Anyone know what key areas Home Inspector should be looking at?

Bill A · « **Reply #20 on:** 5 Jun 2013, 06:17 pm »

One thing I just thought of is lead paint. I never considered it to be an issue, but if you do you may want to test for it.

Bill

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #21 on:** 5 Jun 2013, 08:25 pm »

How old is the house?

Wayner · « **Reply #22 on:** 5 Jun 2013, 08:36 pm »

I was going to suggest that you have it inspected before you made an offer. Earnest money usually is not refundable.

Anyway, hell starts at the foundation and works it way up. If the footings/walls/basement suck (bowed, leak water, poor install/strength) the rest of the house will suffer, too.

Just like our bodies, if we have a poor skeletal system, things are only going to get worse.

There are also hidden dangers, such as mold in the insulation (outside walls), radon gas, bugs and like the poor guy in Florida, a waiting sink hole below your house, waiting to swallow you up.

The best words of advice are "Buyer Be Ware". And if you think your real estate agent is looking out for your best interests, think again. They are looking out for their best interest.

Speaking from experience,

Yours truly,

Wayner

abernardi · « **Reply #23 on:** 5 Jun 2013, 09:22 pm »

Wow geowak, if you were nervous about buying a house before, after this thread I wouldn't be surprised to see you running for the hills!

All good advice, and I would add have a plumber inspect the plumbing, the main line and check for MOLD. Mold is insidious and has cost me a lot of money. Good luck with it!

GT Audio Works · « **Reply #24 on:** 5 Jun 2013, 10:58 pm »

I would be first looking to see if the inspector has any affiliation with either realtor or the home owner.
Make sure they are independent and unbiased.
Was the inspector recommended to you by your realtor ?? Your realtor would benefit from a clean bill of health on the house, in a healthy commission on the sale.

WireNut · « **Reply #25 on:** 5 Jun 2013, 11:21 pm »

Wood root, termites, if the house has any type of wood siding or T1-11 siding is it soft, can you easily stick a knife in it.
Long cracks in exterior brick walls/bulges in exterior walls. Septic tank stystem. 15+ or more year old heatpump/furnace/AC unit. Cracking/brittle singles.

ArthurDent · « **Reply #26 on:** 5 Jun 2013, 11:31 pm »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 5 Jun 2013, 08:25 pm

How old is the house?

Building on Bob's question (pun intended), and BillA's thought, 'popcorn' ceilings. Depending on when these were done, if present, there may be an asbestos issue. Had that, but guess when a roof leak is a lucky thing.... when to repair the water damaged ceiling which is covered by Homeowner's they have to abate the 'popcorn'.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #27 on:** 5 Jun 2013, 11:47 pm »

Ask contractors in the area who's the toughest building inspector they know........... If they hate his guts you may want to hire him since you'll get a much more accurate result.

I'm working on a project where we've hired a retired SOB inspector. He's driving us crazy but he has also saved us from some embarrassing screw ups and becoming more of an ally than adversary.

nicksgem10s · « **Reply #28 on:** 6 Jun 2013, 12:27 am »

Make sure you interview the inspector on the phone before choosing one. They are not created equal. Ask specific questions about their experience and what they provide.

Years later I realize how truly unprepared I was for my first home inspection. The inspection was not worth the paper it was printed on and it cost $350 or something like that.

I was taking what the inspector said as gospel. I did not do my own research on the cost of repairs and upgrades. That was a very expensive lesson.

I learned a great deal in my first seven years of home ownership with that property.

Recently went through the process on our new home (built in 1964) and thoroughly researched home inspectors before making a decision.

It paid off.

He was incredibly thorough and detail oriented. He has been involved in the building trades as long as I have been alive. It was refreshing to have someone with his level of knowledge and professionalism on our team.

I also brought my father in law in on the inspection process. He built the home he lives in and is quite knowledgeable.

It was great to have him there asking questions and being involved in the entire inspection.

Our inspector also emails us post inspection reminders about maintenance and other very helpful homeowner advice.

He was not affiliated with any of the realtors involved in the transaction. I basically feel like I made a friend in the process. Just a good guy.

He identified several issues and we were able to move forward with the purchase process with a great deal of confidence.

We worked on the home for about 10 months before moving in. We could not be happier

. I still have a lot to do but it is exactly what we were searching for.

