What a Home Inspection Really Covers: Separating Fact from Fiction

Intro: 00:00:00

Welcome to Thoughts from the Crawl Space, a podcast where our goal as home inspection experts is to support and serve our community.

Whether you're a homeowner, home buyer, real estate agent or investor, we believe everyone deserves solutions to their homeownership challenges and inspiration along the way.

Jamie: 00:00:17

Your path to success starts here. Welcome back to another episode of Thoughts from the Crawl Space. Last time we talked about some general interior questions about a home inspection.

What we're looking for, what are the primary problems we might find in certain rooms?

Today we're going to just talk about general home inspections and then down the road we'll talk about maybe some exterior questions related to a home inspection. So there's a lot of misinformation. That's a big buzzword out there right now. One side thinks, the other side always has misinformation.

Well, we deal in truth here. And so we're going to talk about what is the true reason we are at a house to do a home inspection and why are we not there?

One thing offhand, we're not there to determine market value. We're not there to determine if this house is worth it to buy things like that. We're there. The primary goal of a home inspection.

Number one, let's just jump right in. What is the primary goal of a home inspection?

A, to determine the home's market value A or excuse me, B to identify hidden issues that could affect the safety value or functionality of the home or C to appraise the home's decor. Well, the answer clearly is B. Some of these multiple choice questions are very self explanatory and this is one of those, okay.

We are there to identify hidden issues that could affect the safety value or functionality of the home. Now let me caveat that with this. If it's hidden, it's hidden, right?

If there's something inside the wall, under the floor, in the installation, we can't see it, we can't detect it, we can't see evidence of a problem. We're probably not going to see it either. Our inspections are non destructive. They're relatively non invasive.

You know, we're going to take the furnace cover off, but we're not going to disassemble a furnace. We're going to open windows, we're not going to take it apart and so forth. So in that line of thinking, that's why we're there.

We can identify many issues. A water stain can give away a multitude of things. Is your roof leaking? Do you have a pipe leak?

Is there a condensation Pipe that's got a crack in it or something like that? Safety value functionality. Safety value functionality. That narrows it down quite a bit. All right, we're there for the big stuff.

Is there any health and safety hazards, structural problems, water penetration, insect damage systems or components that are not working as intended? That's why we're there. Number two, which of the following is not typically included in a home inspection?

A, a foundation inspection, B, a roof inspection or C interior design consultation? No, the answer is C. We're not there to consult about design. And that doesn't just mean cosmetic. That can be. We get this question a lot.

Do you think I can move this wall? Could I remove this wall? Can I open this up and so forth. We're not contractors, we're not engineers.

We may have a basic knowledge of what you probably could do, but that's not our primary purpose right there. All right, we're there to inspect the foundation and the roof and the outlets and the plumbing, etc. Etc.

But we're not there to give you advice on how to move things around or how to decorate or anything like that. So just keep that in mind. Now, during an inspection, it's really a good time to bring in an outside contractor if you have those questions.

So if you want to potentially open up a house or open up a room or something like that, do that. Bring somebody that can give you that answer that's not going, that's going to have that expertise in that field.

We've had all kinds of contractors there at inspections. A painting contractor, interior decorating, a true contractor that started to break stuff and move stuff, etc, etc.

So architects, we've had all those there, so that's a good time to bring them. Number three, how long does a typical home inspection usually take? 30 minutes, two to four hours or six to eight hours?

I think in general, the answer, two to four hours. B. Now I would say this.

If you have an inspector or if you know of an inspector that's going to take two hours on an inspection, I would question things just a little bit right there. There are occasions where you get a really easy home and it's small, it's new, it's clean, it maybe only has a slab foundation.

So you don't have a basement or a crawl space. You can do those in two hours or even under two hours without, without many defects.

ze house, let's just pick out: 1800

I don't think our team walks extra slow. But there's just. There's a lot of things to check, and we want to do it thoroughly. We don't know how to do it any other way.

What do you want us to leave out? Right. So typically three to four hours, more than two to four. There's occasion. You can do it within two. Now, there are occasions.

