Thread: 11 Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspection

I found this while surfing the net. Opinions?

11 Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspection



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"According to industry experts, there are at least 33 physical problems that will come under scrutiny during a home inspection when your home is for sale. Here are 11 you should know about if you’re planning to put your home up for sale."


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Homebuyers Want to Know Your Home Inside and Out
While homebuyers are as individual as the homes they plan on purchasing, one thing they share is a desire to ensure that the home they will call their own is as good beneath the surface as it appears to be. Will the roof end up leaking? Is the wiring safe? What about the plumbing? These, and others, are the questions that the buyers looking at your home will seek professional help to answer.

According to industry experts, there are at least 33 physical problems that will come under scrutiny during a home inspection. We’ve identified the 11 most common of these and, if not identified and dealt with, any of these 11 items could cost you dearly in terms of repair.

In most cases, you can make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself if you know what you’re looking for. Knowing what you’re looking for can help you prevent little problems from growing into costly and unmanageable ones.

11 Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspection
1. Defective Plumbing
Defective plumbing can manifest itself in two different ways: leaking, and clogging. A visual inspection can detect leaking, and an inspector will gauge water pressure by turning on all faucets in the highest bathroom and then flushing the toilet. If you hear the sound of running water, it indicates that the pipes are undersized. If the water appears dirty when first turned on at the faucet, this is a good indication that the pipes are rusting, which can result in severe water quality problems.

2. Damp or Wet Basement
An inspector will check your walls for a powdery white mineral deposit a few inches off the floor, and will look to see if you feel secure enough to store things right on your basement floor. A mildew odor is almost impossible to eliminate, and an inspector will certainly be conscious of it.

It could cost you $200-$1,000 to seal a crack in or around your basement foundation depending on severity and location. Adding a sump pump and pit could run you around $750 - $1,000, and complete waterproofing (of an average 3 bedroom home) could amount to $5,000-$15,000. You will have to weigh these figures into the calculation of what price you want to net on your home.

3. Inadequate Wiring & Electrical
Your home should have a minimum of 100 amps service, and this should be clearly marked. Wire should be copper or aluminum. Home inspectors will look at octopus plugs as indicative of inadequate circuits and a potential fire hazard.

4. Poor Heating & Cooling Systems
Insufficient insulation, and an inadequate or a poorly functioning heating system, are the most common causes of poor heating. While an adequately clean furnace, without rust on the heat exchanger, usually has life left in it, an inspector will be asking and checking to see if your furnace is over its typical life span of 15-25 yrs. For a forced air gas system, a heat exchanger will come under particular scrutiny since one that is cracked can emit deadly carbon monoxide into the home. These heat exchangers must be replaced if damaged - they cannot be repaired.

5. Roofing Problems
Water leakage through the roof can occur for a variety of reasons such as physical deterioration of the asphalt shingles (e.g. curling or splitting), or mechanical damage from a wind storm. When gutters leak and downspouts allow water to run down and through the exterior walls, this external problem becomes a major internal one.

6. Damp Attic Spaces
Aside from basement dampness, problems with ventilation, insulation and vapor barriers can cause water, moisture, mold and mildew to form in the attic. This can lead to premature wear of the roof, structure and building materials. The cost to fix this damage could easily run over $2,500.

7. Rotting Wood
This can occur in many places (door or window frames, trim, siding, decks and fences). The building inspector will sometimes probe the wood to see if this is present - especially when wood has been freshly painted.

8. Masonry Work
Re-bricking can be costly, but, left unattended, these repairs can cause problems with water and moisture penetration into the home which in turn could lead to a chimney being clogged by fallen bricks or even a chimney which falls onto the roof. It can be costly to rebuild a chimney or to have it repainted.

9. Unsafe or Over-fused Electrical Circuit
A fire hazard is created when more amperage is drawn on the circuit than was intended. 15 amp circuits are the most common in a typical home, with larger service for large appliances such as stoves and dryers. It can cost several hundred dollars to replace your fuse panel with a circuit panel.

10. Adequate Security Features
More than a purchased security system, an inspector will look for the basic safety features that will protect your home such as proper locks on windows and patio doors, dead bolts on the doors, smoke and even carbon monoxide detectors in every bedroom and on every level. Even though pricing will vary, these components will add to your costs. Before purchasing or installing, you should check with your local experts.

11. Structural/Foundation Problems
An inspector will certainly investigate the underlying footing and foundation of your home as structural integrity is fundamental to your home.

When you put your home on the market, you don’t want any unpleasant surprises that could cost you the sale of your home. By having an understanding of these 11 problem areas as you walk through your home, you’ll be arming yourself against future disappointment.

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"Wire should be copper or aluminum..."

IMO, no buyer should expect less than gold, or unobtainium

"an inspector will gauge water pressure by turning on all faucets in the highest bathroom and then flushing the toilet. If you hear the sound of running water, it indicates that the pipes are undersized."

IMO, it's easier to do the entire house at once:

http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/ndwc/article.../geophone3.jpg

"Home inspectors will look at octopus plugs"

When reporting such findings, IMO it's best to always include a picture, for example:

http://www.nieworld.com/students/spe.../odyssey01.jpg

I love the way some of the things are fairly specific but then others are totally general. They pretty much tell you to make sure your whole house and every system is in great shape. Basically, fix everything and make it all look good and you shouldn't have a problem with the inspection.

This must have been written by the attorneys that try to tell us how to write our reports....

[QUOTE=Eric Van De Ven;15200]
An inspector will certainly investigate the underlying footing and foundation of your home as structural integrity is fundamental to your home.