Ask questions and get involved in every step of the process. Don't just read about it in the report.

Another thing I recommend is getting there a little while before the inspection in scheduled. Some inspectors will want to get started before your appointment time.

I know I wanted to be there for each step of the process. I wore proper shoes and clothing so I could join him while walking the roof and inspecting each area of the home.

Best of luck and hope it goes well.

Oh one other thing not exactly related.

My realtor told me many years ago "You can always change the house but you can't change your neighbors."

Probably a really good idea to check out the neighborhood at different times such as Friday and Saturday nights to see if there are any potential problems to be aware of.

I have been truly blessed when it comes to neighbors.

Best Regards,

Nick

sonik · « **Reply #29 on:** 6 Jun 2013, 01:15 am »

Based on my experience purchasing houses in Maryland, I think the home inspection business is, for the most part, a racket. Many home inspectors are "in bed with" the real estate agents and do anything they can to facilitate the sale. If you have had a satisfactory experience with a home inspector in the past, seek that person out for your next purchase, even is it means waiting for them to fit you into their schedule. In my experience, thorough and honest inspectors who work on behalf of the buyer are few and far between and are very busy.

Under no circumstances should you use the inspector recommended by your real estate agent. Talk with family, friends or colleagues for recommendations. If your agent protests and refers to the inspector you select as a "deal killer," you have found yourself the right person. If you can't identify a reputable professional home inspector, IMHO you will be better off asking a general contractor you know and trust to take a look at the property with you. If there are areas with which the contractor is not comfortable, hire a specialist for that system (HVAC, plumbing, etc.). In the long run, it's worth whatever effort is necessary to learn about problems and potential problems when you have the leverage to ask for concessions from the seller or to walk away from the deal, as disappointing as that may be at the time.

datman · « **Reply #30 on:** 6 Jun 2013, 01:36 am »

I completely agree about NOT using an inspector recommended by the agent. We did and he missed or underestimated several problems.

The roof which he indicated had "several years of life left" didn't. A new roof was required immediately. There went $20,000. In his report he indicated the electrical panel was rated at 200 amps. It was 100 amps. $1800 later we had a new 200 amp panel. He indicated the main a/c unit still had serviceable life left. It didn't, although I new this to be the case, there went another $4500. There were a few plumbing surprises but we remodeled the bathrooms so this wasn't a big deal.

I can't say any of these repairs were avoidable and I had planned to make the upgrades anyway. My complaint is that I did better inspection in one hour than he did in a day. The only real value to the report was that no mold of any kind was found in the house.

I would recommend having a plumber do a plumbing inspection and roofer do the roof inspection. It may be more expensive but you should get MUCH better information this way.

rif · « **Reply #31 on:** 6 Jun 2013, 02:15 am »

I'd like to add that you as a potential buyer should also be aware of the costs to remedy anything that's found. A bad roof, for example, doesn't have to be a deal breaker. Just negotiate the cost into the sale price. The example above with a $20k roof - my roof cost a lot less than that and that's critical to know when making an offer.

geowak · « **Reply #32 on:** 6 Jun 2013, 04:04 pm »

Well the inspection is over. The inspector was thorough and tough. He explained all the major issues, with the top concern, a 30% humidity reading on the basement wall. He informed me that it would get worse and the drainage issues were outside, caused by sloping lawn and clogged or inadequate drainage away from house. Funny thing, after I told my realtor I was not about to pursue the purchase, he informed me that the inspector is going back (its raining today) to verify his findings. Don't really know if these two are in cohoots now to make a sale, or if they are trying to help my wife and I get more accurate findings. Thanks to those of you who pointed out possible "alliance relationships".

thunderbrick · « **Reply #33 on:** 6 Jun 2013, 04:33 pm »

If he comes up with a better humidity reading, make him explain why that could happen.

WC · « **Reply #34 on:** 6 Jun 2013, 04:47 pm »

Most of the Home inspection thing is a racket. On our current home we had to point out issues to the inspector such as the HVAC and deck. Even with those issues brought up, we weren't able to recoup the full cost of the improvements since they will have probably cost about half the original selling price of the home by the time we are done. Most of the small issues ended up being larger and more costly than first thought.

