Buying a House with Rose Colored Glasses On

There is a condition, sometimes called “rose colored glasses” that affects buyers of houses while they are looking at homes. One or more of the couple falls in love with the house, or rather the concept of the home. The view is an optimistic one, and it tends to ignore or discount the flaws that others might try to make visible to them.
The condition can be enhanced or helped along by a “sales person” who keeps telling them how great things can be, when you move in. Or they try to draw your attention to what paint and new wall paper can do when installed. They do not concentrate on what exists with its plusses and minuses, but rather call on your imagination to see what might be, down the road, of course with no flaws, hence the “rose colored glasses” that see the good, not the actual conditions. I know, I have worn the glasses myself once.
As a Home Inspector I run into this condition, usually affecting one of the two people when a couple is purchasing a house. On occasion, both buyers are under the spell and looking through the rose colored lenses.
I try as hard as I can to describe the conditions of the house and its systems. I try to get the attention of people who do not want to hear about defects. I try to overcome any suggestions from sales people that these items are only “cosmetic”. Most of the time I am successful in getting through to at least one of the two partners, in getting them to acknowledge the conditions as they exist. My role is not to be the devil’s advocate, but to ground the vision in reality by accurately describing the condition of the entire house and its’ needs. The last thing I want is for the rose color to wear off and someone to ask “why did I buy this place” or “what was I thinking of”?
My written report is often the best and final sobering thought in the process. If the house has few flaws and just needs a little TLC then the report will show it. If on the other hand it has a litany of problems, large in fact, the written word seems to have a sobering effect on folks when they read it. So it’s always a challenge when I "hear"the Rose Colored Glasses coming, to stay on my toes and do my very best, like I do every time. I inspect each one as if they were for my own son or daughter and that’s the best I can do!

Rule of Thumb for Older Houses

While house hunting it's important to view the house you are looking at with a paradigm or profile that will help set your expectations. Systems in houses for the most part, are designed around a 20-25 year life cycle. Some systems are designed for more like foundations and structure, other will last less, like floor boards on porches and hot water heaters. But a good general rule of thumb is the "rule of 25".
When looking at houses under 25 years old, then you are looking to see what's left of useful life of systems depending on how they were taken care of. Roofs maybe be half used up, porches may or may not need replacing or heavy repair. Window systems may be solid because they have been maintained and painted. Wood that has been painted and stained will still look good, compared to those systems that have been exposed to the weather.
With that in mind, when you look at a home that was built 25 years ago, more or less, you are looking at a house that will likely need a heating system, is on it's second or third hot water heater, needs a roof, and will likely need windows replaced. A lot depends on the preventative care and exposure from weather, some of it is just time related wear and tear.
When you look at a home that's 50 years old or so, you can expect that systems designed for a 25 year life, have either been replaced twice, or are in sore need of replacement. A heating system working that long will show its age and is way past being fully depreciated. Original roofs would be leaking and wood systems would need serious repair or replacement. There are exceptions, but this is a guide not an absolute.So if the listing on the 50 year old says new roof,new boiler, and new windows, that's a good start as it shows major systems have been replaced
When looking at houses that are 75 to 100 years old or older, you are looking at older technology, i.e., no insulation, wood shingle roofs, coal converted boilers, gravity systems, slate roofs with rusty nails, and brick with mortar failure, horse hair plaster, etc. The homes were built when the building codes either didn't exist or were being ramped up. So the support structure may be "old style" and be built with dimensional lumber, meeting minimums of years past but possibly not of today's building codes. Certain types of construction used then are not used anymore due to the design failure of those methods of construction, i.e. brick on top of rubble foundations.
Home Inspectors have this type of paradigm in their minds, tempered by experience, when they start to review houses. You can set your own expectations and be ready with questions when they review the property with you.
Bottom line, be wary as you look at older homes and keep in mind the maintenance cycles that should have gone on to keep the house up to snuff. Older homes can be more interesting and have appeal, provided that the maintenance has been kept up. So do the math before you leap!

Every House Has a Story to Tell, Catch the Signs!

Recently the house I did was on the top of a hill, on the seacoast, with a steady wind upon arrival. The wind actually caught my hat as there were few trees on the top of the hill with the house. The view was tremendous but the house a story to tell. First indication was the excessive wear on a 14 year old roof. Then there was the missing mortar in spots on the chimney. There was heavy erosion and shifting of concrete supports on the back deck facing the water and weather side as well. In the garage were the doors with water stains inside. The water stains on the ceiling at the back wall, again the weather side, indicated water from above, and a strange 1/2 inch drain pipe. Standing water in the bulkhead, but no cracks, just seals that needed replacing to keep the driving rain out. Efflorescence on the walls indicated a high water content in portions of the foundation, despite the perimeter drains that were supposed to be there.

The hole and pipe for the air vent on the stove were there but not connected? Bathroom on the second floor had a vent, but not vented outside to the weather side. Water stains on the sheathing in the attic on the chimney side and a ridge vent that was cut in , but capped over?