There's inspectors out there that will take six, six to eight hours. What they're doing, I really don't know. I don't know how you spend that much time at a house if you can get what you need in three.

Number four, what is one of the first things an inspector will check during a home inspection? A, the landscaping, B, the foundation and structural integrity, or C, the appliances?

Well, this really depends on the routine that the inspector does. Every inspector needs to have routine similar to a free throw shooter. You go up there, you're shooting free throws.

You want to have the same routine every time, whether it's spinning the ball, dribbling a certain amount of times, shifting to one side or whatever. When you go into a home, we're going to have the same routine every time.

That helps us keep it focused, help us keep on track so we make sure we don't miss things. Some inspectors start inside the home, some of them start outside the home.

Landscaping is not necessarily in and of itself what we're looking at, but. But it is part of it, because it can have to do with grading and drainage. Are things draining toward your house or away from your house?

So that can have something to do with the landscaping and that, but that goes right along with foundation and structural integrity with the routine we follow. We're going to start outside, and we work our way in. Then we go top to bottom.

So foundation and structural integrity typically is one of the final things, final pieces to the puzzle that we look at.

We're looking for signs of a problem throughout, but when you get down to the beams and the walls and the joists, that's when you really kind of tie it all together and say, hey, you know what? This house has a few little cracks here and there, but this is solid. This was done well. And we don't see any problems going forward.

So that is kind of the order of operations there. So number five, what common issue can an inspector identify that may impact the safety of a home's inhabitants? Well, this could be a lot of issues.

Right. So safety, I mean you could do anything from a GFCI outlet to a smoke detector.

But in this case, unstable furniture, carbon monoxide leaks, wall paint condition. Well, unstable furniture is unsafe, but typically that's going to go with the homeowner.

So we're not checking furniture, we're going to check for carbon monoxide only in the sense of what could be possible. We don't take active carbon monoxide meters to the different appliances. We do have one we carry with us and that will read.

If there's an elevated reading. We're more going to look at the signs that could cause carbon monoxide.

For example, a fireplace, a gas fireplace that doesn't get cleaned regularly, or a water heater flu that's not vented properly, or a furnace that doesn't have proper air combustion air, so it's gasping for air and the exhaust could come back down the fluid in a mid efficiency model. So we're looking for all that as potential carbon monoxide leaks.

Number six, what part of the home is inspected to check for water damage, leaks and insulation? Well, really the answer to this could be kitchen, basement or crawl space and garage.

Well, depending how the house is built, it could be all of the above. Typically basement, crawl space, that's the part that's underground. Think of a basement as basically a hole in the ground.

What does water do when there's a hole in the ground? It runs toward it. Right. And so that's going to be your number one place where there's leaks.

However, if there's bathrooms above, if there are finished surfaces under anything with a plumbing pipe, you could get signs of water through that or in the attic under the roof. True or false? Home inspections are a requirement for buying or selling a home. False. They are not required. Highly recommended.

I would never skip one, but they're not required. The state does not require them and frankly, I'm glad they don't. We do not want any government interference in this avenue of real estate. All right?

There's enough rules, there's enough regulations.

If they start requiring it, then they can mandate this, they can mandate that and then they can put this guy in there and you're going to lose your third party effectiveness. And so that is just not something we want to happen. They are not required. What should a home buyer do? 8.

What should a home buyer do if they find significant issues during a home inspection? A ignore them and hope they may get fixed later.

B negotiate repairs or price adjustments with the seller or C immediately back out of the deal without discussion. Well, we believe B, negotiate repairs or price adjustments with the seller.

Now, this has a lot to do with what was your agreement going into the home inspection. And we stay out of that. We don't recommend what you should do. Like we don't say, hey, your water heater is older.

You need to ask the seller to put in a new water heater or you need to get this roof repaired. The seller should do it. We're not going to tell you that. But of the three options, the best thing to do is negotiate repairs or price adjustments.

And don't. Just don't freak out and walk away.

