PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT con't from p. 36
First and foremost, Skibitsky assures, “I offer
a full home inspection from the roof to the
foundation. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC
systems, interiors, appliances—I inspect them
all. Through the crawl space and up into the
attic, I search everywhere to make sure there
are no deficiencies with the house that need to
be addressed and identified before ownership
is transferred.”
In addition to a general contractor’s
license, a home inspection license, and a
radon license to test for radon gas, Skibitsky
earned his FAA 107 license to become a
commercial drone pilot. “The drone becomes
a tremendous benefit on steep roofs as I can
use the drone to zoom in and make sure the
shingles are in good shape,” tells Skibitsky.
“I offer drone photography to Realtors. I
managed a project last week in Seven Lakes
on a lake property, and the property sold in
two days!”
For those clients with allergies, asthma,
and other respiratory concerns, Skibitsky
takes air samples to measure mold and
allergens. After performing an outdoor test to
determine the baseline of air quality, Skibitsky
then runs an indoor test to identify possible
problem areas. “If a person is highly–allergic
to animals, then I can identify those issues
prior to a home closing as I have equipment
to vacuum carpets and collect the dander and
things like that.”
Warning signs to watch out for include
water stains, cracks or spots in the foundation,
warped siding, overgrown vegetation, etc.
The number one killer of a home is moisture.
Skibitsky explains, “Moisture isn’t always a
puddle of water. Anywhere you see a moisture
spot on the ceiling or on the wall, absolutely
get it identified. If you’re seeing moisture on
the inside wall, then who knows what is going
on between the walls. Older houses will settle
over time, but if you start seeing cracks around
windows, or if your windows and doors don’t
shut properly, then that’s a red flag. Spots
around your foundation where it’s always wet
is a problem. If your vegetation is overgrown,
then trim it back. If you don’t have airflow
running around the house, then it’s creating
humidity, and humidity is moisture.
“Air flow is important. Take foundation
vents—most houses with a crawlspace have a
foundation vent. Most people think that they
should close the vent in the winter to keep the
house warmer; however closing the vent won’t
keep your house warmer. Your insulation is
in the floors. The foundation vent allows air
to flow in your crawlspace. If you close that
off, then you’ve created a humidity area that
promotes mold growth. With 20% relative
humidity or higher, spores start growing.
However when you open the vents, there is
a natural breeze underneath the crawlspace
that keeps the humidity low. With nice air
flow, a home will last for 60, 70, 80, 90 years.”
Coming from an engineering background,
Skibitsky incorporates many tools,
measurement devices and technology to
assist in the inspection. Always starting from
the outside of the house, Skibitsky inspects the
perimeter/exterior before moving to the roof,
then the crawlspace. By hitting the outside of
the house and the underside first gives him
a good idea of what could be on the inside.
If the shingles are showing age, or if he sees
water in the crawlspace, then those red flags
point out areas on the inside where he needs
to spend extra time. He reasons, “If I’m in the
crawlspace, and I see that there is a stain on
the vapor barrier, then I go to the stain and
realize it’s the drain from the master bedroom
commode. When I get to the bathroom, I can
start exploring reasons for the leak. The story
of the outside and underneath the house
really tell what’s going on in the inside.”
By the time a homeowner or home buyer
sees the red flags on the inside, then it’s too
late. This is where maintenance comes into
play. Paying someone $100 to crawl in your
crawlspace to make sure you don’t end up
having $10,000 worth of damage is a safe
investment. In maintaining his commitment
to service, Skibitsky tells his clients, “Call
me. Ask me anything! What I bring to this
inspection industry is not just my background
and knowledge, but it’s also the personal
touch. I have clients who call me 6-8 months
after they’ve been in the home asking general
questions. I tell everyone, ‘You still have my
number. Call me.’”
FFHIS’s primary purpose is to make sure
you are investing wisely in your home from
the selling to the buying and the maintaining.
The home is a living system. “Your home is like
your body, like your car,” encourages Skibitsky.
“If you’re not doing routine maintenance to
that system, then things will happen, most of
the time they are not good.”
