Kick Back And Relax

We Got You Covered

Home 1

Providing Home Inspection Services For Over A Decade!

When you’re buying a home, you need to have a home inspection done. When you hire a home inspector to inspect the house, you are hiring an experienced professional who has training and expertise in the building industry. It is the job of the home inspector to not only evaluate the condition of the house’s major systems and structural integrity, but to also evaluate how these systems are working together and identify any areas that need to be watched, repaired, or replaced.

Your home inspector gives you the “big picture” analysis of the house you are purchasing. If the home inspector identifies the need for a costly, detailed analysis of any of the house’s systems or structures, the inspector will recommend the appropriate professional, which may be an experienced engineer with expertise analyzing that particular system or structure. The need for this kind of expensive, detailed analysis is rare.

Home 2

We Encourage You To Attend The Inspection!

We strongly encourage you to accompany the inspector so that you may ask questions and gain a better understanding of the systems in the home.

Why Get A Home Inspection?

When you are selling a home, you’ll get the highest price in the shortest time if your home is in top condition. Almost all sales contracts include the condition that the contract is contingent upon completion of a satisfactory inspection. This is known as the inspection contingency. Buyers will insist on a professional home inspection performed by an inspector they will hire. If the buyer’s inspector finds a problem, it can cause the buyer to get cold feet, and the deal can often fall through. At best, surprise problems uncovered by the buyer’s inspector will cause delays in closing, and usually you will have to pay for repairs at the last minute or take a lower price for your home.

It’s better to pay for your own inspection before putting your home on the market. Having a pre-listing inspection done will make the sales process easier. Present any items as is and reflected in the purchase price. Otherwise, you can count on the buyer’s inspector finding them at the worst possible time, causing delays and costing you more money.

Schedule Your Inspection Early

One of the key benefits of having the inspection done early is that if there are any problems discovered that need to be repaired, you can have the repairs done on your own terms on your own schedule. When a problem isn’t found until the buyer has an inspection performed, the deal you’ve worked so hard to get done may fall apart unless you act quickly to get the repairs done. Or you may have to take a lower price in order to keep the deal moving. In either case, you’ll almost certainly have more headaches and spend more money than if you’d known about the problem and had it repaired before negotiations began. You could save thousands by simply being able to shop around and get competitive bids from contractors rather than being forced into paying for a rush job at the last minute.

Another area where you can save money is in having the flexibility to choose the materials used in repairs. Sales contracts that specify repairs must be made using materials of comparable quality. By identifying needed repairs early on, you’ll have the option to save money by using less expensive materials for the repairs.

You can also benefit from simply offering certain items as-is. Often, you can negotiate with a buyer to accept items in the current condition by stipulating that they are reflected in the purchase price. But that same buyer may walk away from the deal if the conditions come as a surprise after an offer has already been made. If the home is inspected before the house goes on the market, you will be aware of the condition of the house before an offer is made. There won’t be any surprises, and the deal is far less likely to fall apart. It takes a lot of effort to get a sales agreement signed in the first place. If the inspection turns up problems, the buyer will want to negotiate a new deal and that second sales agreement is usually even harder to get done than the first one.

Ensure A Smooth Sale

By having a pre-listing inspection done, you can identify problems early. Then either correct them or present them as is, assuring that the first offer you accept can move quickly and smoothly to closing without delays or costly surprises.

Common Issues Found With A Home Inspection

No house is perfect. Even the best built and best-maintained homes will always have a few items in less than perfect condition. Below are some of the common home defects we find when doing an inspection:
Roofing

Problems with roofing material are the single most common defect we find. Usually, it doesn't mean the roof needs to be replaced, simply that it is in need of maintenance or repair.

Ceiling Stains

Caused by past or present leaks, ceiling stains are very common. It can be difficult to tell whether the stains are from leaks still present or were caused by leaks that have since been repaired.

Electrical Hazards

 Most common in older homes, electrical hazards are often found in newer homes as well. They come in many forms, from ungrounded outlets to wiring done incorrectly by the homeowner.

Rotted Wood

Rotted wood is caused by being wet for extended periods of time. It is most commonly found around tubs, showers, and toilets inside or roof eaves and trim outside.

Water Heater Installations

Many water heaters are not installed in full compliance with the local plumbing code.

Gas Furnaces

Most gas furnaces seem to be in need of routine maintenance, such as new filters or gas company certification at the least. Many have other issues, such as faulty operation or inadequate fire clearance as well.

Plumbing Defects

Plumbing issues commonly found include dripping faucets, leaking fixtures, slow drains, etc. Even in brand new homes, it is common to identify minor plumbing defects.

Meet The Team!

Home 3

Gavin Kostelecky

Gavin has worked as a Police Officer since 1991. He has worked in Patrol, Criminal Investigations, School Resources, and Instruction and now serves as a Beach Patrol Officer within the Marine Division of the Orange Beach Police Department.

Gavin has worked as a Police Officer since 1991. He has worked in Patrol, Criminal Investigations, School Resources, and Instruction and now serves as a Beach Patrol Officer within the Marine Division of the Orange Beach Police Department. He is also retired from the Alabama Army National Guard with 25 years of service. In the Guard, he served as a Combat Engineer, Special Operations Engineer, Forward Observer, and a Fire Direction Specialist for the Multiple Launch Rocket System and Tube Artillery. He is also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was stationed at Camp Taji, Iraq, in 2005 and 2006. He retired on November 1, 2017.

In 2010, Gavin enrolled in the American Home Inspectors Training Institute, where he completed his home inspection training.

As a lifelong resident of Baldwin County, Gavin is keenly aware of common problems that coastal homes can exhibit. He looks forward to working with you and providing a concise and professional inspection.

Home 4

Malinn Kostelecky

After growing up in the heart of Bama country, Malinn moved to Gulf Shores and has been a permanent resident since 1997. With a BS degree from the University of Alabama, Malinn has years of real estate, customer service, sales, and administrative experience.

After growing up in the heart of Bama country, Malinn moved to Gulf Shores and has been a permanent resident since 1997. With a BS degree from the University of Alabama, Malinn has years of real estate, customer service, sales, and administrative experience. She and her husband Gavin have two children, three dogs, and one fish. They are so excited to be a part of Gulfside Home Inspections, LLC and look forward to providing you with excellent and professional home inspection services.

Schedule A Home Inspection Today!

If you have any questions or are interested in any other services, please call Gulfside Home Inspections, LLC so we may discuss your needs. Our pricing for your inspection is a combination of our workload, the actual property to be inspected, and the time constraints imposed. A price can be established when variables such as the presence of crawl spaces, age and size of the home, and market price are known. These variables, along with others, can add or detract from the cost of your inspection.