Home Inspection- Always the Right Decision
There’s a marriage quote that goes like this,
“In marriage one side is always right and the husband is always wrong.”
That loud applause and roar you hear are all the wives out there on the inter webs affirming that quote. Guys, I hear the chorus of boo’s. Get ready to really put it on. Today’s blog is about one of my latest home inspections. A couple disagreed on whether they should pay the extra money for a home inspection.
Who do you think won out? The wife or the husband?
The wife wanted the inspection, however the husband thought it was a wasted expense because he had looked the house over and didn’t see anything major wrong with it. Place your bets now. Who won? The wife prevailed and I did the inspection.
This home took me over 4 hours to inspect. Not because it was very large, but because I found a lot of areas that needed attention.
What did the husband miss? There were 3 problem areas.
Problem 1:
During a home inspection, I run water in all the appliances. The last thing I check is the crawl space. I do this because after running the water, if there is a leak, I usually find it in the crawl space. I found a leak under one of the bathrooms that appeared to have previous repairs done to the pipes and floor. Unfortunately, the pipe was still leaking and the sub floor was rotted.
Problem 2:
The casement windows. Part of my inspection involves the operation of all windows. In this case the window trim appeared to have water damage on the outside, but otherwise looked alright. When I opened two of the windows I found that the metal mechanisms that open and close the windows were completely corroded through and could not be closed with the handle, but rather had to be closed by hand. Most of the windows in the home were like this.
Problem 3:
This was the most concerning. It involved the electrical panels in the home. I found breakers that were double tapped. Meaning that two wires or circuits were being operated by one single pole breaker. A single pole breaker is designed and rated for only one circuit/one wire. I also found three 20 amp breakers being fed by 14 gauge wires. A 14-gauge wire is designed and rated to be on no more than a 15-amp breaker. Both conditions, if not corrected, could spark a fire and result in serious injury and/or be life threatening.
What’s the moral of the story? Husbands listen to your wives! In all seriousness, there are several reasons you should get a home inspection:
Safety: You want to feel secure in your home and know that your family will be safe. A home inspection can identify potential electrical issues and water and moisture intrusion that can lead to mold. It can also identify issues with heating systems and fire places that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Identifying big ticket expenses: Water intrusion into the home from roof leaks, plumbing leaks or other means can severely damage the structure of the home not to mention leaving behind unhealthy conditions such as mold.
Use the report as a negotiating tool: A home inspector’s job is to identify things in the home that are not functioning properly. The list may be long but you as the buyer will prioritize them by costs to repair and importance. You can ask the sellers to repair certain items or negotiate a portion off the selling price for you to repair.
Look at the larger picture: Home buyers often are looking at the home through rose colored glasses. The home inspection report can give you an objective view about deficiencies the home may have. You don’t want to walk in the foot steps of Attorney Walter Fielding and Anna Crowley from the movie Money Pit do you?
Pre-listing inspection: Sellers who have a home inspection upfront can identify future problems that may derail a future sale. It also gives you the time to obtain price quotes and have the work done on your schedule rather than rushing to get it done before closing.
It all comes down to money and how much you can save. A home inspection will cost you a little time and money. However, at the end of the day you will be happy you did it. Just like my clients who argued over the need of having one. In the end, they both agreed that the inspection was worth every dollar spent.