The master room upstairs actually had floor drains in the tile in front of the picture window doors leading to the small cantilever deck. Drains for what you ask. For the wind driven water!

The doors were old and tired, but caulked. All the doors on the weather side were caulked extra and sealed against the water. The owner had installed the drain as a second line of defence!

The price of the great view, is a constant battle against the weather, water, and wind. All homes face the elements this way, but coastal homes with few tree's face the battle even more. They have more extensive wear and tear, more chances of leaks, and wind damage. The story is this 14 year old house showed the scars from battling the coastal elements and had fared well, but needed a tune-up for the next 14 years of water and wind. My client understood the story, and now he is making an informed purchase. He knows that the price of the view, is a constant war with the weather!

So watch the signs and it will tell you the story of what the home is up against, but you have to connect the dots, and not miss anything to get the full picture!

That's Cosmetic!

There must be a school somewhere that teaches real estate agents to respond to every defect I find, with the comment "that's cosmetic". One of the definitions of cosmetic is: " done or made for the sake of appearance". Stress cracks in the ceilings of multiple rooms, that are aligned, are not cosmetic. Woodpecker holes in wood shingle siding that is rotted are not cosmetic. Missing mortar and cracks with holes in a rubble foundation are not cosmetic. Yet in all these cases and more I get the same comment, almost as a reflex. Mind you it is not posed as a question, but as a statement of fact.
As a licensed Home Inspector cosmetic items are not really what I'm looking for. Scratched paint, peeling paint, floors that need new shellac, faded wall paper and dirty carpets are cosmetic. They are not critical systems, not structural, and not safety items. In the scheme of things cosmetic items have a lower cost and are arbitrary and for appearance.
I'd like to think the overuse of the phrase is a lack of knowledge as to what a defect of substance is and what a minor item or possibly cosmetic is.
I have offered to many agents to present to them what we are looking for and in short educate them a little more. I have had a few takers on my offer, but most never call. I wonder why?
Bottom line, as a buyer, is to be wary of anyone who labels items you are concerned about as “cosmetic”. Only a Home inspector should make that determination. For the record, I never comment on the price of a house, the neighborhood, or whether it’s a good or bad buy. It's not my purview. So consider the source and qualifications of comments on the property you are buying, and remember the Home Inspector works for you, and is paid by you, not the seller!

Do Not Overlook Condominiums Common Property

On a condo inspection we typically inspect the unit, as well as common areas that are accessible and available. The general appearance of the property can give you some clues as to what's being taken care of and what is not. As in the photo, when they do not take care of the entrance brick work and hand rails, it's a red flag. It's amazing that buyers sometimes do not realize that they will "own" the common property and that it's condition is important. I have had Realtors say to them, " the association" will take care of that! Well , that may be true, but who is the association? It's all the owners including you. Yes they will take care of it, but will it be within the maintenance fee or will it be a special assessment? When you know the general condition of the building, you can then compare it to the maintenance fee and the reserve for the projects that they have planned. Then you can consult with your attorney on what is sufficient reserve, plans, risks etc. So please be sure that when you purchase a condo, you have the home inspector review the common property for an overview of its condition so you can make an informed decision. Otherwise you may get caught when the music stops and they hand out the "special assessments" with a loan application to pay for it!

When did you say this house was built?

Recently I was engaged to inspect a home built in 1996, when a second floor was added and renovated, supposedly. The first sign something was off was the foundation, built of concrete blocks, and then added onto with a concrete foundation for the oversize garage. The second sign was the dimensional or full size lumber beams, joists, columns, and old wide floor boards. No pressure treated wood, no plywood, but plenty of sister boards. Yes they had sistered the old floor joists with newer lumber when they had done the renovation.
Subsequent checking by the client turned up that a permit was pulled circa 1996 to add a 2nd floor, on top of the single family home that was there. Issues for the real estate agent of record and the listing. But the floor boards and support never lie!
So my concerns were validated. This is the 2nd time I have run into this misrepresentation of when a house was built and added onto. It was confusing to say the least.
Moral of the story, be wary when they have had major renovations so that you know what was built when, as it makes a big difference! In this case it was 51 years of difference.

Winterized? Owned by Bank? Who did it?

The other day I showed up for an inspection, early as is my practise, only to find that the plumber had not left yet? He was supposed to set the house into normal operating condition after the bank's people had "winterized" it for storage.
Well the Bank got robbed, not at the bank, but at this property. Who ever did the work, didn't do a very good job, and at least one or more pipes froze and leaked. It appeared that they didn't open the faucets on the 2nd floor, highest in the house, to allow it to drain down completely. The closed faucet creates an airlock, holding some, but not all the water in the line from draining.
I have seen cases where the bank also shut off the electricity, to the house and the SUMP pump, causing floods to occur in the finished basements? Can you believe it! In their efforts to minimize cost, they have devalued the property. It may have been the bank, the management company, or simply the craftsman that was hired, but nevertheless the damage is done.
Moral of the story is to get what you pay for by doing spot inspections on properties that have been moth balled!

Missing Leg?

