Product Description

Probably the best source available for prospective homebuyer’s to use for evaluating property, inside and out. Originally intended to be for buyers and owners, it has sufficient detail that professional home inspectors use it throughout the country. Loaded with charts, checklists, and photographs, this is a must have for anyone considering a new or used home purchase. Nearly 75,000 copies are in print.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #264433 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-13
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 289 pages

Download Description
No other book on the market increases your chances more of getting your money's worth when buying a home than The Complete Book of Home Inspection. If you want to find out exactly what's behind, beneath, above, and around the home you're thinking of making an offer on, this is just what the inspector ordered.

From the Back Cover
75,000 COPIES SOLD!

Is that home or condominium apartment you plan on buying a true bargain or an overpriced “handyman’s special”? Here’s how to find out!

No other book on the market increases your chances more of getting your money’s worth when buying a home than The Complete Book of Home Inspection. If you want to find out exactly what’s behind, beneath, above, and around the home you’re thinking of making an offer on, this is just what the inspector ordered. And if you’re thinking of selling your home, here’s the perfect way to accurately evaluate its condition prior to setting a price.

This comprehensive instruction manual covers every aspect of exterior, interior, and electromechanical home inspection and is basic enough for a layperson and detailed enough to be a working on-site tool for professional home inspectors.

Revealing techniques and methods used by experienced home inspectors, this heavily illustrated reference details how to evaluate the condition of a home or condominium apartment – inside and out. Precise step-by-step procedures enable you to inspect a home as though accompanied by an inspector with many years’ experience.

Written by a professional home inspector, The Complete Book of Home Inspection is packed with photos, graphs, dozens of checklists, and worksheets and valuable chapter summaries.

If you want to avoid costly mistakes and headaches down the road, don’t even think of making an offer on a house without reading this book first!

NEW TO THIS EDITION:
* A new chapter on swimming pools
* An added section on exterior walls discussing problems with synthetic stucco (EIFS)
* New material added to the environmental concerns chapter on molds and associated problems
* Most chapters and sections have been extensively updated and expanded

The Complete Book of Home Inspection, Third Edition:
* Includes professional inspection worksheets with checklists in every chapter
* Fully illustrated (over 150 photos and drawings)
* All the information homeowner's need to maintain their house
* Content based on the author's 30 years' experience as a home inspector
* New material that updates chapters, including synthetic stucco (EIFS), mold, termite bait systems, sagging plaster ceilings, truss uplift cracks, and much more, plus a new chapter on swimming pools.

About the Author
Norman Becker, P.E., a nationally known authority on the subject of home inspection, has more than 30 years’ experience in home and building inspection, and is one of the founders of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). He has been qualified in court as an expert witness on the subject of home inspection. He also writes the widely read “Homeowners Clinic” column for Popular Mechanics magazine. Mr. Becker holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

Customer Reviews

Great book
This book was actually written by the man who founded the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Great information.

Excellent Home Inspection Book
This home inspection book is an excellent collection of knowledge from a very accomplished licensed professional engineer who is also a home inspector. The book covers a wide variety of topics in a very thorough manner and allows the reader to not feel overwhelmed if they have to inspect a home. A good approach for using this book is to go through the home to see if you like the home. As you go through, note what type of systems are in place (oil furnace, gas hot water heater, etc.). Then read the book to provide some background to better prepare yourself to understand what you see when you inspect the home.
The guy did an excellent job of communicating his years of knowledge into a useful book. If you're going to do your own home inspection, this book should be read. I'm also an engineer and home inspector. It took me years to learn what is compiled in this book.

contents ok.
this book covers all the topics on home inspection, and its material is ok. except that there is no color pictures, all the photographs are black and white, some of them could be barely seen. that put me off a bit.