[photopress:top_10.jpg,thumb,alignright]It’s Time for another Top Ten! Those of us who have been to 100 too many home inspections can practically stand behind a home inspector and mouth what he is going to say next, when it comes to these “Top Ten Things A Home Inspector Almost Always Says”. No we don’t do the two finger rabbit ears behind his head 🙂 I swear we don’t!
NUMBER ONE:
You need a GFI over here by the sink, oh and another one over here in the master bathroom, and one down here by the kitchen sink…and one more out here in the yard, at the outlet next to the hose bib.
NUMBER TWO:
Contact…contact…Earth-to-wood contact over here.Get that firewood AWAY from the HOUSE!
NUMBER THREE:
Now this here tree is planted WAAAAY TOO CLOSE to the HOUSE!
NUMBER FOUR:
You want to treat the roof for moss BEFORE you get moss. You can spray the treatment on with a hose from on the ground. But first you have to get the moss off the roof, because the treatment will only keep moss away. It won’t remove the moss you’ve already got. I tried to get a website link for you, but lots said we should all trash our roofs and get metal ones. Moss can’t grow on a metal roof. Pretty noisy neighborhood if it starts hailing on all the metal roofs.
NUMBER FIVE:
NUMBER SIX:
Pine needles on the roof, in the valley flashings and in the gutters.
NUMBER SEVEN:
Chimney flashing. if I had a nickel for everyone of these…
NUMBER EIGHT:
Hanging gutters, loose gutters, missing gutters, gutter downspout too close to foundation, divert water further away from the house.
NUMBER NINE:
CAULK! Take out the old caulk…put in the new caulk. Caulk inside where the tub meets the tile. Caulk outside of the tub where the tub meets the floor. Caulk around the kitchen sink. Apparently we all need many tubes of caulk in various colors, including no color at all!
And NUMBER TEN IS!
UH OH…NO TAG ON THE HEATER! OLD TAG ON THE HEATER! NO TAG DATED 2006 ON THE HEATER!
2ND INSPECTION NEEDED TO HAVE AN HVAC QUALIFIED INSPECTOR SERVICE AND INSPECT THE HEATER.
Here in NY – the #1 thing that an inspector says/sees is TERMITES. Most banks will NOT close without a termite inspection – by a professional – so even those buyers who want to “save” money and have “uncle bob” Inspect the home – have to get a termite inspection.
Here in CO – One of the major things is Radon… Almost every inspector out here is certified, and will test for Radon while doing the rest of the inspection. If the test is above a certain level, You’re supposed to get it fixed — or else you’ll die of cancer in 5-10 years.
In my neighborhood, 2 out of 3 homes has a radon mitigation system…including mine.
What? No votes for the infamous Zinsco electric panel? I love finding these in older homes that updated their electric once upon a time, but need to replace the panel again.
I also like the “cellulose fiber” in the crawlspace on the pest inspection. Are there any contractors that actually remember to take the cardboard forms off the concrete posts?
Tired of moss on your roof- skip the spray, move EAST!
Now Now, go easy on us. We may save your butt some day 🙂
Bruce,
http://www.ableinspector.com
Home Inspections Naples, Fort Myers Florida
Bruce,
I love my home inspector. In fact I’m having my home inspected next week as the one year Anniversary present to my home. The house is a lot older than one year, but I bought it a year ago come September.
Eveyone should have their home inspected every year, as far as I’m concerned…maybe every two years…but clearly home inspections should not be just because you are selling it. Too many people give the house something “they want” before checking to see what “it needs”. That’s why we run into so much deferred maintenance at time of sale.
Before I spend money on hardwoord floors, I will check to see if it “needs” anything before spending money in pure aesthetics.
Thank you,
I’m fully aware that there are some very bad inspectors out there. The better home inspectors are almost always members of ASHI and can be found at http://www.ashi.org
Bad inspectors often exagerate the condition of the home simply because they are so scared of being sued. They simply do not have the confidence to make the correct call so they just call everything bad or recommend further evaluation on everything. If they recommend evaluation on everything, when something they missed comes up they can blame it on the homeowner for not doing further evaluation.
An even worse inspector doesn’t even know enough to do that. Those are the home inspectors that will “get yer butt sued off.”
A truly good Home Inspector has the confidence to say there’s nothing wrong when there’s nothing wrong.
Bruce Lunsford
http://www.ableinspector.com Home Inspection Naples, Fort Myers Florida
What about the top ten for Lender giveing out ARM loans???
#11 Rotted floor joist
#12 Broken truss in attic
#13 Structural issues with foundation
#14 No Inspection Blame the realtor?
What about the top ten for Lender giveing out ARM loans???
#11 Rotted floor joist
#12 Broken truss in attic
#13 Structural issues with foundation
#14 No Inspection Blame the realtor?
Need editors like we need inspectors:)
I agree all except for #4 and 10.
4 and 10 is a “Seattle” thing. I didn’t hear those in other parts of the Country as much as I do here.
Moss on the roof is a Seattle thing. Who’d have thunk it? 😉