Understand the Home Before You Decide

Buying or maintaining a home is a major decision. A professional home inspection helps you better understand the visible condition of the property, including major systems, components, safety concerns, maintenance items, and observed defects.

Property Value Services, LLC provides home inspection services for residential homes, cottages, cabins, lakefront properties, and rural homes throughout Traverse City and Northern Michigan. Our goal is to provide clear information, practical explanations, and a professional report that helps you make a more confident property decision.

What Is Included in a Home Inspection?

A general home inspection is a visual, non-invasive review of readily accessible systems and components of the home. The inspection is designed to identify observed material defects, safety concerns, and maintenance issues that may affect the property.

A typical home inspection may include:

• Roof, visible roof components, and drainage

• Exterior siding, trim, doors, windows, decks, porches, and grading

• Foundation, basement, crawlspace, and visible structural components

• Attic, insulation, and ventilation

• Heating and cooling systems

• Electrical system and visible components

• Plumbing system and visible components

• Interior rooms, walls, ceilings, floors, stairs, and railings

• Built-in appliances, when included in the inspection agreement

• Garage, outbuildings, and additional structures, when agreed upon

Built for Northern Michigan Property Types

Northern Michigan homes are not all the same. A year-round home in town, a seasonal lake cottage, a rural property with acreage, and an older cabin near the water can each have different inspection concerns.

Property Value Services, LLC is familiar with property issues common to Northern Michigan, including:

• Seasonal cottages and cabins

• Lakefront and near-water properties

• Crawlspaces and moisture concerns

• Private wells and septic-related observations

• Older homes and aging mechanical systems

• Decks, stairs, porches, and shoreline structures

• Wooded lots and drainage concerns

• Unheated or partially winterized spaces

• Rural homes with outbuildings

• Ice, snow, ventilation, and roof drainage concerns

Inspection Services Offered

Buyer Home Inspections

A buyer inspection helps you understand the visible condition of a home before completing a purchase. The report can help you identify concerns, ask better questions, and plan for repairs or maintenance.

Pre-Listing Home Inspections

A pre-listing inspection helps sellers identify potential issues before putting a property on the market. This can reduce surprises, improve buyer confidence, and help prepare the home for sale.

Lakefront & Cottage Inspections

Northern Michigan cottages and lakefront homes often have unique concerns, including seasonal use, crawlspace moisture, decks, shoreline exposure, older systems, private utilities, and maintenance history.

Maintenance Inspections

A maintenance inspection helps homeowners better understand the current condition of their property and plan for future repairs, updates, or preventative maintenance.

Newer Home / Warranty Inspections

For newer homes, a warranty inspection can help identify visible issues before the builder warranty period expires.

Additional Property Observations

Detached garages, pole barns, guest cottages, decks, outbuildings, and other structures may be included depending on the property and agreed scope of work.

Clear Report. Practical Explanations. Useful Photos.

After the inspection, you receive a professional written report that is organized, easy to read, and supported with photos when appropriate.

The report may include:

• Summary of key findings

• Photos of observed concerns

• System-by-system organization

• Maintenance items

• Safety concerns

• Recommended further evaluation when needed

• Practical explanations in plain language

The goal is not to overwhelm you. The goal is to help you understand the property clearly.

Important Inspection Limitations

A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive inspection of readily accessible areas. It is not technically exhaustive and does not guarantee that every issue will be found.

A home inspection does not include:

• Opening walls, ceilings, or floors

• Moving furniture, personal property, or stored items

• Predicting future system performance

• Guaranteeing remaining useful life

• Confirming building code compliance

• Engineering analysis

• Environmental testing unless separately agreed

• Septic system inspection unless separately agreed

• Well water testing unless separately agreed

• Market value opinion or appraisal conclusion

If specialized concerns are observed, further evaluation by a qualified contractor or specialist may be recommended.

Appraisals and Home Inspections Are Separate Services

Property Value Services, LLC may provide both appraisal and home inspection services. These services are separate and serve different purposes.

An appraisal provides an opinion of market value.

A home inspection provides information about the visible condition of the property.

Each service has its own agreement, scope of work, report, and fee structure. When appropriate, appraisal and inspection services are kept separate to preserve professional independence and avoid confusion about the purpose of each report.

The Home Inspection Process

1. Request the Inspection

Contact Property Value Services, LLC with the property address, property type, preferred timing, and any specific concerns.

2. Confirm Scope and Fee

We confirm the inspection type, fee, access details, timing, and inspection agreement.

3. Property Inspection

The home is visually inspected, photographed, and documented according to the agreed scope of work.

4. Report Delivery

You receive a clear written report with observations, photos, and practical information about the property.

Why Choose Property Value Services?

Local Northern Michigan Focus

Experience with homes, cottages, lakefront properties, rural homes, seasonal properties, and residential real estate throughout the region.

Clear Communication

We explain findings in a practical, understandable way so you know what matters and what may need further review.

Property-Focused Perspective

Property condition, maintenance, marketability, and long-term usability all matter when evaluating a home.

Professional Reporting

Reports are organized, photo-supported, and designed to help clients make informed decisions.

Serving Traverse City and Northern Michigan

Property Value Services, LLC is based in Traverse City and serves Grand Traverse County and surrounding Northern Michigan communities, including:

• Traverse City

• Grand Traverse County

• Leelanau County

• Benzie County

• Antrim County

• Kalkaska County

• Wexford County

• Manistee County

• Charlevoix County

• Nearby communities by availability

Need a Home Inspection?

Whether you are buying, selling, maintaining, or reviewing a Northern Michigan property, Property Value Services, LLC can help you better understand the home.