Our Blog
Here, we share valuable insights and expert advice to help you make informed decisions about your home. Whether you're a homeowner, buyer, or seller, our blog covers a wide range of topics related to home inspections, maintenance, and improvement. Explore our articles to gain a deeper understanding of your home's condition, learn about potential issues to watch out for, and discover practical tips to enhance your living space. Trust Schaefer to be your go-to resource for all things home inspection.
Schaefer’s 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for the New Homeowner
Making your list and checking it twice? If you have a friend or relative who just moved into a new house or apartment, consider an item or two off our Home Inspector-approved gift guide. While none of these items may…
10 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Home Inspections
For more than 35 years, the team at Schaefer Inspection Services has been performing home inspections, checking out houses in Connecticut from top to bottom, inside and out, making sure every nook and cranny is accounted for. And for almost…
National Ground Water Awareness Week
March 6-12, 2016 is National Ground Water Awareness Week. These days it seems that everyday is “National Something Week or Day.” Some may just be for fun, like National Ice Cream Day (7/17/16), but recognizing the importance of ground water…
Choosing a Smoke Detector
Choosing a Smoke Detector According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were 2,755 civilian deaths and 12,200 civilian injuries from fires in the United States in 2013. The US Fire Administration represents that 3 out of 5 home…
There’s an App For That! A Realtors Guide
Realtor Apps While many realtors currently use their phones as a means to connect with their clients through email and/or social media, many are still not taking advantage of the huge resource of applications that exist to help streamline their…
Air Conditioning Maintenance
Maintaining Your Air Conditioner: One of the most often neglected systems a home inspector must evaluate in a home is the central air-conditioning system. Most central air-conditioning systems are split systems, meaning that part of the equipment is found outside…
Mold Testing – Good Idea?
Should Mold Testing be included with a Home Inspection? Should mold testing be included with a home inspection?Before you spend your money on mold testing, you may find the following information helpful. MOLD is a concern for many homebuyers and…
Lead In Water Testing Requirements For Government Home Loans
Lead In Water Requirements For Government Home Loans Recently Schaefer Inspection Service performed a home inspection for a client on a home with municipal water. Her intended financing was CFHA and she told us that she was required to have…
Aluminum Wire Corrections In Homes
Now and then we come across homes or condos that have single strand aluminum wire. Aluminum wire was installed in the 1960s and 1970s in many homes. Many of these homes need repairs for safety. The problem with aluminum wire…
Building Code vs. Recommendations for Home Inspectors
We are often asked during a home inspection whether something meets building code. For example, are GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets required by code? What kind of railing is required for decks?” The answer: it depends on whom you…
Selling Your Home While on Vacation
Tips for selling your home while on vacation Just because you are selling your home does not mean you can’t enjoy getting away for some summer fun. If you are going to go away for a week or two, we…
Radon Testing In The Summer
Buying or selling a home is challenging, and can create stress. Add in summer heat, and tempers will rise with the temperatures. Here is good information regarding radon testing during the summer months. How complicated can radon testing be? The following…