inspections Archives - Page 3 of 9 - Charles Buell Consulting LLC

March 27, 2014 by Charles Buell

The doctor is in—when was the last time you had a physical?

I went to the doctor for a routine checkup–actually that is not true. This is what I should do! Now most people might go to the dentist a couple of times a year–and keep things in their mouth tuned up–but when it comes to regular doctors, most people, unless they are hypochondriacally disposed, put off going until something is actually wrong.

I guess our minds take the possible things that can go wrong at the dentist and multiply it by 100 to arrive at the number of things that can be found out at the doctor’s office. After all, most people would rather undergo a root canal than a colonoscopy or a mastectomy. There is just so much more to lose going to the doctor.

The harsh reality is that if we went to the doctor for more periodic check-ups. we might be able to avoid some of the very dire consequences we fear–or at least minimize them. The problem with not going to the doctor often enough is that if there is a “bear-in-the-woods” he might bite us regardless of how much we deny its presence or attempt to ignore its presence.

It is the same with our houses.

When was the last time you had your house inspected. If you have lived in it for 5, 10, 20, or 40 years, I can guarantee that there will be issues that need to be addressed.

Even after a five year lapse, it is very unlikely that an inspector would not find issues totaling less than the cost of the inspection.

This is especially true if all those special touches you have had done, that you are so proud of, were done without permits or unqualified persons.

Like going to the doctor, having your home inspected could save you thousands of dollars by finding things that could cause terminal issues with the home.

There are likely electrical issues you have no clue about.

There are likely plumbing issues you have no clue about.

There are likely heating & cooling issues you have no clue about.

There are likely wood destroying organism issues you have no clue about.

What you don’t know about your house can, if not kill your house, drain you wallet way more than the measly cost of a home inspection.

When was the last time you were in your crawl space?

Are you trained to know what you are not aware of in your crawl space?

If you have not had your home inspected in the last 2 years I recommend that you call your favorite home inspector today.

If you are in the Seattle area call me–I will be happy to give you a quote to inspect your home.

And I promise–no colonoscopy!

By Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

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January 1, 2014 by Charles Buell

The Essential Baker’s Dozen for a Smoother Home Inspection Process

For some time now I have wanted to put together a long list of all the things that a seller should consider doing to get their home ready for the home inspection. The more I thought about it, the more I realized my list was starting to look more like my 120,000 item report template, than a “to-do” list for a seller to get ready for the inspection.

And then I got to thinking–if sellers actually did all those things then I wouldn’t have a job! Well, I don’t “really” believe that–based on what I know about how things get fixed–it might actually amount to more job security.

Anyway, I decided I would stick to the basics.

Here is my list of just a Dozen Essential Things that the seller should do in order for the inspector to do the job they were hired to do. With these things done, the inspector will be able to figure out all the rest.

1.Make sure the water is on (I get thirsty and my buyer likes to know if the toilets work).

2.Make sure the electricity is on (now that is a bright idea.)

3.Make sure the gas is turned on (this includes propane in propane tanks and oil in the oil tanks–it is good to have gas now and then.)

4.Make sure there is clear access to all electrical panels (if there is a mirror covering it, please remove it so I don’t have to worry about breaking it–it is easy enough as it is to have bad luck, and I own enough mirrors broken or otherwise).

5.Make sure there is clear access to all crawl spaces (this means unlocked too).

6.Make sure there is clear access to all attics (this means NOT painted shut and it means closets emptied–unless you want rat doo and insulation on your wedding dress and Armani suit–and make sure there is nothing I can hit my head on).

7.Make sure keys are left available to any locked spaces (that means the combinations to locks if necessary).

8.Seller should leave a phone number so that they can be reached if additional information is needed (this is way better than them actually being there).

9.Turn off all computers—they may be on circuits that need to be tested (the data you lose could be your own).

10.Take the pets to cousin Vinnie’s—or if that is not possible at least make sure they are safe and won’t limit the inspection in any way (I have never bitten a dog–or crushed a cat under the garage door–yet).

11.Drive the Porsche to work—and leave the Datsun in the driveway–if either one is in the garage I won’t be able to inspect the overhead door (I hate door openers that fail under testing).

12.Be prepared to stay away from home for 3 to 5 hours (but be aware that the inspection will take as long as it takes and remember–that you would not anyone following you around if you were a buyer).

Lets make it a “Bakers Dozen.”

13. Clear access to furnace and all appliances.

By Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

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December 25, 2013 by Charles Buell

A problem with short inspection contingency periods

Recently I was the “victim” of a problem that has occurred once or twice over the last 3 or 4 years.

It is not unusual for an agent to call me prior to a deal being signed around in order to find out my availability to do an inspection on the property.

It seems that in order to get the offer viewed in a more favorable light by the sellers, agents like to put short inspection contingencies in the offer–like 3 to 5 day inspection contingencies.

While this might seem like a good arrangement for the agent and the seller, it can be a lousy arrangement for the home inspector–and in some cases not the best thing for the buyer either.

Here is the scenario that has been happening.

“Agent Klosetoadeal” calls me to see if I am available for an inspection a week from this coming Wednesday. I say, “Sure–what time?” “Well, morning, but we don’t have all the paperwork in place yet–can you hold the time for me and I will let you know as soon as I can?” asks the agent. Being an agent that uses me frequently I say, “OK.”

This arrangement lines up the inspector and makes it possible for the agent to use a shorter inspection contingency. If they waited to call me after the deal was signed around, they would likely NOT be able to get me within the 3 to 5 day inspection window. They would then have to put in a LONGER inspection contingency and risk not getting the deal because of competing offers that were able to offer the shorter inspection contingency–or they might even be forced to recommend a different inspector.

Sort of a “Catch 22.”

Now, on my side of the equation, because of the “tentative” booking with Agent Klosetoadeal, I end up turning away other inspections—even ones “subject to inspection.”

When Agent Klosetoadeal’s deal never does get signed around, I am left with thinking about all those other inspections where I said, “Sorry–a week from Wednesday is already booked.”

Now imagine this scenario playing out 3 times in a row and you get a picture of an inspector with a lot of blogging time on their hands.

Since I cannot control whether an agent is going to write longer inspection contingencies into their contracts, I think it leaves me with only a couple of alternatives.

Just say, “NO” to reserving inspection slots–or perhaps: “OK–but if I get another call that is ‘subject to inspection’—-I will have to take it.”

Any other ideas out there?

By Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

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