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The Most Common Home Inspection Findings

 

Below is information about the The Most Common Home Inspection Findings. This is a modified transcription of a video interview that Brad Rozansky of The Rozansky Group did with George MacLean of Homewright Inspections.  We have also included the video for you to watch.  If you have any questions about home inspections, please get in touch with us.   

Here is the video transcript.

Brad Rozansky: Hi everyone, Brad Rozansky here. Continuing our video series, we thought we would show you the home inspection process. We're standing in front of a beautiful stone colonial in the heart of Chevy Chase. This home is about 60 years old. So, standing beside me is George MacLean of Homewright Inspections. So, George, first off, thanks for agreeing to be in our video series.

George MacLean: Thank you for having me.

Brad Rozansky: Oh, of course. So, George, standing outside this 60-year-old home, what are the top five or six things you're gonna look for in the exterior?

George MacLean: Top things primarily involve keeping the water at the outside of the house, and that would first and foremost go do the roof and the flashing elements there. The exterior cladding details, the windows, the exterior grading, gutter condition management, and the like.

Brad Rozansky: It sounds like you're more interested in preventive issues.

George MacLean: Absolutely. To some degree, safety issues, as well.

Brad Rozansky: All right, terrific. George, let's take a walk around this house.

George MacLean: Sure.

Brad Rozansky: Okay.

George MacLean: Brad, here's an example of a roof that could use replacement. Here, we have browning of the tiles, spalling, some absent tiles that all could lead to problems down the road.

George MacLean: So, Brad, here we have a condenser and heat pump that have become fully depreciated and are at or nearing the end of their intended service life. Over here, we have a GFCI protected receptacle but the cover is off. It seems like a small thing but it could be a significant safety concern.

Brad Rozansky: So, George, before we go inside, what additional items are you going to be looking for on the outside of this house?

George MacLean: The condition of the cladding and the trim elements, primarily, in this case, cementitious HardiPlank and brick.

Brad Rozansky: And I noticed there's some vents here. What are those vents for?

George MacLean: Those are for crawlspace ventilation to ensure that it doesn't get too damp down there, a place for the moisture to ...

Brad Rozansky: So, with a normal home inspection, are you going into the crawlspace?

George MacLean: Yes.

Brad Rozansky: And for what reason?

George MacLean: To determine if there's any damage to the structural elements found under there, like the floor joist beams to look at the foundation and walls as well.

Brad Rozansky: Did you ever find in a crawlspace?

George MacLean: All the time.

Brad Rozansky: So, that's a concern, obviously.

George MacLean: It is, and also termites, naturally.

Brad Rozansky: The termites, okay. Well, George, let's go inside and see what we find.

George MacLean: Sure.

Brad Rozansky: So, George, we're here with the mechanical equipment. What's the top two or three items you're gonna look for?

George MacLean: Looking for deferred maintenance, damage to the equipment. I'm looking to see if it appears to be drafting properly. I'm looking at the gas connections, as well as the duct work runs and if it appears to be distributed properly.

Brad Rozansky: All right, that's terrific. And the other thing I've noticed, George, in lots of houses, is gas leaks, so we really appreciate when a home inspector finds that gas leak so we can tell the homeowners.

George MacLean: Yes, we use natural gas detector equipment.

Brad Rozansky: Terrific, all right.

Brad Rozansky: George, the last item we haven't talked about is the breaker box. Do you actually inspect it?

George MacLean: Yes, we do. We're expected to open the panel, remove the dead front and look at all the components within.

Brad Rozansky: So, I've noticed in probably 90% of my inspections that a home inspector is finding a problem and you're recommending an electrician to come out, is that true?

George MacLean: Absolutely, absolutely.

Brad Rozansky: That's great. All right, let's move on to the upper part of the house.

Brad Rozansky: Well, before we wind up the video there's a few items we didn't talk about, George. I know, because a typical inspection takes three to four hours, that you're gonna go up into the attic, and you'll be looking for insulation issues, water, rodents potentially. I know you inspect all the fireplaces.

George MacLean: Yes.

Brad Rozansky: Is that correct?

George MacLean: That is correct.

Brad Rozansky: And, all the appliances in the kitchen and in the bathrooms. How many items are you looking at, typically?

George MacLean: Probably somewhere around 150 items.

Brad Rozansky: Wow. And that's why a typical inspection on a house like this takes at least three to four hours.

Brad Rozansky: I hope you've enjoyed this video, and I really want to appreciate George for taking time out of your busy day to meet with us. And this is George MacLean of Homewright House Inspections. Thanks again.

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