Greetings,
I had a
client recently ask me, “What should I be concerned with in my home inspection
report?” Well, I took a second to think,
as this is not as simple as an answer as it sounds. You see, different people
will be concerned with different items. After careful thought, I responded with a
question in turn. “What is important to
you?” “We just want to make sure the
house is safe, and we aren’t getting ripped off.” And that was the answer to their
question. They should be concerned with
issue’s that might concern their health and safety (could range from
structural, electrical, or air/water quality), as well as any major issues (defects like remaining life span of
the roof, improper insulation, or
furnace dependability) that could present major financial impositions within a
short time period after taking possession.
After the report, we sat
together and discussed each of the issue’s the inspector found, and they came
to the conclusions on their own on which issue’s where important to them and
should be remedied. We have to remember,
that while an inspection is for self educating purposes about your potential
purchase, it may also be used as a tool to come to a mutual agreement to fix
problems the seller may not have known about.
So, here’s a list for buyers, sellers, and others who may want to know
what could be going on in their houses.
The top ten issues with homes that I’ve come across as a REALTOR®.
1. The
Handy Man Special.
“Oh, my husband is a great handyman”. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Jack of all
trades, Master of none.” Unfortunately,
he probably shouldn’t have been adding more outlets to the kitchen, or
finishing of the porch into a three seasons room. Homeowner improvements are a common thing
inspectors notice for two reasons, it was probably done wrong, and there was no
permit pulled to do it.
2. Electrical
Issues. Building
codes are continually changing, and it requires diligence to keep up with
them. Certain issues with wiring, like
hidden junction boxes, obsolete wiring like knob and tube, and not having an
electrical panel, or sub panel, updated from fuses to circuit breakers are just
some of the most common issues.
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3. Roof
Issues. This unfortunately, can lead to a major
expense in the near future if not detected by the inspector. Certain things such as shingle conditions,
loss of shingle adhesion, and improper flashing can cause havoc on the interior
of the home, not to mention the cost to replace the faulty items themselves.
4. Heating
System. Here in Maine, the furnace is a big
deal. While high efficiency is a plus,
more importantly is how much life the system has left in it. There’s not an inspector in the world that
will tell you the furnace will be ok tomorrow, let alone another 5 years from
now, but there are good indicators an inspector can use that can raise a cause
for alarm. If undetected, a replacement
furnace could cost a lot of money.
5. Perimeter
Drainage and Grading. There are many factors that can affect
whether or not you will have a dry basement. One of those being if there is a drainage
system around the house. A good drainage
system will weep water away from the foundation. Also are if there are gutters
and downspouts from the roof it will aid in keeping water away. Finally, the
grade of the land around the foundation plays a huge role in whether or not you’ll
be going through numerous sub-pumps through your residence.
6. Improper
Venting. Improper venting of dryers, furnaces, range
hoods, and bathroom exhaust fixtures account for many things that inspectors
find. Improperly venting a bathroom to
the attic, instead of out to the exterior, can cause an excess of moisture
building up in the attic, which could cause other problems down the road.
7. Hidden
Water Damage. A common culprit, for example, is the under
the door sill at the front door. For
years, water has been hitting that spot, and the threshold has seen its better
days. But what happens when you remove
that threshold to find that the water damage extends to the floor joists, and
possible the sill plate. While it is
impossible to uncover hidden problems, a good inspector will do all that he can
to find problems when indicators show there could be one.
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8. Air/Water
Quality. Some other hold ups, and possible deal
breakers lately, have been when water and air quality come back
undesirable. Usually water quality
issues are isolated to properties without municipal sources, but any property
can fall prey to bad air quality. Most
common, radon, can be found in any home, and at the suggestion of the EPA,
should be treated at levels higher than 4 pCi/l.
9. Structural
Issues. These issues can range from minor/improper
framing issues due to age or lack of knowledge, to major settlement issues such
as foundation cracks or failing structures.
Improper renovations/additions without concern for how it could affect original
structure is a common culprit in inspections.
“See how big we made this bedroom by knocking out this wall.” “Yea, it looks fantastic, but why is the
ceiling cracking?”
10. Septic
Issues. Let’s face it, when we flush it, we want to
forget about it. But failing septic
systems seem to be occurring more frequently lately. Some can be attributed to improper
installation, but mostly it’s due to homeowner neglect. A simple inspection can tell you worlds about
how the last family treated their system.
Let consider the alternative, you don’t want your kids to be playing in
the mud, especially if it hasn’t rained in a week.
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