We had an inspection performed on 3 of our investment properties by Shield Guard Home Inspections. After I had a few bad experiences with others within Albany NY area.
We've used other home inspectors in the past for our investments in Albany NY area but we were referred to Shield Guard by a friend who also buys investments in Albany/Schenectady area. When comparing all of our home inspections/home inspectors we have ever hired we realized a few things
1.) Hire a home inspector who is not alarmist. I can say from previous inspections by other inspectors we have lost out on a few investment opportunities due to the home inspector exaggerating issues that were not really an issue. On on occasion our inspector flagged a slight bow in a foundation wall. Our mason came out and advised given the age of the structure and evidence of previous surface water management the crack was nothing at all.
2.) Hire a home inspector who performs multiple services outside of the basic services. We planned on renovating a 5 unit structure in the Albany NY area. We wanted to know if the structure contained Asbestos as the removal of asbestos would have thrown off our numbers. Shield Guard home Inspections performed asbestos testing/sampling and a mold inspection (mold was in the attic) so we were able to have him take samples to determine if asbestos was present. Asbestos was indeed present and we passed on that initial investment as it did not fit our portfolio due to the asbestos. Additionally, the older structure usually have cast iron drain lines. Shield Guard performed a sewer scope inspection on the main drain line and caught an issue the seller was hiding. Roots were intruding and the seller was cleaning the line to keep the drainage functional.
3.) Hire a home inspector who is connected within the community. You will at some point need a referral to a contractor, plumber or electrician etc. Shield Guard sent us a contractors list and referred us to some amazing contractors who worked well with our numbers.
4.) Hire a home inspector who know general repair/replacement costs. Home Inspectors do not provide estimates within their report. Adam was able to provide ball park numbers for our properties on most of the major issues.
5.) Hire a home inspector who has basic code knowledge (most don't). If or when you plan on renovating, you need to know what upgrades are mandatory based on the the type of alterations you plan on performing. Upgrading may trigger newer codes that can bring up the cost of the renovations. Adam worked for the local building department and was able to assist us with getting our questions answered.
Hope this helps. I believe the website for Shield Guard is
www.shieldguardinspections.com
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Home inspector /Asbestos testing Albany NY
