House Inspections - Who Needs One?

Top Ten List Of Defects Found During A Home Inspection

Retaining the services of Licensed Home Inspector can translate into big savings in the end.

First, you need to be sure that you retain the services of a qualified professional who can identify subtle defects that are not readily visible to the typical home buyer. Buyers who inspect their prospective homes by themselves are rarely qualified to conduct a thorough home inspection and even if they have a good knowledge base to work from, they are too emotionally involved in the purchase and are usually blinded by the cosmetic appearence of the home.

Buying the home of your dreams usually consumes all of your available resources as well as everything you can borrow. You sure don’t want to wake up to an unexpected repair bill for a new heating system months after you move in.

Identifying subtle defects before you sign a contract can translate into a reduced selling price, or repair of uncovered defects at the sellers cost. And don’t believe that the seller is offering the house “as is”, there’s always time to check it out and talk.

Of course, there is a limit to what any inspector can uncover because home inspections are visual investigations and destructive probing is not the standard of practice in the industry. However, there may be times when destructive probing may be recommended by the home inspector and this must be undertaken with the seller’s approval. The purpose of a pre-purchase home inspection is to reduce risk to the buyer, the visual inspection can not eliminate risk.

It is important to accompany the home inspector during the home inspection because one picture is worth a thousand words and there’s a unique opportunity to learn about the home; the home inspector will be sure that you are not blinded by the glitter. Familiarize yourself with the following top ten list and you will have an idea of what your home inspection engineer should be looking for.

 Exterior

Wear on a roof may be readily apparent if the wear is very advanced but a roof that is starting to age is a more subtle defect that the home inspector can uncover. Resurfacing a roof costs thousands of dollars, and will cost much more if the existing roofing surface needs to be removed prior to re-roofing. If a roof will need to be resurfaced in the foreseeable future, this may be a negotiable item. Similarly, the siding of the house should be carefully inspected because residing a house can also cost thousand of dollars. Replacement of old defective windows can cost thousands of dollars, don’t overlook this obvious defect. Eliminating problems before they start is smart, for example, the home inspector should be sure that the land around the home is properly graded to divert water away from the home, this will help to reduce the possibility of water intrusion into the home.

 Interior

If there’s one defect you don’t want to find out about after you move in, it’s a basement that floods. The basement areas of the home should be thoroughly checked for signs of water intrusion, such as water stains, mildew, an odor of dampness, efflorescence on the walls and floors, and damaged and cupping floors. In addition, look for water proofing systems, sump pumps, etc. in the basement; these systems can help to reduce the risk of water flooding in the basement but may not be able to eliminate water intrusion under all conditions. If a house needs water proofing measures, the cost can run into the thousands.

Proper insulation and ventilation in a home should not be overlooked; proper ventilation in a home is more important than most home buyers are aware of. Inadequate ventilation in an attic can result in accelerated deterioration of the structural roof deck; if this occurs, a major expense will be incurred to remove and replace the roofing shingles and roof deck, and in extreme cases, the roof rafters. This is one defect that should not be overlooked.

The condition of the paint surface on homes constructed prior to 1978 may contain lead paint which can be a problem if there is wide spread deterioration of the paint surface; your home inspection engineer may suggest an evaluation of the paint surface for any lead content.

 Structural

Bulges, deflections, and other irregularities in the roof framing, exterior wall framing, and interior framing, or cracks in the foundation wall may indicate a serious structural problem that may be the result of poor structural design, poor construction techniques, improper structural alteration, water damage, or termite damage. Jacking up a house to replace damaged structural components, or underpinning a defective foundation wall is a major expense. The home inspector has the experience, education and expertise to evaluate structural problems; this is one of the reasons why retaining the services of a Licensed Home Inspector who could also recommend a Licensed Engineer if necessary to evaluate any problems.. Sure, anybody can report that a serious structural defect exists, but only a P.E. is licensed to offer a professional engineering judgment and design to correct the problem.

 Electrical

First, the home inspector should determine the size of the service to determine if it meets current standards; bringing an upgraded electrical service into a home can cost one thousand dollars. The electrical system should then be checked by removing the cover from the electric service panel. Once the wiring is exposed, be sure that the home inspection engineer looks for problems in the panel such as burned wiring, overfused circuits (the fuse or circuit breaker is too large for the wire size), improper wiring connections, openings in the panel (where a child can put their finger into the panel, home owner installed wiring, etc.

