Page 15 - Coldwell Real Estate Services

What to Expect from Your Inspection
Congratulations, you are now under contract and are on to the next important part of the home buying process, the home inspection. Getting your future home inspected is highly recommended. Whether you
are buying a brand-new home or one that is older, the home inspection can tell you a lot that you can’t see with the untrained eye. While the home inspection is a vital part of the process, they also can seem a lot worse than they actually are. Below are some very common items found during routine Florida home inspections.
Broken Window Sash Springs - Your
windows use spring balances to help you raise and lower the window sash and keep the sash in a raised position. When you have difficulty raising the sash, or it no longer remains open without the help of a prop, one or both of your spring balances could have a broken spring or cord and replacement is in order to repair the window. Repairing a window spring balance does not require any specialty tools, and you can accomplish this task on your own, unless you have an excessively large window that might require four hands instead of two.
Missing GFI Outlets – A ground fault circuit
interrupter is a type of outlet that safeguards against electrical shocks. Many people may refer to a GFCI as a GFI. These are found outside the home and anywhere there is water (i.e. bathrooms and kitchen). If the inspector notes there is not a GFI outlet, one can easily be put in the place of a regular outlet.
Torn Door Seals – Door seals or weather
stripping are often found to be torn. In this event a new one is easily replaced on the door with a trip to the home improvement store.
Missing Lightbulbs – Missing or burned out
lightbulbs are also a very common item on an inspection report, these can obviously just be replaced. In a lot of cases they should be replaced anyways with a more energy efficient bulbs such as a LED.
Dry Rot at Outside Garage Access Door –
Most access doors from the garage to the outside are wood or have wood framing. Anytime you have wood outside the home in the elements it tends to rot. The inspector will very frequently note this in his report. These doors most of the time can be repaired with wood putty or filler. Very seldom does the entire door need to be replaced.
Cracks in the Concrete and/or Stairstep Cracks in the Walls – Cracks
are most commonly caused by expansion and contraction of building materials due to changes in moisture content and temperature. These types of cracks do not represent a structural concern. Concrete, mortar, grout and stucco can shrink and crack for months after construction as they slowly dry and lose moisture.
Shrinkage cracks in concrete floor slabs are expected and very common, and do not compromise structural integrity. Wood framing, wood floors, and trim can also shrink as the wood dries and becomes acclimated to lower inside humidity. Temperature changes cause construction materials to expand and contract daily and seasonally. For example, the temperature difference between the exterior and interior sides of a wall can cause as much as 1/2 inch of bowing stress daily. The temperature in an attic can fluctuate daily, by as much as 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to this fluctuation, cracking is expected. Your home inspector will note every crack. If he feels a particular crack is of great concern he will note that as well in the report.
DRY Water Stains – If a water stain is dry, this just means at some
point in the life of the home water was present where the stain is. The inspector can see if the stain is dry by using a thermal (infrared) camera. If dry water stains are located, in the ceiling, under sinks, etc. It is best to consult the homeowner of the cause and the repair that was already made.
Missing Roof Vent Caps – There are very few homes that
even have roof vent caps. Your inspector will recommend you have these to keep unwanted pests out of your attic. These can be purchased at the home improvement store for a minimal cost.
Foggy Windows “Insulated Glass Unit (IGU)” - A common
problem with IGUs occurs when the seals around the edges of the glass unit begin to fail, allowing the inert gas to escape and outside air to enter the space between the glass panes. As a result, moisture in the infiltrating air can condense when conditions are right (colder outer glass against warm air inside the glass panel), causing the glass to develop the hazy fogginess that most everyone has seen. The fogginess may come and go, depending on weather conditions.
An inspection report can be very daunting to read. Along with the inspector I will be here to help you understand each item. If a professional is needed for a second opinion, we have those we can recommend as well. There is no such thing as an absolutely “clean” inspection. I wanted to give you this information before you see the report to help you analyze it correctly.