Tell me about your home inspection

[isabel]

We just went through our first one. I'm trying not to over react and be a typical first-time buyer, but there are some red flags that are scaring me. I don't know how concerned I should be. We're looking at some roof repairs, areas of siding with wood rot (though nothing terribly extensive), a door and window replacement, etc.

So, tell me about your home inspection. Were there major issues? Did the seller agree to help with repairs? How much did you end up spending to fix issues that came up?

[HoneySpider]

We had 2 major issues, the roof and plumbing, plus some smaller issues that didn't need immediate attention. We were not going to buy the house without the 2 major issues being fixed, so we focused on those. It took a lot of back and forth but finally the seller agreed to replace both (IIRC, both realtors actually chipped in a small amount toward the roof just to get this deal done - the seller was a PITA, even her own agent didn't like her, lol)

We didn't end up spending anything to fix the problems but because she needed money to pay for the roof and plumbing, seller sold the fridge and W/D that she was supposed to leave in the house for us. She was so shady but we figured we got the best of the deal int he long run so we let it go.

[nooby]

The issues I remember: A window needed replaced in the basement, the attic fan needed replaced, there was some paint cracking in the ceiling of some of the bedrooms, there wasn't a bathroom fan in the basement bathroom, and the biggie- the radon levels were high. The only thing we asked for was for the sellers to have a radon system put in, since that was going to be the most expensive fix, and they were going to have to disclose it anyway to any future buyers.

However, a few days after we closed on the house we discovered a water issue in the basement that wasn't caught during inspection (and should have been). Next time we will make sure to do our research in finding a good home inspector.

[nooby]

Sorry, forgot to add that the sellers did agree to put in a radon system, and we probably spent about $1000 fixing the other issues (aside from the water issue in the basement... that freaking set us back about $10,000 for the waterproofing system, plus all of the costs associated with gutting and remodeling).

[mrshandy]

We went into our home inspection with the clause that we wouldn't be requesting any repairs from sellers, but we had the option of pulling out based on the home inspection. Our REA had recommended this to make our offer more competitive since we really wanted the house.

There were mostly minor issues, or serious issues that were easily fixed. The biggest issue that came out of it was the moisture in the basement and possiblity of having to replace the hardwood floor down there one day. The home inspector gave us some great tips to improve the situation and to keep moisture out as much as we could.

Overall, we were ok with the idea that we might have to replace the flooring down the road, since the rest of the house was in good shape.

[mbcdefg]

Our inspector missed some major foundation issues, somehow. We brought in a structural engineer when we first started noticing problems (about a year after buying the house) and he said we should've brought him in in the first place during the inspection.

So consider hiring a structural engineer.

[kaylie]

Our sellers had done a home inspection before putting it on the market and fixed the most major things (installed radon mitigation system and fixed a structural issue on the chimney). Other items we found were windows with broken seals (they fixed) and wood rot on a bay window (they fixed). The hot water heater was/is 18 years old and will need to be replaced soon (we didn't ask them to do anything).

The inspector failed to tell us that our electrical panel was a mess with a bunch of piggy-backed breakers and no room to add anything. That will cost us ~$1,200 eventually. We also found out a few months after moving in that the AC needed a replacement part which was another $500. The shut off valve to the outdoor hose spigot was broken and we replaced that ourselves (H took a plumbing class, but a torch was involved) for $50.

[Deleted]

We had a been through 2 of them, one of which caused us to back out. The first one (home we purchased) just revealed usual wear and tear and issues we were already aware of (old furnace, old siding, old deck). When we went to purchase another home, the inspection revealed a bunch of things that separate may not have bothered us, but together that showed that the owners did a lot of half ass repairs, which made us nervous about other things that the inspection may have not reveleaed. The big one was that there was evidence of mold and water damage all over the basement, major issues with the gutters and windows down there. We were done after that and ended up purchasing a home that was newly built.

[isabel]

Jun 14, 2013 12:50:31 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Our inspector missed some major foundation issues, somehow. We brought in a structural engineer when we first started noticing problems (about a year after buying the house) and he said we should've brought him in in the first place during the inspection.

So consider hiring a structural engineer.

