HOME INSPECTION

After nearly a decade of hands-on Home Inspection experience, evaluating residential and commercial properties throughout the Bay Area, Sarah brings a rare combination of field-tested construction knowledge and design training, allowing her to assess homes with both technical precision and an eye for potential. With her continued practice of residential design, she stays informed of building system developments and building science.
 

Whether you’re buying a new home or maintaining an existing one, Spotlight provides thorough, detailed assessments of your property. We help you identify potential issues before they become costly problems, giving you the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions.

 

From foundations and framing to electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing systems, she has inspected over 1800 properties, helping everyone from first-time buyers to seasoned investors make informed, confident decisions. Familiar with older housing stock, including brick foundations and soft-story conditions. Sarah takes pride in mentoring newer inspectors, contributing to a culture of quality and professionalism in the field.

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See below for a list of inspection services available.

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BUYER’S INSPECTION
Spotlight understands how overwhelming the process of purchasing a home can be.   That is why we approach every inspection with patience, care, and a commitment to helping our clients feel confident and informed. While a buyer’s inspection and seller’s inspection are technically the same, we allow extra time during a buyer’s inspection to ensure that the client never feels rushed and has plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Our goal is to educate the client about every aspect of the subject property, helping to identify the most important maintenance tasks, high-cost defects or safety considerations.  We pride ourselves on being highly accessible—support doesn’t end when the inspection is over. The client is always welcome to call, text, or email follow-up questions or clarifications after the inspection. We’re here to help every step of the way.

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PRE-LISTING/ SELLER’S INSPECTION

A Pre-Listing (Seller’s) Inspection is suggested for anyone preparing to sell a home. Having an impartial inspector evaluate your property before listing the property can help you avoid unexpected issues that could delay closing or lead to costly negotiations. While the inspection process and report are the same for a buyer's inspection and seller's inspection, scheduling a pre-listing inspection offers key advantages:

• Identify potential repairs early so you can choose whether to fix them proactively or disclose them upfront.

• Address simple, low-cost repairs ahead of time to streamline negotiations and support a smoother, faster closing.

• Showcase your home’s care and quality, building buyer confidence in both your property and your integrity as a seller.

• Price your home strategically by factoring in repair costs and setting realistic expectations for buyers.

• Make repairs on your own timeline and gather multiple quotes, helping you save money while preparing your home for sale.

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WALK-THROUGH NO REPORT

A walk-through inspection is offered at a reduced fee (two-thirds the cost of a standard inspection) and is designed for clients who need a thorough evaluation without a written report. During the walk-through, we conduct a full inspection of the property and provide a detailed verbal assessment of its condition and the service life of its systems. Clients are encouraged to take notes and ask questions throughout the process.
A walk-through inspection may be a good choice if:

• You have limited time for contingencies and need to schedule an inspection on short notice.

• You’re considering making an offer with no contingencies and want a clear understanding of the property’s condition.

• You’ve been provided with a pre-listing inspection, but are unfamiliar with, or unsure of, the inspector’s qualifications or experience.

• You’ve been given a pre-listing inspection report, but the language is too vague to determine whether issues are true defects or areas of concern.

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HOURLY RATE
There may come a time when a client finds that a different type of service is needed, which fits outside the three more common inspection services noted above. Clients may book an inspection at our hourly rate of $250/ hour (with a one hour minimum). Hourly inspections are restricted to the late afternoon (typically after 3pm), unless a standard inspection slot is agreed upon. Client will be billed for time spent during the inspection, and if written documentation is desired, the time required to create the document will also be billed at the hourly rate.
Please see list below of a few examples of hourly rate inspection we have conducted. There is often an overlap of with hourly inspection and our consulting work.

• Client needs one or a few (non-structural building system evaluated) A structural engineer should be contacted for any foundation only or structural only inspections.

• A Buyer may request a walk-through of a property that we conducted a Pre-listing inspection.

• A new buyer may be seeking additional help deciding what steps to take first with repairs or renovation. Often there are some initial design or zoning feasibility questions.

• A potential buyer may already have a useful and trusted inspection report but still need some guidance on how big is the “project” that they are considering taking on.