When purchasing a home, everyone has a different list of “must-haves.” Maybe it’s a big backyard, a spacious primary suite, a home office, or a three-car garage. These things are important to the lifestyle you want to lead in the home, but when you look at it as a long-term investment, you need to also look at the big five: the foundation, the plumbing, the HVAC, the electricity, and the roof. Each of these systems is crucial to the functionality of the home and are big-ticket items to repair or replace.
A home inspection is the best way to gain a clear picture of the status of each of these systems. In #UponCloserInspection, we share home inspection findings to help both prospective home buyers and current homeowners learn more about how their home systems work, repair and maintenance issues to look out for during different times of the year, and (in may cases) what NOT to do.
Here are some of the best examples we’ve found in the field, from the foundation to the roof:
Foundation Problems: Do I call a structural engineer or foundation repair?
In this column, we found examples of moisture-causing foundation movement, evidence of damage to a slab foundation revealed, previous pier-and-beam foundation repair that had failed due to continuing foundation movement, and a cracked perimeter beam. We discussed what each of the different foundation professionals do, when to call them, and what to expect in terms of cost. Read the full article here.
When to Call a Plumber
Most of us can successfully unclog a toilet, but that’s pretty much where we should stop. If you can’t fix it with Drano and a plunger, call a plumber. If something is leaking, and you can’t tighten something and stop the leak, call a plumber. As home inspectors, we see the results of DIY plumbing all too often, and plumbers will tell you the same. Small problems can become big, expensive problems over time (or really quickly). Even a tiny leak could eventually turn into this:
Read about this and more plumbing problems here.
In Texas, HVAC Care is Self-Care
When on any given day it could be 80 degrees or 30 degrees, and then for about 4-5 months it’s 90-100 degrees, you’d think it would be common sense to take REALLY good care of those expensive machines that keep us cool and warm. But some of y’all are out there yelling at the thermostat when the AC won’t come on, with a filter that looks like a family of Persian cats, clogged lines, and rusty, banged-up condensers.
You can watch this video, and read more HVAC Maintenance 101 here.
Knowledge is Power When It Comes To Electricity
For something we are so completely reliant on, the average person knows surprisingly little about electricity, and how their homes are powered. Which is not a big deal, until you start trying to just “figure it out” in real-time on real equipment. You have to have a license to be an electrician for a reason: it’s dangerous and you need some education to work with it.
In this column about Electricity Don’ts, we shared some ridiculous renovation fails, a DIY doozy, and this extreme close call with a screw:
Take a Closer Look at The Roof
When you’re buying a home, make sure you get an inspector who will get on the roof, because there are a lot of things you can’t see from the ground. Like in this unbelievable video we shared a few weeks ago along with other roof inspection findings.
Some roofs are either too high or have too steep of a pitch for the inspector to safely climb. In that case, look for a company that has a drone with which to inspect the roof.
As always, as home inspectors, we are here to walk with you as you purchase a home, to help answer questions about maintenance and repair while you own your home, and to help prepare as you sell your home. (Occasionally we will also laugh a little bit when you do silly things to your home, but that’s other people, not you.) 😉
