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Inspecting the Home InspectorsBy Jim Sulski Summary: Hiring a home inspector? If so, you'll want to read this article on how to inspect your inspector and make sure they are up to the task. After several weeks of house hunting, the young couple came across a quaint Dutch Colonial on a shady street.
Because it was built in the 1940s, the couple thought it would be wise to have the house looked over by a home inspector. They contacted a person through their realtor and a few days later, the home inspector showed up at the Dutch Colonial, tape measure and flashlight in hand. After spending a couple hours both inside and outside the house, the inspector gave a fairly glowing review of the dwelling. Later that day, the couple made bid and within a few weeks, found themselves owning the house. That's when a contractor who was a friend of the couple got the call. After the first heavy rains, the couple found that their basement had leakage and that their sewers were backing up. They had also discovered that there was minimal insulation in the attic. These were flaws that the home inspector should have easily caught during his examination of the house, said their contractor friend. In the basement, there were some sure signs of a water seepage problem - such as a musty smell and water damage to things such as paneling. And the home inspector could have run water through the sewer to see how well it worked. Checking for insulation in the attic was also a real no brainer. But the person conducting the home inspection went through the job too quickly. With the recent boom in sales of existing homes, many homeowners may not be getting the best reports they can from home inspectors. People are being taken in some cases, say home industry experts. The problem is that most home inspectors are not licensed or regulated. Some of those home inspectors may not be qualified. But there are ways of finding a qualified home inspector. First, look someone who has been in the home building business for a long time - generally a remodeler or building contractor. Also, make sure that inspector is using a proper set of forms to go through everything in the home completely. While a home inspector can't see through walls, there are signs that there could be a potential problem with a home. There are certain areas a home inspector should inspect. The most important things to cover are the site's grade, the basement, the attic, the sewer system and the roof. If the grade is a problem, water and rain will drain toward the house instead of away. Basements should be checked for water infiltration. A good home inspector will also check out the attic to look at the insulation and the roof boards to see if there are any leaks. Also, a good inspector will check the roof itself - especially the flashing around the chimney and the fireplace - but not by looking at a roof through binoculars from the street. A good home inspector at a minimum will also check out the home's exterior site, the building foundation, the outside walls, the roof's support structure, the flashings and gutters, the insulation, the electrical system, the heating and central air system, the plumbing system, and the garage. The sewer system is important to check because older homes have big trees that have roots that will seek water and get into the sewer and block it up. That's a horrible problem to have. Highlighting any potential problems not only saves a homeowner frustration after moving into a home, but also can give them more negotiating power when trying to purchase the home. It may also help a homeowner decide against purchasing a home. © by Jim Sulski. All rights reserved. January 24, 2005. NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher. © 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink. Distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate. |
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