Home inspection

[happybat4]

My wife and I are closing on are very first home (town home). The inspection is tomorrow. Do you guys have any tips. I will make sure to leave my dog in the car and to spit on the inspector when she is done. Now I just need a job to help pay bills.

[katie]

Sounds like you already know what to do

[St1ck]

My wife and I are closing on are very first home (town home). The inspection is tomorrow. Do you guys have any tips. I will make sure to leave my dog in the car and to spit on the inspector when she is done. Now I just need a job to help pay bills.

 

 

Wait, aren't you the one dating the chick with a penis? 

[happybat4]

No that is the flute person.

[St1ck]

That's right. Sorry. 

[happybat4]

Purchasing a house while unemployed?  Brilliant.

Luckily my wife has a great job. Im hoping to land a job soon. We just moved up to Washington for her job.

[happybat4]

That's right. Sorry. 

and I am pretty sure if a chick has a penis, she is not a chick. I would say the dude that looks like a girl instead.

[St1ck]

Chick with a penis sounds funnier though. 

[mrwicked]

i went through this recently on my 105 year old ph.

its fun. the idea is to spend a ton of time with the inspector and ask a ton of questions.

you want them to impart as much knowledge as possible so you understand the property and what might go wrong (normal wear and tear) and what you'll likely have to deal with first.

 

some basic tips:

 - where do i turn off the water

 - where is the circuit breaker - how does it all work

 - are the windows in good shape, any sign of leaks?

 - is the roof ok?

 - what needs replacing next (maybe galvanized pipes somewhere, or water heater, furnace, etc)

 - does he/she recommend any changes (they might recommend stuff like double pane windows or new locks or whatever)

[Sully151]

Being that the house is in Washington, I would make sure they look for any problems that have to do with moisture- mold, leaks,wood rot windows and door jams that have issues opening and closing etc.

Remember, the inspection is really for you.

[mrwicked]

yeah its most definitely 100% for you.

and don't scrimp on the inspector - hire the best one you can find.

[Angel Dog and Beer]

Find out from the inspector what parts of the house they exclude. Some don't get up in the attic, some don't go down into the crawlspace, some don't really look at the foundation. Chimneys are big $ ticket items so make sure they inspect that to make sure there's no leaking or loose blocks, cracks, etc.  Always check around for water damage, those can be expensive fixes. Make sure you get close up to the drywall on your walls (if you have drywall). You can usually tell if there's a pattern change, or paint finish change that indicates somethings been fixed or altered. Sometimes minimal, other times not. Good luck!

[happybat4]

Thanks for the feedback so far. Especially about where to turn water off and how the breakers work.

[Brandon]

I think you're trolling, but:

The problem is generally the seller pays for the inspection, so hopefully they picked a good one and not a buddy of the sellers Realtor. This is all dependent on how you filled out page two of the real estate agreement and who pays for what.

Regardless of area, mold.....always ask and even get involved about mold. Just about all homes have mold (it's wood, materials, and moisture) it's just to what degree and what's hazardous.

You've already signed your purchase agreement, but it's really important that under the home warranty that you have the roof and AC covered. I'm not sure a out Washington real estate contracts, but in CA it became such a big deal those are checkable items on the contract.

For the most part, I don't know many people that are even around for the inspection as it's done before closing. I like what Wicked mentioned and it will help you in the long run.

[mrwicked]

^ b i think you are talking about the appraisal.

agreed no one really goes with them. they do it and run comps and whatever. 

i think the seller might pay for it - i dont remember.

but its your lender that chooses who to use (they have companies they always work with). 

 

but i would never agree to use an inspector the seller chose.

up here the buyer chooses and pays.

you dont want the seller having any input on that whatsoever.

 

agreed on mold. mold is bad news. 

[happybat4]

Yea I chose the inspector. She said she will go on roof. This is a 1200 sf townhouse so there is no crawl space.

[Blarg]

Homes in Washington state often have problem with carpenter ants and fire ants.

[happybat4]

Yea I was told there are water ants as well that can get into wet wood

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Happy, where in Washington have you moved?  My family relocated to southern Washington last March.  M-I-L purchased a home and has been fixing stuff since she purchased, some of which should have been caught by the inspector.  As in any profession, you have people who take pride in their work and those who skate.  Make sure the inspector goes into every orifice of the home checking for mold (as has been stated), rot, collecting water where runoff isn't sufficient, outlets, etc.  Turn on hot water everywhere (faucets, tubs, showers, flush toilets) and let run for a while.  You can find out real fast about any drain issues.  Hot water running out after 5-10 minutes could illustrate an issue with the water heater (i.e.  Can two people shower simultaneously and not run out of hot water?).  Good luck!

[deepdrive]

How old is the house and what's the exterior finish.

 

Biggest areas of concern should be the roof (she needs to check in the attic if there is one) and any signs of moister damage throughout the house.

 

Do you get an insurance policy (for things that break the first year) with the house?

[happybat4]

Happy, where in Washington have you moved?  My family relocated to southern Washington last March.  M-I-L purchased a home and has been fixing stuff since she purchased, some of which should have been caught by the inspector.  As in any profession, you have people who take pride in their work and those who skate.  Make sure the inspector goes into every orifice of the home checking for mold (as has been stated), rot, collecting water where runoff isn't sufficient, outlets, etc.  Turn on hot water everywhere (faucets, tubs, showers, flush toilets) and let run for a while.  You can find out real fast about any drain issues.  Hot water running out after 5-10 minutes could illustrate an issue with the water heater (i.e.  Can two people shower simultaneously and not run out of hot water?).  Good luck!

We are just east of Seattle in Kirkland. Thanks for the advice

[2002_halos_II]

Is there a HOA that pays for repair of exterior (including roof)?

 

Inspectors should check water pressure, electrical outlets, fuse boxes, fireplaces, appliances, heating and cooling, windows, doors etc.

[happybat4]

We are responsible for everything top to bottom. HOA does not cover roof or exterier. HOA only covers people mowing the grounds and general yard maintenance. The HOA is only 75 a month, obviously because it does not cover anything.

[2002_halos_II]

Are the sellers offering to pay for a 1 year home warranty?

[happybat4]

Are the sellers offering to pay for a 1 year home warranty?

We might include that. We can get a 1 year warranty for around $400. If we find some stuff wrong we will try to get the seller to include it. The warranty does not include the roof. The house built in 1984. We have not found out yet if the seller has replace the roof while they lived there.