The reality check home inspections provide:
The Scary Stuff! – Gallery 4
High-Dollar Problems, Safety Defects, and Just Plain Gross:
Photo #1: These Sellers came extremely close to burning their house down!
It was Christmas and the house was full of relatives. They decided to light the fireplace that they never used and then noticed smoke coming out from below the stone of the hearth!
Photo #2: Here’s a closeup view of the hearth
Whoever originally installed this fireplace in the Master Bedroom had wood touching the front of the firebox!
Photo #3: Methane gas anyone???
The slumlord needed to find a way to drain the washer in the basement, so…he punched a hole through the sewer clean out cap. You could taste sewage on your tongue within seconds of entering the home. Guess where the tenant’s 10 year old son slept?
Photo #4: Your foundation is bad if…
…you can play lego blocks with the bricks! If a majority of the brick foundation has significantly deteriorated mortar joints, then the only way to repair this is to jack up the house, remove the foundation, build a new one, and set the house back down. A new foundation can cost upwards of $20,000-$30,000.
Photo #5: Backdrafting Flue Gases
The Sellers of this home were truly thankful I had inspected their home that day. With young children living in the home and 100% of the flue gases from the furnace and water heater backdrafting into their finished basement, they were extremely lucky no one died. A bird’s nest clogged the flue pipe of this 3 year old home.
Photo #6: Cracked and shifted clay-tile liner
Did you know that most times a clay-tile liner cracks it’s because of a past chimney fire?
Photo #7: A male dog is a man’s best friend
…until it’s 100 degrees F out and the air conditioner stops working because the acidic dog urine has eaten through the fins and coils! Put a fence around your heat pump or A/C. It’s much cheaper;-)
Photo #8: Ways To Die #363
The dryer was sitting in a pool of water when I found this during an inspection. The tenants had just finished doing a load of laundry!
Photo #9: Cistern in basement full of asbestos wrap
Photo #10: An attic that can’t breath…
…breeds mold, runs up your utility bills, and wears out your shingls faster.
Photo #11: Flamethrower
This gas starter wood fireplace had the gas tube with the holes facing you. The gas shutoff was conveniently located inside the firebox.
Photo #12: This isn’t your typical wet basement
This basement had a wood foundation and it was taking on water. Under the linoleum was untreated plywood laid over untreated wood joists resting on top of plastic. Couple that with active water leaking through the walls…and you’ve got a big problem!
Photo #13: How can a Listing Agent call themselves a professional if…
…they have a toilet full of solids and the house reaks! I was truly embarrassed for this agent and the $300 I charged for this inspection wasn’t nearly enough.
Photo #14: Stream under the garage floor!
This tract built home had 7 neighboring back yards all sloping to its foundation. During the inspection, the rain was steady. There was a stream about 3″ deep and 2′ wide running in the back yard right up to the house. In this photo, there is a 5′ overhang over the garage door area. The water by my boots was about a 1/2″ stream flowing out from under the garage floor.
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