Thanks, that's actually a good idea and relevant to a couple things that came up on the inspection. I found a great company and have them scheduled to take a look at the crawl space and a couple other things.

Thank you to everyone for sharing. We're hoping to have the sellers fix a couple of things. The rest we can handle on our own.

[RoxMonster]

On our home inspection, the following things came back needing to be fixed:
-a soffit on the roof was sagging
-all the outlets in the kitchen needed to be grounded
-there were a couple broken rafters in the attic

Things the inspector mentioned we should do but he said wasn't absolutely necessary (yet):
-replace all windows (we have replaced 6 since moving in)
-have all the air vents/ducts cleaned (not done yet)
-install battery back-up on sump pump (We did this--actually we put in a water main backup. That was around $700).

All of the necessary fixes were covered by sellers. They got the work done and kept receipts which they presented at closing.

[Deleted]

Our co-op inspection was a joke, I don't even remember receiving an official report. Our house inspection that we had several weeks ago revealed minor stuff that we decided to fix on our own or major stuff that we were willing to deal with down the road, like an old A/C unit that will putter out in the next few years.

We did have a structural engineer come out to inspect a huge retaining wall and since that needed to be reinforced, we negotiated down the purchase price of the house. We decided to pay for the radon remediation system on our own since we felt that we were still getting the house at a great price.

[humpforfree]

We had some big deal-breaker issues that our seller (deceased homeowner's son) agreed to repair to the tune of tens of thousands - the house looked rough & had been on the market for a year and a half with no bites.

Plus, the items would come up for anyone else too- water in the basement (had pros put in an interior drainage system & sump pumps- this alone was around 10k), buried oil tank (emptied & filled old with sand(?) and put in new above ground- tested the ground around to make sure it hasn't leaked below ground), and a bunch of smaller items too.

[stephm0188]

When we sold, the report came back with really minor things... cracked light switch cover, torn screen, bracket loose on downspout, pedestal sink needed to be tightened to wall. The sellers were super obnoxious and wanted a licensed plumber to take care of the sink, a general contractor to take care of the bracket and screen, an electrician to replace the cover. Don't be those people.

The house we bought came back with an extensive laundry list of stuff... siding rotted in a few places, the stoop by the front door needed to be jacked up for drainage reasons, the outlet in the garage and the outside lamppost weren't working, the roof was in questionable shape, several windows had broken seals and had condensation built up, the front and back doors werent installed properly, the water softener wasn't working, the furnace needed to be serviced. There were tooooons of cosmetic things as well... tiles in the kitchen and bath cracked, all the faucets had leaky seals, microwave needed to be replaced, ect ect.

We asked to have the siding fixed, the stoop jacked, the softener replaced, and the electrical stuff in the garage repaired. The windows and doors weren't a huge deal, and a second opinion on the roof showed that it wasn't as big of a deal as the inspector thought. They didn't have a problem with it, but the house had been on the market for nearly a year and had been a rental for two or three years before that. They knew there would be issues.

[drloretta]

All those things sound negotiable.

This is my 5th house, so I feel like I've seen it all. I've walked away from a couple of homes, but they were MAJOR issues (structural damage type things). I had the price dropped on one house that was at the end of its lifespan for the roof, and needed a new furnace. There was an issue with an electrical panel with our current house. The owner took care of it.

On the seller's side, I've replaced a roof, had a roof re-tarred, and had very minor spots of mold remediated in the attic.

[isabel]

Jun 15, 2013 14:03:43 GMT -5 stephm0188 said:

Don't be those people.

Oh, I promise we won't be/aren't. Some of the minor things I am totally willing to overlook and not even ask for anything (leaking faucets, gutters that need to be cleaned out and repaired, minor mold spots in the attic, carpet replacement (and floor sealing) due to cat spray, etc.). But our inspection came up with a section of roof that needs to be redone, a window and door that need replacing (which I may be willing to overlook, but I'm concerned about wood rot behind the siding), and a general grading issue around the house. I have a feeling we may end up trying to walk if they won't fix these things.

[winemaker06]

We had no major issues come up during inspection, but one shoddily done repair that they had to fix.
Unfortunately other things have come up over the years, mostly due to them being cheap in their renovations. The inspector would have never been able to tell, so it's not his fault, but you never know what will come up.