Home Inspectors Look

for the Big Stuff 

    You just had a home inspected and although there is a lot of information in the report, you still have all sorts of unanswered questions.  How old is the clothes dryer?  Does the oven keep a steady, constant temperature?  Is the sprinkler system on an automatic timer?

     That happens because property inspectors have the specific task of finding and identifying the significant defects in the major systems and components of a property.  A leaking drainpipe or a cracked and shifted foundation system qualifies as significant defects in the major systems and components of a building.  The property inspector should be letting his client know about those issues that could greatly affect the safety, habitability or value of a property.  This is the agreed upon standard of the recognized inspections associations and validated in the California business and Professions Code.

    Typically the inspector will identify a problem and its location plus inform his client of the severity of the issue to the best of his ability and responsibility as a generalist.  If the situation is severe, such as a hole in the roof; or if special tools are needed such as a camera to look inside a chimney flue, or special knowledge is required to sort out why the air conditioner is not cooling, the inspector will recommend that the appropriate expert be called in to perform a more detailed investigation and evaluation of that specific situation.  Having a specialist provide a more detailed evaluation of a specific system protects both the buyer and the seller by correctly identifying the true condition of the system and any related costs fo repairs.

    For the other stuff, it is best the buyer ask the seller to disclose the age of the dryer, how well the oven holds its temperature and to demonstrate and operate the sprinkler system plus any other of the many specific items someone who lived in and managed the property is likely to know and understand.  Look to the property inspector to identify the big stuff, such as a major problems with the building's foundation, plumbing, heating, electrical and the roof.

Article extracted from Realtor Report Vol.83 #15, written by John A. LaRocca