Until recently, it was rare to hear about anyone getting a home inspection. People may have done something like it without knowing the term. In the last few years, a home inspection (bedek bayit) has become almost as standard a step as any other when buying a resale apartment, or of course a new one from a contractor.
What does it actually involve?
A home inspection is an examination that identifies construction defects in any type of structure: a high-rise used for offices or homes, a ground-attached building for any purpose, or even a building put up using lightweight construction.
Defects fall into two broad groups: aesthetic ones, which are relatively simple to fix, and engineering ones, whose repair is not always so easy.
The engineering defects matter most, since they can pose a real danger to the people living in or using the building. It is a common assumption that buildings put up in recent years are defect-free, but that is not the case. Engineering defects turn up in new buildings too, which is exactly why an inspection is worthwhile even for a new property.
Aesthetic defects are a different story: no one wants to move into a new apartment, one they paid good money for, only to find shutters that will not close properly or floor tiles that are not aligned.
Older properties matter just as much. Age brings wear, and poor or inconsistent maintenance can add up to real damage over the years. Since older buildings do not necessarily meet current standards, an inspection is worth doing for them too.
For an older property, the inspection needs to confirm that the structure is still sound and safe for its occupants. There is also a good chance of finding an aging electrical or plumbing system with faults, so it is worth confirming there are no dampness and sealing problems in the structure as well.
Beyond the standard checks a home inspection company runs, you can also order services for detecting radon gas and radiation testing from various sources. With everything now known about cellular radiation and radiation emitted from electrical panels, more and more people are choosing to have this tested too.
A reliable home inspection company works with licensed, specialized engineers who run the full range of checks needed for a thorough look at the property. Most of them deliver a report describing every finding, along with ongoing advice from their experts.
So even if you never bought a new or resale property, and you have lived in your home for years, a home inspection can still be worth doing, especially if you have been planning a renovation anyway. You are welcome to contact us and consult with the best experts in the field here.
The engineers of Arad Bedek Bayit, led by building engineer Ron Arad, whom courts appoint as their own expert on construction defects. The company has been inspecting apartments and buildings since 2001. Engineer Ron Arad · More about the company