroughly examined your home by an experienced inspector. An end-of-warranty house inspection is a great opportunity to fix problems caused by faulty workmanship or materials—problems the builder should be accountable for. Many items are difficult to notice and could become a significant safety or financial concern over time, leaving you to deal with the mess.
Aging-in-Place Safety Home Inspections
Aging in place refers to a senior citizen, or other person with a disability, living independently in their own home for as long as possible. As someone enters their elderly years, or has a disability that progresses over time, they lose the ability to get around and maneuver as well as they used to. By considering several aspects of the home that can improve accessibility and safety, you remove or postpone the need to relocate as your safety needs change. Aging in place means continuing to live your life amongst the family and friends you've known, with the lifestyle you've enjoyed for years, without the loss of freedom or quality of life issues found in many retirement homes.
Apex Inspect performs home and property condition, safety, and security audit inspections with reporting to the homeowners or family. Includes a 90+ point inspection covering specific items that pertain to the elderly with an emphasis on their safety.
What’s included in an aging-in-place safety inspection?
The aging-in-place inspection evaluates the home for safety and comfort, considering the new difficulties you may encounter over the next 5, 10, 20 years, or more. The objective of an aging-in-place home inspection is to recommend modifications that make the goal of independent living a reality. As an example, we will be looking out for issues such as:
- If the home has multiple levels, could you live on only the first floor?
- Are the doors and hallways wide enough to accommodate a motorized scooter?
- Is there enough room outside the house to install an access ramp?
- Is a bathroom on the first floor accommodating a wheelchair or walker?
- Are there anti-scald controls for the faucets?
- Is there non-slip flooring in appropriate areas?
- Are there exterior sensor-triggered lights in appropriate areas?
- Is the landscaping low-maintenance?
Annual Home Maintenance Inspections
An annual home maintenance inspection will help identify potential problems before they become major financial or safety issues. With a trained eye, we know where and how to look for problems that might go unnoticed for years. A home maintenance inspection covers common problem areas including the roof and attic, basement and foundation, grading and drainage, electrical systems, water heating systems, and much more.
What’s included in an annual home maintenance inspection?
After your inspection, you'll receive a summary of your home's condition, with recommendations and helpful tips to keep it in great shape. We recommend performing a home maintenance inspection once a year.
An annual home maintenance inspection covers many common problem areas, including the items listed below:
- Roof and attics
- Gutters and downspouts
- Insulation and ventilation
- Basement, crawlspace, and foundation
- Grading and drainage
- Electrical systems
- Heating and cooling systems
- Plumbing systems
- Water heating systems
- Windows and doors
- Driveway and sidewalks
- Decks, porches, and railings
Ancillary Inspection Services
We offer a range of inspection services that can be added on to your general home inspection or requested as a standalone inspection. Our ancillary inspection services include Drone Inspections, Radon Testing, Water Quality Testing, and Sewer Scope Inspections.
Schedule your residential inspection today!
If you’re buying or selling a home in Fort Wayne or nearby areas, don’t delay—contact Apex Inspect for a thorough and professional inspection. Call us at 1-855-598-7313 or complete our online form to schedule your inspection today!
Looking for a price? Get a no cost, no obligation free estimate.
our service area
We serve the following areas
- Albion
- Arcola
- Ashley
- Auburn
- Avilla
- Butler
- Churubusco
- Columbia City
- Corunna
- Cromwell
- Fort Wayne
- Garrett
- Grabill
- Harlan
- Hoagland
- Huntertown
- Kendallville
- Kimmell
- Laotto
- Larwill
- Leo
- Ligonier
- Monroeville
- New Haven
- Rome City
- Saint Joe
- South Whitley
- Spencerville
- Waterloo
- Wawaka
- Wolflake
- Woodburn
- Yoder
- Zanesville