HOME INSPECTION

With over 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 the latest advancements in building systems 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 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. We make ourselves available to phone, text, or email follow-up questions or clarifications after the inspection. We’re here to help you 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 put a property on the market.  Having an impartial inspector evaluate your property prior to listing 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.

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

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

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

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

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INSPECTION NO REPORT

This service is designed for clients who need a thorough evaluation without a written report.  We conduct a full inspection of the property and provide a detailed verbal assessment of the condition as well as service life of the building systems. Clients are encouraged to take notes and ask questions throughout the process. Scheduling an inspection without a report  may be a good choice if:

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

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

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

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• You have been given a pre-listing inspection report, but the language is too vague to determine whether the noted issues are cause for concern.

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• You are not planning to sell your longtime home, but you want to know what maintenance items should be addressed to improved service life.

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WALK-THROUGH 

An on site walk-through of a pre-listing Spotlight inspection report is offered at a reduced fee and is designed for clients who would like the inspector to share the report findings in person.  A walk-through inspection may be a good choice if:

• You are considering making an offer and want a more in-depth understanding of the comments in the report.​​

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• You have just purchased the property and would like help prioritizing the recommendations noted in the report .

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HOURLY / CONSULTING 
There may come a time when a client finds that a different type of service is needed, which fits outside the four more common inspection services noted above.  Hourly inspections are restricted to the late afternoon (typically after 3:30pm), 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.
 

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 a single or a few non-structural building systems evaluated. (A structural engineer should be contacted for any foundation-only or structural-only concerns.)​​

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• A potential buyer may have a trusted pre-listing inspection report in hand yet still requires guidance on the overall scope and scale of the “project” (renovation) they are considering.

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• Homeowner has made attempts to address a building issue (ie: moisture intrusion issue), but has been unsuccessful discovering the source of the problem. 

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• Homeowner is thinking about upgrading one or more of the building systems but is overwhelmed by the choices and does not want to be pressured by contractor's sales tactics into a potential poor or costly decision. 

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