JRace · « **Reply #35 on:** 6 Jun 2013, 05:47 pm »

Quote from: rif on 6 Jun 2013, 02:15 am

I'd like to add that you as a potential buyer should also be aware of the costs to remedy anything that's found. A bad roof, for example, doesn't have to be a deal breaker. Just negotiate the cost into the sale price. The example above with a $20k roof - my roof cost a lot less than that and that's critical to know when making an offer.

As we will hopefully be selling in the next year I often wonder about this.
If my roof will need replacing at a cost of $10,000 do I price the house as if the roof does not need to be replaced, then I can negoiate that into the sale...of do I list the house $10,000 less and be open about the roof....and firm on the price?

We walked away from our first house purchase as the inspector found Aluminum wiring and the home owner told us it did not have any.
They were pissed at us cause the inspector put in his report that it was a good house regardless.
But we were smart and put in our purchase contract that it depended not on a good inspection, but that we could walk away after the inpsection regardless of what was found.

Don_S · « **Reply #36 on:** 6 Jun 2013, 06:04 pm »

Does your roof need replacing? Usually there are pretty obvious signs. If you can't tell and you think the roof is nearing its end you might want to get a professional opinion from several roofers. There are some honest ones and if you get several opinions (free) along with the reasons they made their decision you should be able to decide if you need to replace or not.

If you are not afraid to get up there, take a walk on the wild side. My home is a single story so I am all over the roof like a monkey fixing the solar and cleaning gutters. There are some roofs that scare me just by looking at them---and I used to frame and sheet roofs like that. I am smarter now.

Many buyers do not want to deal with an unknown (rotted sheeting) especially something like a roof. They may also spend all of their cash for the down payment and closing costs and not have any money to replace the roof unless it is financed as part of the purchase. That meaning, you do it first or kick back some cash. Replacing the roof first might go a long way towards getting a good selling price and not scaring away some buyers.

I realize that not every dollar spent on an improvement is recoverable upon sale of the home. But roofs and uncertainty scare people. I think it is better to remove the issue.

Quote from: JRace on 6 Jun 2013, 05:47 pm

As we will hopefully be selling in the next year I often wonder about this.
If my roof will need replacing at a cost of $10,000 do I price the house as if the roof does not need to be replaced, then I can negoiate that into the sale...of do I list the house $10,000 less and be open about the roof....and firm on the price?

We walked away from our first house purchase as the inspector found Aluminum wiring and the home owner told us it did not have any.
They were pissed at us cause the inspector put in his report that it was a good house regardless.
But we were smart and put in our purchase contract that it depended not on a good inspection, but that we could walk away after the inpsection regardless of what was found.

ctviggen · « **Reply #37 on:** 8 Jun 2013, 02:28 pm »

Personally, I'd pay a carpenter, plumber, and electrician to come into the house and inspect. Every time we had the carpenter at our current house, he ended up telling us what the builder screwed up (and whoever built the deck, which was an obvious later addition).

geowak · « **Reply #38 on:** 8 Jun 2013, 03:37 pm »

Well we are at an stop point on negotiations on the "repairs" of the house my wife and I are looking at.
My feeling is this; Is it reasonable to ask for these items to be fixed.

Update Electrical breaker box and wiring from 60 amp to 100 amp. This is code
Replace and/or repair electrical sheath (nearly gone) from outside electrical line to main. This is code
Replace (immediate concern on inspection) central air unit.
Install missing GFI in one two bathrooms and one kitchen.
Replace/repair flue liner and seal all cracks in masonry cap of chimney
Evaluate and repair water (30% humidity) water coming into east basement wall.
Install handrail on steps from garage to house. (4 steps)

Work to be performed by a reputable and certified professional we both agree to.

I don't think my lender and VA will approve the loan if these things are not fixed. Thoughts??

mcgsxr · « **Reply #39 on:** 8 Jun 2013, 04:26 pm »

If I wanted to sell my house, and a list of legit concerns like this was presented to me, I'd have to be open to negotiating on it.

Else, I would assume that the buyer would walk.

So, unless they have multiple offers, and yours is the one with the stipulations, I would expect them to come back and agree to a % of the total cost to complete the work. Then you have to decide on what to do - walk, counter, or accept.

Is the total $ known, to make those repairs? It is a significant amount, or % of the value of the home?