7 DEAL KILLERS YOUR HOME INSPECTOR WILL FIND

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR INSPECTION

YOU’VE LISTED YOUR HOUSE FOR SALE, GOT IT SHOW READY, AND NOW YOU HAVE AN OFFER. CONGRATULATIONS! BUT…BEFORE YOU GET TOO CARRIED AWAY, THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS IS THE BIG HOME INSPECTION.

A home inspection usually takes place within the first 10 days of accepting an offer. Home buyers are allowed to offer with a home inspection contingency. This contingency means the sale will be final pending a home inspection, and their right to request changes and even…..back out of the deal.

The home buyer will choose a home inspector of their choice, and arrange to have them come look at your home. So what does this mean for you as a home owner? What problems are they going to look for, what repairs will have to be made and what do you negotiate? All of these questions come from what we call the big 7 deal killers in home inspection services.

As home inspectors it is our duty to find the big ticket items that can go wrong with a house. We want to ensure the house is safe, there are no major systems that aren’t working or at the end of their life, and that there are no major structural issues happening. We aren’t as concerned about the drab counter with a crack on the laminate, or the wallpaper that’s peeling a bit as much as we are about the big items. So what are they? Let’s take a look.

1. WATER DAMAGE

• Water may as well be a four letter word in the home inspection industry. Water. If it isn’t coming from a cold, perfectly plumbed line with no cracks or drips ..then this throws a BIG red flag.

  So what’s the deal with water? Why is it so bad?

  As we stated, the top priority is safety. Anywhere water sits in a home, there is a great potential for mold. Mold can give even the most healthy people with a steel set of lungs some major respiratory issues. Damp indoor environments are toxic environments waiting to happen.

  Water damage and mold cost 2.5 billion to the service industry yearly. It is a costly repair when you find mold.

  if you have mold in the home or the home inspector discovers mold it is best to bring a professional in to assess the situation. Locally I recommend:

• Restoration 1
• Serv Pro of Franklin County

2. STRUCTURAL ISSUES

Foundations are the number one structural issue we run into when inspecting houses. Foundations are the building block for the entire house. Over time, water can sit on the exterior foundation wall, and cause the foundation walls to expand. When the water goes away the soil will shrink, and the foundation settles and cracks.

Inspectors always look for a compromised foundation. Some signs, but not all are as follows:

• Cracks in basement walls or around door frames

• Uneven or bouncy floors

• Gaps between walls and floors

• Nails popping out of walls

• Cracks in bricks or stonework

• Leaning front porch or stairs

• Cracked or leaning chimney

• Gaps around windows or door frames

3. ROOF DETERIORATION

You guessed it, a roof is critical to a house. Not only does it keep the big “W” word out (Water) it prevents moisture, pests, and weatherization issues.

A deteriorating roof could lead to more extensive issues like leaks in the ceiling or pest infestation, and buyers will consider this when negotiating the price of a home. A roof is one area where a seller may not want to make the repair before selling. Why is that? Well, the average roof repair is 15,00-40,000. That’s a large expense to tack on to a house you’re about to sell. Find a trusted realtor and ask their opinion first. Often it’s in your best financial interest to lower the price on the home slightly an to let the inspector find the roof issues for the buyer so they know the extent of what it will require.

Need a realtor to help you out? Give me a call, I’m happy to talk with you. 573 291 0608

4. ELECTRICAL ISSUES

Remember, your home inspector wants a safe house for you. Electrical issues are something that are important to check for. Electrical issues and how they can lead to fire and dangers. An overloaded circuit, improperly secured wires, or exposed wiring are a disaster waiting to happen.

Home electrical fires account for an estimated 51,000 fires each year, nearly 500 deaths, more than 1,400 injuries, and $1.3 billion in property damage.

Read more about electrical fires and the dangers of improperly inspected electrical here.

The most common electrical issues that home inspectors find during home inspections are:

• Exposed wiring and splices

• Un-grounded three-prong plugs

• Painted outlets

• Double Tapping of circuit breakers

• Reversed Polarity

• Improperly modified electrical panels

• Knob and Tube Wiring

• Aluminum Wiring

• Federal Pacific breaker panels

• No GFCI protection

• Missing knockouts in panels

• More than one neutral wire in a slot

• Wiring against sharp edges

If you are unsure what electrical problems your house may be facing, give your inspector a call and they can check it out and guide you on what your next best move is.
And remember, if you ever need a partial inspection of a house (just electrical, just HVAC, we can do it all. Give us a shout.

5. PLUMBING

Plumbing issues an water issues go hand in hand. Where your plumbing isn’t properly….plumbed there will be water, and if you have read this far you know that water is a big N-O!!!!! A small issue like a running toilet can quickly rack up your water bill, where as a leaky pipe can cause a floor to rot overtime, an even create mold issues.

We once saw a home that had a grey line plumbed out of the house for the kitchen sink. For those of you who don’t know, a grey line is a dirty line from sinks. The line clogged at some point, and the owner or someone else unhooked the plumbing under the house from the grey line so the water went down the sink and dumped directly under the kitchen in the crawl space.

Over time the stench became so overwhelming they actually thought their septic system had gone bad- only to realize the horrible smell was their kitchen waste.

This is just one of several horror plumbing stories we know of. Don’t get caught in this position. Have all of the plumbing and water pressures checked before purchasing a house.

6. INSECT AND PEST INFESTATIONS

The following is from homelight.com, and I think they sum this up best.

“Carpenter ants, certain types of beetles, and termites are amongst the common wood-destroying insects that severely damage a home.

Ants are the number one nuisance pest in the country, with carpenter ants ranking as one of the most problematic. Termites damage approximately 600,000 homes in the U.S. each year, leading residents to spend an estimated $5 billion annually to control termites and repair termite damage.

Rodents, on the other hand, invade 21 million U.S. homes each winter, and over ⅓ of Americans have seen a rodent in their house within the past year. If you see a rodent in your house, you could have a big problem on your hands. Mice are capable of producing up to 12 babies every three weeks. They carry salmonella and disease-causing parasites like fleas, ticks, and lice and can gnaw on wood and wires, increasing the risk of electrical fires.

In the worst-case scenario, a home inspector will find these destroying organisms after it’s too late. In this event, certain components of a home—such as the foundational structure or wiring—will need to be replaced, which could seriously affect a home’s value and buyer interest.

If an inspector finds hazardous organisms before serious damage occurs, sellers will have to exterminate them. This typically costs a few hundred dollars but depends on the situation.

If you choose not to bring in an expert to take care of pest issues, you may not be able to find a buyer that’ll take on the project. But, there is a backup option. Investors are willing to pay cash for homes typically buy the home as-is and many times sight unseen. It may mean taking a price hit, but it could allow your home to sell in the stickiest of situations.”

7. HVAC

HVAC is another major component of your home that needs to be inspected or it can lead to a large unexpected expense. HVAC is responsible for pumping fresh cool air throughout the home as well as heating a house in the winter. This will impact not only your utility bills but also air quality and can lead to a toxic home if it isn’t in proper order.. Our inspectors always check for:

• Dirty air filters

• Rust around unit

• Open seams in flues

• Cracked duct work

Don’t get yourself into a dangerous situation by having a poor inspection your home. Get an inspection.

Need help finding the right inspection? I’d love to give you some referrals! Call Megan Colyer @ 573 291 0608