For many home buyers the thought of getting a home inspection doesn’t even cross their minds. They assume since the home is new that it doesn’t need one. Or they may think that their uncle who is a HVAC technician can look it over. What most people don’t realize is this could be costing them thousands of dollars in future repairs! These items could have been caught beforehand and even used in negotiating the final sale of the home. What are some of the items that a typical home inspector looks for? Let’s take a closer look.
Roof:
The age and condition of the roof is one of the items my clients are most worried about. They are right in having worry about this since a new roof typically starts at around $10,000 for a normal size home here in Orlando. That is for a cheaper 3-tab shingle and the costs can reach up to $100,000 if its a large home with a tile roof! Items I am looking out for on a typical asphalt shingle roof are granule loss, damaged shingles, hail damage and proper bonding. Proper bonding is key here in preventing damage during a hurricane here in Florida. A permit search is also performed before we reach the home so we know exactly how old the roof is. A typical asphalt shingle roof will last 15-25 years in Florida while a metal or tile roof can last much longer.
Plumbing:
The plumbing system can be tricky to fully inspect. Once the drywall has been applied we are left inspecting only what we can see. One add on service that we can provide is a sewer scope. There are also certain materials that are no longer used which can make getting the home an insurance nightmare. Polybutylene is one of these materials as well as Galvanized pipes. Another new one is PEX that was installed prior to 2011 due to issues with the brass fittings. Most home owners/buyers would never know about the issues with these materials. Having the home inspected before buying will let you know what material it is and if there may or may not be any hiccups you may run into with insurance.
Grounds:
The first thing we do when we pull up to a home is look at the surrounding area around the house. Is the grading around the home sufficient or are there area’s where the ground slopes towards the foundation? Most home buyers are looking at the kitchen cabinets and bathroom counters while we look at the less exciting items. If the ground slopes toward the home then we check and see if drainage has been applied. If not, we always recommend that the buyer add some or have the seller do it before closing.
Structure/Siding:
I always start my home inspection on the exterior and work my way inside. 95% of the homes here in Orlando are block walls with a stucco covering. This makes for a very solid home that can last for decades! The issues we see is when the homes are 2 story with stucco. Typically 2 story homes are block first floor and wood frame on the 2nd. Builders of these tract homes put these things up so quickly they often skip important steps in making sure they are water tight. An issue we often find is on the 2nd story where the stucco is not applied correctly and water gets behind and starts to deteriorate the wood beneath. This is where a phase inspection is important so we can catch these missing steps.
Electrical:
The electrical system is important since any issues involving it can lead to a fire or death by electric shock! Most Standards of Practice rules for home inspectors state they do not have to remove the dead panel on the electrical system. I find this to be a disservice to the client since there is no way to tell what issues lie beneath. I always remove the panel cover and it is required if a 4 point report is needed for the insurance. Many times we will find simple fixes like double tapped wires or a breaker that’s too large for the conductor. Other times we will find panels like Federal Pacific, Zinsco or Challenger. These brands are known to have issues and can give you issues when shopping for insurance. Thermal imaging is used on every panel we inspect to look for over heating breakers as well.
HVAC:
Lets face it, a proper running A/C here in Florida is almost as important as oxygen. There’s nothing worse than a hot, humid day in August and your HVAC system starts to freeze over rendering it useless. If a buyer were to skip a home inspection they may not realize issues with the HVAC system. If the sellers want to cover up a system with issues they will have it topped off with refrigerant before showing the home. This can make it seem like the system is working fine when in reality its not. This would mean that the buyer would find out they need to spend $5000 on a new system right when they move into the home. I date the units and let the clients know that the system in Florida is expected to last 15 years.
Attic:
An attic in Florida in august is my nemesis but its where we find some of the biggest issues. Often times there are roof leaks that do not make it all the way to the ceiling below. We will see staining on the roof deck and let you know to have it repaired before it gets even worse. The condition of the duct work is also another big one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across ducts that are just blowing cold air into the attic. First this is a huge waste of energy aka “money”. 2nd it will cause the home to become depressurized which can lead to back drafting of furnace flue’s! Can you say carbon monoxide poisoning? If only a home inspection was performed instead of saving a few hundred dollars this would have been caught!
Insert shameless promotion!:
We don’t care if you hire us for your home inspection or our competitors down the road. The important note is “GET THE HOME INSPECTED!”. Skipping the home inspection may save you a few hundred dollars upfront but may cost you thousands down the road. A good rule of thumb is a good inspection report should be able to pay for itself. How do you ask? A thorough inspection I will usually find enough issues that your realtor can negotiate the price of the home down. If my inspection costs $500 and I find hidden polybutylene plumbing that will cost $3000+ to repipe, I just saved you a possible $2500 of the final sale! So if you are looking at buying a home, please get the home inspection. If you would like to hire us as icing on the cake, we would love to help!