⭐ Certified Master Inspector
Certified Master Inspector
Sarasota & Manatee Home Inspections
Professional, thorough, customer-focused inspections with same-day reporting, so you can buy with total confidence.
Professional · Reliable · Experienced
Inspected Once, Inspected Right!
Sarasota & Manatee Home Inspections
Hello, I’m Michael Koester, CMI (Certified Master Inspector) & Founder of Direct Inspections. We are a professional, customer-focused home inspection company working in Sarasota & Manatee region. Our inspections include evaluation of the Roofing System, Air Conditioning, Electrical, Plumbing, Structure, Interior, Pool & Spa. As your trusted home inspector in Sarasota, we can also schedule an independent Termite Specialist & HVAC Professional upon request! Furthermore, we can provide contacts for special examinations including Mold, Dock & Davit, Elevator, Chinese Drywall and many more. Just ask!
Michael Koester, CMI, Owner
Direct Inspections
Professional · Reliable · Experienced
Inspected Once, Inspected Right!
Lakewood Ranch Service Area – Home Inspection
Top Rated, Professional Home Inspector Lakewood Ranch | HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing & Roof | Infrared-Scanning | Call Inspector Michael to find out why we are different!
If you are purchasing a home in Lakewood Ranch, you’ll benefit from a quality home inspection. The emergence of Lakewood Ranch just to the northeast of Sarasota was a response for the need for space and a lifestyle oriented community. Many of these homes were built in batches, rather than by custom builders. As you may be aware, builders try to maximize return on investment. Smaller lots, quicker building schedules, deadlines, budgets and most homes are built by subcontractors. As a result, they can have sloppy or unprofessional elements, which is the result of building homes by the hundreds.
Thankfully, builders are improving these days. However, even many of the new production homes in Lakewood Ranch strongly benefit from a pre-closing inspection. While the builders are getting better at the fundamentals, often times the finishing details are horrendous. Also builders often try to push customers to the closing table with homes that are incomplete or quickly finished. Our home inspection is a careful review of the home’s systems and components.
Depending on the age of the home you are buying, there are likely to be different issues. Many sellers and builders will tout tiles roofs as lasting 40-50 years but that is inaccurate. While the tiles have the ability to last that long, the water barrier underlayment usually degrades or fails in 20-35 years. Most tile roofs are replaced in this time window. Also, copper plumbing lines can become corroded and leaky over time.
If you are buying a new home, installation errors are common. Attics missing insulation, cracked windows, broken roof tiles, closed off dryer vents, damaged interiors, miswired outlets and so on. Therefore, we encourage you to attend the inspection to get the most out of the process. We’ll be happy to help you with your home inspection.
Included in every inspection:
Roof System
Heating & Air Conditioning
Plumbing System & Water Heaters
Electrical System Evaluation
Kitchen & Appliances
Interior Rooms & Areas Inspected
FLIR Infrared Camera
The Direct Inspections Service Areas include: Lakewood Ranch, University Park, Esplanade, The Meadows and all other local service areas.
Located at the eastern side of Manatee County, Lakewood Ranch is a beautiful and vibrant community offering sports, culture, championship level golf courses and a thriving main street. As the communities of Parrish and Palmetto to the north continue to develop, Lakewood Ranch will become even more sought-after. With its quick access to Florida’s best beaches, as well as proximity to the Tampa Bay area, Lakewood Ranch offers an unrivaled mix of convenience, sports and a family-friendly atmosphere. The University Town Center Mall is also a welcome addition and economic engine to the area. The majority of Lakewood Ranch’s homes were built starting in the 1990s. The newer construction style differed from the styles of the 60s, 70s and 80s, featuring more complicated roofing designs, higher ceilings and more complicated building exteriors. While this is visually inviting, these complexities can lead to some common building problems.
Direct Inspections serves the Lakewood Ranch area. We will be happy to perform a home inspection for your home in Lakewood Ranch.
The new UTC Mall is a big draw in the Lakewood Ranch area but if you want to unwind a little, you could always head over to Nathan Benderson Park or the Big Cat Habitat. Both of these locations are local favorites.
Why Hire Us For Your Home Inspection?
Certified Master Inspector, Less than 3% of Florida’s Inspectors achieve Master Inspector Certification
Board-Certified: InterNACHI Certified Professional
FLIR Thermal Imaging: Allows us to see what others can’t
Same Day Reporting: Direct Inspections reports are always issued same day!
One Source: Full Home Evaluation, Condo Inspections, Insurance Inspections
We Carry a SUPRA Key: Quick & Easy Access to locked homes
Local & Experienced: We’ve inspected every type, age and size dwelling.
Excellent communication & customer service!
A Few Recent Notes & Observations
You may be thinking about getting opening
protection for your home. Hurricane
protection comes in a variety of types and
prices. Today I wanted to show you fabric
screen protection. These impact-resistant
screens mount over your windows and
doors. They provide Florida-approved large
missile impact protection for your home.
They are simpler to install and put away then
rigid metal or plastic panels. One popular
brand is Armor Screen. In the case that your
windows do break, these Fabrics screen
have the ability to slow hurricane-force winds
down to tolerable speeds. Also they are
highly moisture-resistant, excellent at
shedding the majority of rain that is thrown
against them. An additional benefit to these
screens over metal shutters is that they are
semi-transparent. Metal shutters are opaque
and will generally blackout any rooms that
they are covering. If you are looking into
getting opening protection for your home, it is
highly recommended to explore the option of
fabric screens.Here is an infrared image of an air
conditioning supply vent that is right next to
the air conditioning return vent. The cooled
air is being sucked directly back into the
return, effectively making this setup useless.
Properly spacing air conditioning supply lines
away from any returns is important during
the design process of your HVAC installation.
As part of our home inspections, we always
perform a quality air conditioning inspection
on the home that you are purchasing.If you’re having a wind mitigation inspection
done, one of the critical components the
inspector will look at are the hurricane straps.
Pictured here are hurricane clips which are
similar to straps. Insurance companies are
looking to certify that these components are in
place (they help to hold the roof on during
hurricane force winds). Additionally, insurance
companies would like to certify that there are
three nails in the hurricane straps or clips. As
you will see above, there are only two nails
present. Insurance companies view this
condition as a “nice try but no thanks.” This
homeowner will be best served to have a
contractor add a third nail. This will allow them
to receive an insurance discount.
Our Recent Reviews
“We needed a home inspection on a tight deadline, and Direct Inspections exceeded our expectations. Michael delivered a detailed report within 24 hours, answered every question we had, and made the entire process smooth, even from out of state.”
“Buying a home in Sarasota, Florida from another state was much less stressful thanks to Direct Inspections. Michael was professional, responsive, and incredibly thorough. The detailed inspection gave us the confidence to move forward with our purchase.”
“Direct Inspections provided exceptional service during our home purchase in Sarasota. Michael’s comprehensive report, quick turnaround, and clear communication made it easy to understand the property’s condition before closing.”
“We couldn’t have asked for a better inspection experience in Sarasota, FL. Michael coordinated additional specialists when needed, delivered a thorough report within a day, and took the time to explain every detail. Highly recommend Direct Inspections to anyone buying a home.”
CALL NOW:
941-251-1000
Map of Our Recent Inspections
Certifications & Memberships
