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General:
Age of house "20 year
rule"
 The 20 year rule of thumb is
intended to be a guide to all prospective home buyers to
anticipate future costs associated with buying a home. Remember
that many components in a home do have a limited life span.
Typically after 20 years there will be several items that will
need to be replaced due to age and normal wear. An intelligent
home buyer will be sure to look at these items and/or ask
questions about these items when considering the purchase of a
property.
The most costly of these items are
as follows:
| Roof
shingles/flashings
Furnace
and/or air conditioning
Most
kitchen and laundry appliances
Water
heaters
Carpet and
other flooring items |
Landscaping
items
Water
pressure regulators and/or plumbing shut off valves
Exterior
caulking and composite materials
Insulation
compression
Garage
door openers
|
The most difficult item to accomplish
when looking at a home to purchase is to be objective. Most
realtors will tell you that a home purchase is often linked to
people’s emotions concerning the property. While it is easy to
become “swept up” in the look and “feel” of a property,
intelligent home buyers can separate the “house” from the “home”.
As an example, the rear yard may remind you of the yard you had as
a youth. Does the yard have proper drainage patterns so that no
surface water pools in the yard when it rains? If the yard full of
trees, do you like raking leaves and picking up limbs? Is the
landscaping overgrown and needing an expensive modification?
Hard questions and meaningful answers are needed
in these and all other components of the house. If the house has
the right “feel” to be a “home” and it passes the
objective scrutiny tests, then it may be the right home for you.
Costs of significant repairs relative to
the cost of the home. Many home buyers go through a “pre-approval”
process with the bank or lending institution before they start
looking at homes. The pre-approval provides an upper limit
that the lending institution will allow the buyer to spend on
a house purchase based on income and credit rating of the
individual.
Most home buyers buy a house that is at or
near the top of the lending institutions monetary limit. This
leaves no financial room for repairs or replacement of house
components. If, for example, the home is 20 years old and will
need several items replaced in the near future, the home buyer
that uses all his or her loan amount may be taking a dangerous
gamble with their financial future. A financial “cushion”
is always recommended. The home inspection will provide a
listing of items that need to be repaired now and what will
need to be budgeted for in the future.
Exterior:
 Soil grade conditions that
impact
surface water
movement toward the house/foundation. All soil should slope away from
the
foundation.
Landscaping condition, age, and
size.
Size
and proximity of trees in the yard.
Concrete slab conditions,
driveway and
walkways.
Roof conditions. Gutters and
flashings. Signs
of any leaks.
Chimney conditions. Gas vents
and
fireplace
conditions.
Building "envelope" conditions:
Siding, brick,
EIFS conditions
Interior:
Floor undulation, walls bowing,
deflection,
extra ordinary cracking in doorways and walls.
Window
type. Look for failed seals or
failed
tension bars. Note age and condition.
Foundation
system. Musty smell of
basement.
Water marks on the walls or stored items, excessive cracks in the floor
or walls, attempts to cover walls.
Floor
joist conditions and signs of
rotting,
damage or improper cutting, notching.
 Mechanical / Appliance:
Remember that 20 years is a
replacement time
for many mechanical and appliance systems.
Electric panel conditions,
Federal
Pacific
and Wadsworth electrical panels are recommended for replacement.
Aluminum
wiring on 120 circuits, (1965 to 1974 )
GFCI circuits, (2 prong or 3
prong
outlets)
Plumbing leaks, (run the water
in the
second
story/first story for a while, then check the basement. Check all
commodes
and sinks for operation and loose or damaged conditions.
Look at the furnace. Signs of
excessive rust,
age, and the filter condition.
Look at the age and condition
of the
water
heater. Scorching signs on the surface of the tank, above the burner.
Qualifications
of the Inspector:
Past experience in
building,
design, and construction
of residential structures.
ASHI certification or equal.
MRC and
present
status, (ASHI National 1-800-743-2744)
Other certifications and
business
affiliations.
Number of past home
inspections.
Years in the home inspection
business.
Referrals:
Real
Estate Agents
Friends
Co-workers
Relatives
Scope of the Inspection:
The ASHI protocols of Standards
and
Practice
versus Expectations
Roof inspection policy
Attic policy
Crawl space policy
Septic system and well system
policy
Out building policy
 Insurance:
Errors,
omissions, and amount
Liability
insurance and amount
Past
judgments?
Report writing
system:
Narrative versus Checklist
Computer versus Form sheet
On-site or off-site & turn
around
time
for the report
Details of the report
Pictures
 Communication:
On-site
questions and answers.
Ability
to translate technical
concepts to
everyday terms
Follow
up and callbacks.
Services
offered:
Residential home
inspections
Pre-sale Inspections
New construction
inspections
Termite Inspections
Radon Inspections
Lead base paint analysis
Certification inspections of
E.I.F.S.
Indoor air quality analysis
Cost:
How is
the home inspection price
determined?
Price
for basic home inspection,
additional
service fees.
Quote
of the price.
 
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