To inspect or not to inspect? Top 10 most common items found in a Seattle home inspection

Many wonder…Is it worth the $400 or so that it costs to spend on a home inspection when purchasing a home? Whether it be a brand new home or a resale here are the most common items found on a home inspection:

1) “Cellulose wood debris in the crawl”….What the heck is that? Well, it’s usually wood scraps (the framers threw down there when framing and never picked up) or cardboard left from the pouring of pillars to support the framing posts.

2) “Wood to earth contact”….you got it! Dirt or bark or both up against the wood siding…can cause rot and pest infestation.

3) “Pest infestation”…rats, mice, squirrels, perhaps a carpenter ant or two. Usually fixable by hiring a professional pest exterminator. Hey, the rodents like to have a warm place to go for the winter.

4) “Missing or damaged vapor barrier”:…Still in the crawl space, this is the plastic membrane laying over the dirt in the crawl. Designed to prevent moisture from entering the home through the flooring.

5) “Furnace needing service”…due to missing or dirty filters, dust and dirt present, a burner flame needing adjustment, hopefully not a rusted heat exchanger. Either way a professional HVAC contractor should be hired to evaluate, service, repair or in some cases replace.

6) “Inadequate roof venting and attic insulation”…Most important to correct to extend the life of the roof and to keep the home both warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

7) “Electrical corrections needed”:…GFCI outlets not installed or not working, ‘double-tapped’ breakers in the panel, ‘over-sized breaker’…and various other deficiencies require a visit from your local licensed electrician.

8) Back to the dreaded “crawl space…damp with surface pooling of water”…you got it, with our precip many homes have water entry and an inadequate system to allow the moisture to leave the crawl. Solution in many cases is the deployment of a drainage contractor to install a perimeter drainage system (some cases a sump pump too) to get that ponding out.

9) “Siding deteriorating”…What? Yep, sometimes a siding product or two has problems in our climate. A few different solutions, 1 of which is replacement and repainting. Not a cheap fix.

10) “Roof repair or replacement”. You got it. Depending on the material and whether conditions existed (see item 6 above) that were never corrected, a roof can have a life span of usually between 15 to 30 years.

Many more items can come up in a home inspection. Is it a good idea to spend the money for a home inspection prior to closing on a home purchase? You be the judge.

For more information and some great pictures of things done incorrectly check this out:
http://www.stargroup.com/ResidentialInspections.htm?hnt/index.htm~mainFrame