What Really Matters

By: Rob Parker, RHI, CMI, CHI

Buying a home?  Having a home inspection performed by a qualified home inspector is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often has the opposite effect.  You will be asked to absorb a lot of information in a short time.  This often includes a written report, checklists and what the inspector says during the inspection.  All this combined with the seller’s disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming.  What should you do? Relax.  Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know but, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories; major defects, things that could lead to major defects, things that may hinder your ability to finance or insure the home, and safety.

1. Major defects include items such as vertical or horizontal cracks in the foundation, cracked or broken roof rafters or trusses, dry rot in framing, or over-notched floor joists. Any one of the above conditions could cause structural failure to occur. The problem with detection of defects in this category lies in the nature of the inspection itself. A home inspection is a LIMITED VISUAL INSPECTION, based on the conditions observed by the inspector on the day of the inspection. Your home inspector does not have x-ray vision to see behind finished walls, nor does he/she have the right to tear down or remove items such as an attic access door that has been sealed shut. Similar, on the outside of the home, shrubs or other landscaping may limit the inspector’s ability to properly view the foundation. The inspector is however, obligated to fully disclose any of the above restrictions/limitations in the home inspection report.

2. Things that could lead to major defects include a dryer hose, bathroom or kitchen venting into an attic, defective roof-flashing, inoperative sump pump or moisture damage to frame work.. Over an extended period of time, any of the above could cause a serious defect to occur such as, premature damage to roof materials, the presence of mold and/or damage to roof framing or other moisture related problems not only in the attic but inside the home and basement.

3. Things that may hinder your ability to finance, or insure the home. The presence of  knob & tube or aluminum wiring, galvanized or lead pipes, may cause some insurance companies to charge a premium, refuse to insure the home or establish a time frame for the materials to be removed and replaced. Where aluminum wiring is present the insurance company may also request an inspection by ESA (Electrical Safety Authority). Wood burning appliances such as fireplaces or woodstoves may require an inspection by a WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) certified professional.

Live knob & tube wiring

4. Safety issues can range from minor to very serious. The following is by no means an exhaustive list but, does include some common safety related items that would normally be detected and reported by the home inspector:

• an exposed, live buss bar at the electric panel
• GFCI Ground Fault Circuit Interupter) not installed in bathrooms or in exterior locations -over fused/over breakered circuits - damaged electrical panel
• open electrical splices covers missing on electrical boxes -inoperative, old or lack of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors -improper venting of heating equipment
• loose or no hand rails on stairs guard rails - over spaced spindles in hand and  guard rails

Homeowners are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection. Anything in the above categories should be addressed.  The good news is that many serious problems can be corrected relatively inexpensively, especially in categories 2 and 4. A point worth mentioning here is that no home is perfect. No matter what the age or value, a home may contain some defects and the home buyer needs to realize that sellers are under no obligation to repair items mentioned in the report.  KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE! Do not kill your deal over things that don’t really matter.  Use the home inspection report as a guideline  to assist you in the home buying process.