After years of saving and a growing family, the tiny apartment you’ve worked hard to make home is bursting at the seams. Seems like you can’t stand to go one more day without a home of your own. But it’s a big decision, and the biggest investment of your life. That’s why it’s vitally important you have the best home inspection professionals by your side. At From the Ground Up Inspections, we’re here to help you avoid investing your hard earned dollars into a deceptively good-looking financial tsunami.
It happens to the best of them. You’ve heard stories that took your breath away. It can be easy for the untrained eye to overlook home repair issues that could end up breaking your bank. But don’t despair: the house of your family’s dreams is out there! You just need an experienced, dependable professional by your side, like our expert team at From the Ground Up.
A typical Middle Tennessee home inspection includes a check of a house's structural and mechanical condition, from the roof to the foundation, as well as tests for the presence of radon gas and the detection of wood-destroying insects. Depending upon the seriousness of anything uncovered in the inspection, the buyer can walk away from the deal (most contracts include an inspection contingency in the event of major flaws) or negotiate with the seller for the necessary repairs.
Here is a list of the most common red flags to send a buyer back to the bargaining table:
1. Termites and other live-in pests: The sooner termites are detected, the better. The same goes for other wood-devouring pests like powder-post beetles. Keep in mind that getting rid of the intruders is just the first step. Once the problem has been addressed, have a pest control expert advise you on what needs to be done in order to prevent their return.
2. Drainage issues: Poor drainage can lead to wood rot, wet basements, perennially wet crawlspaces and major mold growth. Problems are usually caused by missing or damaged gutters and downspouts, or improper grading at ground level. Correcting grading and replacing gutters is a lot less costly than undoing damage caused by the accumulation of moisture.
3. Pervasive mold: Where moisture collects, so grows mold, a threat to human health as well as to a home's structure. Improper ventilation can be the culprit in smaller, more contained spaces, such as bathrooms. But think twice about buying a property where mold is pervasive -- that's a sign of long-term moisture issues.
4. Faulty foundation: A cracked or crumbling foundation calls for attention and repair, with costs ranging from moderate to astronomically expensive. The topper of foundation expenses is the foundation that needs to be replaced altogether -- a possibility if you insist on shopping "historic" properties. Be aware that their beautiful details and old-fashioned charms may come with epic underlying expenses.
6. Worn-out roofing: Enter any sale agreement with an awareness of your own cost tolerance for roof repair versus replacement. The age and type of roofing material will figure into your home inspector's findings, as well as the price tag of repair or replacement. An older home still sheltered by asbestos roofing material, for example, requires costly disposal processes to prevent release of and exposure to its dangerous contents.
7. Toxic materials: Asbestos may be elsewhere in a home's finishes, calling for your consideration of containment and replacement costs. Other expensive finish issues include lead paint and, more recently, Chinese drywall, which found its way into homes built during the boom years of 2004 and 2005. This product's sulfur off-gassing leads to illness as well as damage to home systems, so you'll need to have it completely removed and replaced if it's found in the home that you're hoping to buy.
8. “Historic” wiring: Home inspectors will typically open and inspect the main electrical panel, looking for overloaded circuits, proper grounding and the presence of any trouble spots like aluminum branch circuit wiring, a serious fire hazard.
