Fairly recently one of our clients had a purchaser who wanted to "just have a structural engineer plus an HVAC specialist look at his property because that was all he cared about". I asked "how old is the roof?" He didn't know. I asked "how much electricity does the buyer require for what he'll be doing in the building?" He did not know. I asked him a couple of additional questions and he wasn't certain concerning those answers, either. He called me again shortly and booked our standard general visual inspection.
There's nothing inappropriate with having specialists to go out and look at the site and I am sure you'll get lots of data from them. But concerns always remain: What about the state of the additional systems? How do they relate to one another? What's the relative importance of the information you are being presented? Does the individual who is doing the inspection possess a vested interest in receiving additional business out of the inspection and if so how will that affect the inspection he does?
According to the California Business Codes when a paid inspection is conducted, no compensated work can be done on the site by those who performed the inspection for a minimum of twelve months. The purpose of this is to help do away with potential conflicts of interest. Personally I agree with this particular philosophy. You will need your inspection done by somebody who has NO vested interest in the outcome of the inspection.
Because of years of practical experience I know that a high quality, thorough general visual commercial real estate inspection is the primary way to get an overall understanding of the property and could expose areas of concern. After that you can get specialists, should they be needed, to examine those areas of concern and pinpoint the most effective strategy to remedy those specific problems.
A good, general visual inspection includes from around 300 - 500 various items. It should check out the major systems, that is: Electrical, Plumbing, Heating and AC, Roofs, Structure and the site itself along with the interiors, doors, windows, flooring, restrooms, ceilings, etc, etc.
An illustration of looking at how the systems relate to each other is that while checking the roofing, I will be also checking out electrical connections, the heating and Air conditioning units and how they were installed plus the skylights, etc. While in the bathrooms I will be examining the drains, the hot water heating system, the lights, flooring, fixtures, and so on.
While inspecting the sprinkler system I look for the five year inspection tags together with the age of the gauges and the pressure within the lines, etc.
I think you get the drift. A general visual inspection brings to light the good as well as the bad. The purpose of a good, detailed general visual inspection is not just to find what is wrong with the property components and the site but to learn what the real conditions are for every system. It could be true that all the major systems are serviceable and exhibit normal wear and tear for their age and kind and simply need standard routine upkeep. This would be very good news and helps provides you with the additional security of knowing you are making a sensible investment. It might also be true that the roof is aged and worn out. This may not be the best news, however, it is essential information and it really should be discovered BEFORE you buy the property.
In case you have a known issue, for instance the roofing is bad or perhaps you already know you have to upgrade the electrical system, then by all means get a specialist to detail the parameters and cost of the job. But get a good, thorough general visual inspection too. The information could make a significant difference in your understanding of the site and its overall condition. A general inspection can also help you evaluate the priorities for problems that do come up. Some inspectors include basic pricing so you have an understanding of what the repairs or upgrades could cost.
There's nothing inappropriate with having specialists to go out and look at the site and I am sure you'll get lots of data from them. But concerns always remain: What about the state of the additional systems? How do they relate to one another? What's the relative importance of the information you are being presented? Does the individual who is doing the inspection possess a vested interest in receiving additional business out of the inspection and if so how will that affect the inspection he does?
According to the California Business Codes when a paid inspection is conducted, no compensated work can be done on the site by those who performed the inspection for a minimum of twelve months. The purpose of this is to help do away with potential conflicts of interest. Personally I agree with this particular philosophy. You will need your inspection done by somebody who has NO vested interest in the outcome of the inspection.
Because of years of practical experience I know that a high quality, thorough general visual commercial real estate inspection is the primary way to get an overall understanding of the property and could expose areas of concern. After that you can get specialists, should they be needed, to examine those areas of concern and pinpoint the most effective strategy to remedy those specific problems.
A good, general visual inspection includes from around 300 - 500 various items. It should check out the major systems, that is: Electrical, Plumbing, Heating and AC, Roofs, Structure and the site itself along with the interiors, doors, windows, flooring, restrooms, ceilings, etc, etc.
An illustration of looking at how the systems relate to each other is that while checking the roofing, I will be also checking out electrical connections, the heating and Air conditioning units and how they were installed plus the skylights, etc. While in the bathrooms I will be examining the drains, the hot water heating system, the lights, flooring, fixtures, and so on.
While inspecting the sprinkler system I look for the five year inspection tags together with the age of the gauges and the pressure within the lines, etc.
I think you get the drift. A general visual inspection brings to light the good as well as the bad. The purpose of a good, detailed general visual inspection is not just to find what is wrong with the property components and the site but to learn what the real conditions are for every system. It could be true that all the major systems are serviceable and exhibit normal wear and tear for their age and kind and simply need standard routine upkeep. This would be very good news and helps provides you with the additional security of knowing you are making a sensible investment. It might also be true that the roof is aged and worn out. This may not be the best news, however, it is essential information and it really should be discovered BEFORE you buy the property.
In case you have a known issue, for instance the roofing is bad or perhaps you already know you have to upgrade the electrical system, then by all means get a specialist to detail the parameters and cost of the job. But get a good, thorough general visual inspection too. The information could make a significant difference in your understanding of the site and its overall condition. A general inspection can also help you evaluate the priorities for problems that do come up. Some inspectors include basic pricing so you have an understanding of what the repairs or upgrades could cost.
About the Author:
The knowledge gained from over a thousand inspections was used in the development of the best possible commercial real estate inspection report which includes our RISK Assessment and you can see samples of reports for specific types of commercial, industrial and multifamily properties at http://www.commercialrealestateinspectors.com/.
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