I was doing an inspection a while back and finished the outside first and entered the garage. Checked the automatic closers and electric eyes, no problems. I started to probe the sill(wooden) around the garage and found no soft spots, and no indication of bugs that I could see. I started to check out the roof rafters and joists above and my eyes followed down to the platform entrance to the home. Something looked odd when I studied the steps and platform. I noticed the home owner had placed his winter tires under the platform and then it hit me.
What was holding the platform up? Certainly not the tires!
Someone had neatly sawed off the corner support, of which there were two, as the platform was screwed to the rim board against the sill. The reason was obvious, to get the tires under the steps. Still not sure what was holding it up, perhaps a lick and a prayer! One post and the side against the house was not enough.
Moral of the story is keep on looking when something doesn't look right. I have followed that rule and always end up finding the problem, and sometimes the cause.
Homeowner insisted it was done by an unknown person...

Cracks in retaining walls

It never fails that when a mason, or perhaps a wannabe mason, puts up a concrete or composite wall, they often leave out the drains. Yes, drains are needed in retaining walls in order to let the water out before it freezes and causes the cracks we all dislike so much. It seems like the older the wall, the less likely it will have drains, here in the northeast that is.
When repairing the cracks is is essential to read up on where to put the drains and get them in before you patch. Otherwise you'll be patching every year for a long time.Or see your friendly mason referred to you by a friend and he'll do it right!
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Selecting a Home Inspector on Price,Think twice!

Recently we've received calls, rather abrupt calls, asking for a price and when we could do a home inspection. The callers were not interested in anything else? They did not ask how many years of experience we had, did we do antiques, what our training was, or even if we were insured.
If you were going to have a carpenter or electrician do a remodel job in your home, wouldn't you ask a few questions to see if the people were solid and reputable? Similar to going to a doctor or lawyer, you need to get references before you engage the person. If all else fails, you check with the state registration, and groups like NACHI, that are professional groups who list their members and some of their training, etc.
If you get quotes on price alone, you will get what you asked for, a cheap home inspection! Yes the state of MA regs prescribe what needs to be looked at by all inspectors, but do all inspectors have their eyes wide open. Do they bring things to your attention, or do they bury things in detail and let you ferret out the important items.
When a home inspector asks questions before he/she quotes a price, they are trying to determine the complexity of the job, the skills needed, the length of time to do the work, and whether they have a willing partner to explore the home-you! So don't just ask for the price, ask for the detail om the professional you are about to employ. We all have different backgrounds and specialties, even though we are generalists. What you want is a quality inspection with no surprises, so ask questions and give answers that will paint a portrait of the inspector.Ask to speak to the inspector to see if he can talk with you easily, or is he tongue tied. Half of an inspection or more is verbal, so how an inspector communicates is critical to you getting what you payed for!

Water, Wet Basements, and Failing Mortar

I recently did an inspection where the basement was very damp and live water visible on the floor. The source appeared to be two fold, a sump pump and failing mortar in a rubble foundation with holes and cracks. The house was circa 1920, and the condition was what you would expect if little to no maintenance work had been performed, i.e., seeping water, rust stains, little piles of mortar on the floor along with actual pieces of rock.

Foundations of this era and earlier, built with rock or field stone, with generous amounts of mortar deteriorate over time, especially over 80 years. They are porous at best and will require a masonry contractor to decide whether repairs can be made to waterproof and more importantly whether there is a possibility of collapse. Indications of the foundation not supporting the weight are floor and joist separation, as well as bowing in the walls/siding above the affected area, etc. Luckily, there was no such signs in this particular home, though I have seen them before.

Be on guard when you are looking at homes of that era , the 60 years plus age, as this type of foundation can be problematic if it has not been upgraded or maintained. There are older homes with large blocks of granite that have considerably more support, and a lot less mortar, but these seem to have faired better over time. Be particularly focused on homes that have a combination of rubble and brick on top, as this was also popular in the old days and has issues as well to do with brick and mortar failure.

A dry basement and a solid foundation are essential  for a  good house, so keep a weather eye out for these items when shopping for your next home or inspecting one.

1st of many to come!

This is my first blog article. My goal is to share my experience with people looking for homes, agents, other inspectors, and anyone who may not understand the need for quality home inspections. The more knowledge people have on the subject, the better decisions they can make in the purchase of a new home.

Despite what anyone says, before you purchase a new home , whether it's a house, or a condo unit, you absolutely need to get a quality home inspection from someone you trust. So check out the State of Mass website to find a local inspector. Check your friends and relatives for the names of inspectors they have been happy with. Then interview a few before you jump on the first name of someone given to you by anyone you do not know well. It's the same process you use for a lawyer, doctor, or any professional that will have an impact on one of the major decisions in your life. At A1Southport, we like to say we work for you, and only you! Not the people that referred us, not the seller, just you the buyer. So stay tuned for the daily grit on my inspections and I hope they help in the decisions you make.

Mass List of Home Inspectors: http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=ocasubtopic&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Licensee&L2=Division+of+Professional+Licensure+Boards&L3=Board+of+Registration+of+Home+Inspectors&sid=Eoca