Around here you need a backhoe to do that.

Inspectors on the West coast have X-ray vision and are required to evaluate the home's foundation footingss and state the exact number of steel rebar and their diameter and condition that are withing the concrete footer and stem walls. And that folks is why some inspectors our here get as much as $199.00 per inspection.

We should thank the author for perpetuating the myth that a house can "pass" a home inspection.

Years ago I used to carry a small Nerf football in my tool bag. Mainly used it to give to the buyers kids hoping they'd go outside to play with it.

When the agent, buyer, or seller would ask did the house "pass", I would pass the little footwall against the wall or cabinet and when it fell to the floor I'd say Nope, and it can't catch either.

Just a little icebreaker that worked before I explained the report.

The whole idea of the Passing Home inspection has been around for way too many years to convince people of not thinking those kind of terms.

What they really wanting you to say is Its OK to buy it or am I making a good choice. I remind people all the time we as inspectors are really only paid to tell you whats wrong with the house. All the good things they should already know if they are interested in buying it or I tell them thats the agents job to sell them on those things.

Sometimes neither the seller or the buyer can accept the truth about the condition of a home and blame us that we are the ones to blame about it.

I have to remind them all the time, We're only the Messenger.

Rick

"an inadequate or a poorly functioning heating system, are the most common causes of poor heating."

WHAT-DA-HELL? I stopped reading right about there, maybe I shoulda stopped sooner.

Eric, please tell us where you found this jewel! You really need to give the author the credit that is due them.

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

Eric, please tell us where you found this jewel! You really need to give the author the credit that is due them.

Broward County Real Estate - The Steve Apicella HomeSelling Team

I was waiting to see what others opinions were before addressing it myself.

1. Defective Plumbing
Defective plumbing can manifest itself in two different ways: leaking, and clogging. A visual inspection can detect leaking, and an inspector will gauge water pressure by turning on all faucets in the highest bathroom and then flushing the toilet. If you hear the sound of running water, it indicates that the pipes are undersized. If the water appears dirty when first turned on at the faucet, this is a good indication that the pipes are rusting, which can result in severe water quality problems.

I actually use a "water pressure gauge" to gauge the water pressure.
The sound of running water indicates that there is running water!
Dirty water is either a river in Boston or numerous other things. A vacant house with water left in the water heater for a period of time will produce milky water. There is usually some debris in all water lines. Just take off the aerator to see what is in your water.

We don't have to many basements here in South Florida, so one of you northern guys will get this one.

3. Inadequate Wiring & Electrical
Your home should have a minimum of 100 amps service, and this should be clearly marked. Wire should be copper or aluminum. Home inspectors will look at octopus plugs as indicative of inadequate circuits and a potential fire hazard.

Minimum of 100 amps? Aluminum wiring? "Octopus" plugs? I imagine you find an "Octopus plug" with a "Sub-Panel"! Right Jerry! Strangely, no mention of service panels or G.F.I. protection.

9. Unsafe or Over-fused Electrical Circuit
A fire hazard is created when more amperage is drawn on the circuit than was intended. 15 amp circuits are the most common in a typical home, with larger service for large appliances such as stoves and dryers. It can cost several hundred dollars to replace your fuse panel with a circuit panel.

15 amp are the "most" common? I don't think so! At least the last line is true! Several hundred.....about 13-15 of them!

8. Masonry Work
Re-bricking can be costly, but, left unattended, these repairs can cause problems with water and moisture penetration into the home which in turn could lead to a chimney being clogged by fallen bricks or even a chimney which falls onto the roof. It can be costly to rebuild a chimney or to have it repainted.

I could see how cracks in the masonry on one side of the house could cause a chimney collapse on the other side! Hmmm........
And I think that the last word should be re-pointed, unless they are using that gold plated paint for the chimney.

When you see where this came from, the picture will clear up!

Originally Posted by Jerry McCarthy

Inspectors on the West coast have X-ray vision and are required to evaluate the home's foundation footingss and state the exact number of steel rebar and their diameter and condition that are withing the concrete footer and stem walls. And that folks is why some inspectors our here get as much as $199.00 per inspection.

As Much as $199.00, heck my inspections start at $300.00

And real estate agents are distributing this list to their clients. I've worked very hard to explain to agents that it's not a Pass/Fail. Inspectors simply give the report, based on their inspection at the time and they (the agent and client) determine whether or not to proceed! It's a continuous uphill educating battle.
Cheers!

The basic problem with the concept of passing a home inspection is that it is not like a car inspection.

Many states have different items of our daily lives that have some type of inspection program attached to them.

Most things when inspected do require a pass or fail determination. So why would a client not expect to have that same determination. Its up to the HI to educate the client that the HI is performing an evaluation with limitations or maybe some HIs will start providing a pass fail test or graded report. Most SOP state what state will inspect or not require to inspect. I do not believe that I have ever seen that a Pass or Fail determination by the inspector is specifically prohibited by any State, Province or Organization.

The author of the list demonstrates the principle of " dumb is as dumb does ".

Wow I remember reading this article back when I was launching my business in 2002. Googling it shows it has really made the rounds. Too bad the author can't collect a republish fee!

Maybe I should create a 2011 version -

12 things you need to know .....................

//Rick

This list only makes our jobs harder when this misinformation is given to our potential clients. Quite a few of these gave me a good laugh. Maybe we should place an inspection sticker on the front door of the home once it "passes" inspection, like many states affix to car windshields.

That list can't be that popular. I'm still finding things wrong and the houses still don't pass the inspection.