Tuesday, October 27, 2009

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!

Friday, October 23, 2009

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!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

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!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

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!