Skibitsky’s tips for maintaining a home
include the following: Hire an HVAC company
to do a routine maintenance twice a year on
the system; summer to winter, then back to
summer. The AC switches cycles and needs
to be maintained. Check out the crawlspace
as there is so much that could go wrong in
a crawlspace that could be catastrophic to
a home. Change filters every month; test
the batteries in
your fire systems;
check your roof all
the way down to
avoid problems.
Have an expert
go through your
home and make
sure something
hasn’t occurred
that could be
f i n a n c i a l l y
devastating if
not corrected
i m m e d i a t e l y .
“A maintenance
inspection is a
smart investment,”
assures Skibitsky.
Change
filters every
month; test
the batteries
in your fire
systems; check
your roof
all the way
down to avoid
problems.
FFHIS covers maintenance inspection, presale
inspection (which allows homeowners
to know what is going on before they get an
offer), and then the home inspection when a
client puts in an offer. “Many Realtors suggest
pre-sell inspections,” shares Skibitsky. “Most
items I find are maintenance items that
could have been prevented if people had
kept up their home. When you arrange for an
inspection ahead of time, then you can budget
and prioritize for any issues presented.”
Having to tell a family that they shouldn’t
buy the house due to mold or water problems
or foundation problems is the most difficult
part of the process. “There’s just no good way
to tell a client bad news,” slows Skibitsky who
remembers a young couple who fell in love
with a house that they wanted to buy for their
first house. “Telling them they shouldn’t buy
the house was awful! They were devastated, but
they heeded the warnings and found an even
better house! I’ll never forget the emotional
impact of working with that couple.”
And the best part of the profession
remains interacting with the clients. When
the inspection comes to a close, Skibitsky
loves the education process in establishing
relationships with his clients.
Seeking to expand his customer base and
to connect with more Realtors, Skibitsky
feels the affects of COVID-19 as networking
is out the window. “Figuring out how to get
referrals without being able to physically
shake a person’s hand is difficult. I’m always
big on handshakes. Face to face meetings are
needed to share the drive, the passion, and the
desire. However one benefit of COVID which
requires home inspectors to focus more on
PPE has been great. When I do an inspection,
I’m wearing my mask, gloves, and protective
items required. From a safety standpoint, I
will continue this practice.”
At the end of the day, Skibitsky’s goal is to
protect the families who hire him to make sure
that the home they are currently living in or are
going to be living in is safe and functioning.
Family is the first thing. Skibitsky emphasizes,
“Everything I do is for my wife and my kids.
My family is my hobby. The same principle
goes back to being in a tight-knit community
and to hearing clients say, ‘Tim Skibitsky did a
wonderful job. He was very thorough and took
extra time to help me understand.’”
In checking off the boxes of the inspection,
Skibitsky reports, “I believe that God makes a
path for everybody. Everyone has a destiny,
and it’s your choice on how you get there. I
wish I had met my wife Courtney earlier; she’s
the backbone in supporting everything I do.
There are parts of my foundation that I wonder
if I had done differently would I be sitting here
today? I wouldn’t change the construction,
because then I wouldn’t have three beautiful
children, my beautiful wife, my nice home,
and the opportunities I’ve been given. It’s
the story of Tim that has become the story of
Family First Home Inspection Services.
From their home on four acres which
used to be a dairy farm where Courtney’s
grandfather worked, Skibitsky smiles, “We’re
meant to be here, and we love it!”
And there is no greater desire for Skibitsky
than for a homeowner to be able to say, “We’re
meant to be here, and we love it!” In order to
protect your greatest investment, call Family
First Home Inspection Services for a home
inspection you can trust! From Skibitsky’s
family to yours, connect with FFHIS over
Facebook, website, Instagram, email, or
phone. ☐ For more info, see pp. 26 & 27.
Timothy Skibitsky, Owner
Family First Home Inspection Services
PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT continued
PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT continued
PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT con't. next column PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT con't. next column
Contact Tim for Your Home Inspection!
Call: (910)545-7400
Web: familyfirsthomeinspectionservices.com
Facebook: @ffhisnc
No. 142 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.37
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