Before Buying Your Dream Home, Inspect the Furnace/HVAC System Separately.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably excited about purchasing a new home yet anxious about making a mistake. Purchasing a new home may be the largest investment of your life and it can be nerve-wracking.
Don’t be one of the 20% of home buyers who regret buying their home because they missed a major mechanical issue and it cost them a large sum of money to repair or replace.
The General Home Inspection
Home inspectors look for signs of damage, and defects to identify any major issues with a home before closing. If they see a potential issue and it lies outside their scope of expertise, they may refer buyers to a specialist.
The typical inspection lasts two to three hours. You should be present to get a firsthand explanation of the findings. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Warning: Not every home inspector is competent. According to Consumers’ Checkbook’s undercover investigation, “some inspectors were clearly sloppy, lazy, or both,” the group said in announcing the results.
- Delaware Home Inspection Requirements
- Pennsylvania Home Inspection Requirements
- Maryland Home Inspection Requirements
Consider the timing. Ideally, an inspection should occur after the buyer and seller sign a contract. The agreement should include a contingency clause allowing the buyer to cancel if the inspector finds serious problems.
Even if you find a good inspector, the home inspection will not include a comprehensive HVAC inspection.
WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE A SEPARATE FURNACE/HVAC INSPECTION?
A small investment for an HVAC inspection may prevent you from unknowingly purchasing a home with heating and cooling problems. Avoid a disaster, and losing a substantial amount of money.
The home inspector will check the overall health of the home but they’re not HVAC specialists. Many home inspectors do not have the equipment or technical knowledge to properly test HVAC systems. They’ll perform a basic review of the HVAC system—estimate the age of the furnace and air conditioner, age of the ductwork, and measure temperature readings from the air conditioner and/or furnace. If there are any red flags, they may recommend the unit be inspected by an HVAC specialist.
However, the furnace may appear to be in good working order when there’s an underlying problem that only a professional HVAC inspector could catch.
An HVAC inspection can determine how well the heating and cooling systems have been maintained and what kind of shape they’re in. A neglected HVAC is a major cause of system failure down the line. During an HVAC inspection, a professional will look at the system’s thermostat calibration, heat pumps, electrical connections, air filters, safety controls and quality of installation, among a long list of other checks they can do just for this one house component.
Considering how expensive it can be to repair or replace HVAC equipment, investing in an HVAC inspection is a wise decision. The cost of an HVAC inspection is much less expensive than repairing or replacing a furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner. An HVAC specialist can tell you how much it will cost to fix the unit, or whether it needs to be replaced entirely. So spend a little now and don’t lose a substantial amount of money because of the HVAC system.
Who to hire:
A reputable heating and air conditioning company in your area. Read Hillside’s heating and cooling reviews.
When to get it:
If a home inspector measures a questionable temperature reading from your furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner or flags any other issues, an HVAC specialist can determine whether the unit needs to be fixed or replaced, or other issues like the thermostat simply needs new batteries.
Protect yourself from making a bad investment or losing an opportunity to negotiate a better price when purchasing a home. Contact Hillside Heating & Cooling, a well-respected HVAC company in New Castle County, DE, Southern Chester County, PA and Cecil County Maryland. Schedule a complete HVAC inspection of your prospective home’s heating and cooling system before you finalize the purchase.
Why you can trust Hillside for your Heating and Cooling needs!
Hillside Oil Heating & Cooling is proud to be an award-winning HVAC, full-service heating oil delivery, and commercial fuel company successfully servicing our communities and costumers for almost 70 years. We know what it is like to be a customer and how we like to be treated. We take pride in thinking like a customer when dealing with our customers. We’ll do everything we can to make sure you have an exceptional customer experience. It’s our promise to you.
BBB International Torch Award for Ethics: On November 19, 2019, Hillside Oil Heating & Cooling achieved elite status after being honored with the 2019 BBB International Torch Award for Ethics, making it one of just four companies across North America, to be recognized by the Better Business Bureau Institute for Marketplace Trust.
BBB Torch Award for Ethics: Hillside is won the BBB Torch Award for Ethics in the state of Delaware in 2016, and maintaining an A+ rating for 4 consecutive years.- Certified Fresh: Hillside Oil Heating & Cooling is honored to have received hundreds of certified ratings, reviews, recommendations, and testimonials from our heating and cooling customers on Facebook, Google and our website.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Hillside’s prompt and professional response was fantastic and always has been. We are very appreciative of the detailed diagnostics performed by the servicemen. This resulted in us choosing to have them install a brand new state-of-the-art heater in our home Their service and installation of the new heater was Very professional. Our new heater is functioning beautifully and we would not hesitate to recommend Hillside to everyone.”
100% rating –
Call Hillside at 302-738-4144 (DE&PA) or 410-398-2146 (MD). We’ll keep your paws comfy all year long including this FALL.
