Allendale is shaped by Grand Valley State University in a way that changes the housing market and, with it, the inspection. A large share of the stock has been rental at some point, and a large share of the newer construction was built with rental in mind.
Student rental housing ages faster than owner-occupied housing and is maintained differently. Landlord maintenance is designed to keep things functioning between tenancies rather than to keep them in good order over decades, and the difference shows up in specific places: interior wear well beyond the age of the building, appliances replaced with the cheapest available option, HVAC serviced reactively rather than on a schedule, and repairs done quickly rather than correctly. If you are buying a former rental to live in, that gap is exactly what you are inheriting and exactly what belongs in the report.
Allendale also has newer subdivision construction with the usual finishing-quality questions, and older rural property on private well and septic where those systems fall outside a standard inspection and need separate attention.
Ottawa County is EPA Radon Zone 3, predicted average indoor level below 2 pCi/L, the lowest of the three zones. A test is still the only way to know a specific house.