In addition to checking for an adequate quantity of electrical switches and convenience outlets in the house, the outlets should be checked for open ground and wiring reversal conditions. Throughout the house, dead ended wiring and exposed wiring should be on the list of defects to look for. Homes wired in the mid 60’s to mid 70’s may have aluminum wiring and if so, the engineer should determine if an approved retrofit has been installed at the wiring connections; if not, a potential fire safety hazard could exist.

If the home is very old, it may have knob and tube wiring, this is ancient wiring and may be hazardous. Extensive wiring replacement can cost thousands of dollars.

 Plumbing

First, the home inspection engineer should determine the type of pipe that supplies water to the house from the municipal main in the street. Be wary of old lead and galvanized steel water supply pipes, replacement costs thousands of dollars. Be sure that your home inspection engineer checks the piping distribution in the house for type of material and condition looking for deterioration, incompatible piping materials, and leaks. Your home inspector should carry a moisture meter to evaluate any suspect plaster or wall board on the ceilings and walls caused by water leaks; replacing the piping network in the walls and ceilings is a major expense that can cost thousands of dollars. Be sure that the engineer checks all of the fixtures and faucets for proper operation, and also checks tiled bathtub and shower enclosures for integrity. Replacement of tiling in a bathroom, or replacement of a shower pan can cost a couple of thousand dollars.

Heating And Air-Conditioning

Look out for that old clunker that used to fire coal, it will consume fuel faster than you can feed it; plan on replacing it with a modern efficient heating system. Other problems include defective furnace heat exchangers, this type of problem is not always easy to uncover and usually means that the furnace will require replacement and this can cost three to four thousand dollars. Boilers that are starting to leak will also require replacement and a typical cost is three to five thousand dollars; your engineer should look for these major defects. In addition, your engineer should be sure that the heat distribution is satisfactory and that the heat distribution piping or ductwork is in good condition. Safety concerns such as defective controls, inoperative emergency switches, and evidence of past malfunctions and carbon monoxide emissions must be carefully investigated by the home inspector. Be careful of special problems associated with radiant floor heating and other less common systems.

The engineer should advise you to have underground oil storage tanks tested for integrity; a leaking underground oil storage tank can cause thousands of dollars of environmental damage. Another environmental concern is the existence of insulation that may contain asbestos and is especially hazardous if the material is friable. The home inspector should advise you to have any suspect material laboratory tested.

The home inspection engineer should test the central air-conditioning system to be sure that it is cooling properly; replacement of an air-conditioning compressor can cost two to five thousand dollars.

Deferred Maintenance

Be very careful of homes where deferred maintenance is clearly evident; if a home has been poorly maintained and there are obvious problems, proceed with extreme caution, this could be your worst nightmare where you wake up in the middle of the night screaming (the home of your dreams has become the home of your screams). If there are obvious problems, imagine what you can’t see; it’s your money pit, keep your check book handy.

A handyman’s special is best acquired by a handy man.

Be careful of homes where there is obvious plumbing and electrical work, as well as structural additions and renovations, that were not professionally installed and were most likely installed by the home owner; correcting these defects can cost thousands of dollars. This is a situation where the seller of the home is a weekend warrior who is well intentioned but has no clue regarding proper construction.

There is the old saying to remember - He's the jack of all trades, and the master of none.

It is preferable to retain the services of a home inspector who issues a full written report detailing what is wrong, why it’s wrong, and what needs to be done to correct the uncovered defects.

Home inspection reports consist of check lists handed to you at the end of a home inspection are often void of needed detail; checking off good, fair poor, adequate, inadequate, etc. often leaves you wondering what to do next. Be sure that you retain the services of an engineer whose door is open for future questions.

Some inspectors use the Internet to prepare their reports too.

Conclusion

Take a check list when you preview homes, when you see a home that you might consider, use the check list to make notes; you will find this check list to be an invaluable resource to help you remember what you’ve seen and will be an important aid when you accompany your home inspector during your home inspection.

Remember, smart home buyers understand the advantages of retaining the services of a home inspector.