Every house, every used home has some things that need fixed from time to time, and you need to have a level head about it. If you're trying to buy a house, no house is going to be perfect, just like no person is going to be perfect.

So number nine, which of the following is an important safety aspect inspected during a home inspection? A, closet space. B, electrical wiring and outlets. See bathroom tiles? Well, the most likely here would be electrical wiring and outlets.

I will say closets notoriously hide things that nobody ever sees. And bathroom tiles, if they're chipped or damaged, they can be a potential hazard.

So, but generally you're gonna have far more defects if we're talking electrical outlets or switches or branch wiring or whatever. So number 10, which appliance is typically not checked by a home inspector? Would that be the water heater, the refrigerator, or the furnace?

Original standards did not require home inspectors to check kitchen appliances, and there's some that still don't. We choose to do so because that's a very important part of your home. That's a big ticket item.

And so in this case, the answer is B, not typically checked. In our case, it is typically checked. And so we want to know if it's working, is the water coming out the door?

If you have that option, is the ice maker working, is the door seal in good shape, is the handle attached, etc. Etc. Number 11, true or false? A home inspector is also responsible for fixing any issues they find during the inspection. That's a big old false.

In fact, in many cases, inspectors are prohibited from fixing anything they may see on the inspection.

In other words, if they would have a part of their company that would do repairs, home maintenance, home improvement, that kind of thing, they would not be prohibited. They'd be prohibited from doing for a year according to most state standards.

Number 12, what part of the home is often checked for mold or signs of moisture damage? A fireplace. B roof shingles. C. Bathrooms, kitchens, and basements.

Well, you might imagine the answer here is C, bathrooms, kitchen and basements for mold or signs of moisture damage. That's where the water is. That's where the elevated humidity is. That's where you're going to have potential mold issues in those rooms. Number 13.

What's the purpose of inspecting the roof during a home inspection? Now, this seems a little silly, doesn't it? A, to assess the style, B to look for leaks, damage, and signs of wear, and C to clean the gutters.

B, we're going to look for leaks, damage, and signs of wear that could lead to bigger issues. We're not going to tell you exactly how many years you have left on your roof. We don't know that. We can't tell the future.

Do you want to fight this roof until it shows a little bit of wear and you just want to get it over with, or do you want to fight that for another five years till you potentially have shingles falling off the roof and leaks and so forth?

So we can't tell you exactly how that roof life is going to play out, but we can tell you roughly how long it's been there, or at least the condition that it's in, and typically how long this type of shingle lasts. A, under normal operating conditions. In other words, if you have a steeper, sloped roof, those typically last a little longer.

The rain runs off of them more quickly, snow will not accumulate as handily, and the angle to the sun is not as extreme.

Whereas if you have like a flatter 4 and 12 pitch or 512 pitch, those are going to get baked a little bit more, and you don't have all that runoff like we were talking about with the steeper roof. So we will give you a lot of information about your roof that gives you comfort going forward or at least prepares you for what's to come.

So just keep that in mind when we do a roof inspection. Okay, 14. Almost done. What is a common indicator of a possible plumbing issue during an inspection? A. Low water pressure. B. High water pressure.

C, C, a working dishwasher. Well, this would be a, a low, low water pressure. So low water pressure can be caused by a variety of things.

And so the number one thing that can cause low water pressure, especially in galvanized pipes, is corrosion. All right? So over time, sediment, rust, everything builds up little by little and restricts the flow of water through the pipes.

Now, it doesn't have to be galvanized. We've seen it in Copper pipes as well. Typically a metal pipe is what we're going to see it.

However, joints can be in PEX or even CPVC can sometimes get gummed up, depending what kind of water you have. And that will indicate that. Now, if it's just in one fixture like a shower, we may have a kinked line in the wall.

The easiest thing to check is your aerator. It's like, how come water is hardly coming out of here anymore. Take the aerator off with a little screen in there and try it without that on there.

That could be the whole problem right there. So low water pressure, you don't want to mess around with that. That can indicate a pretty big issue that, that you'll want to deal with.

So let's do a couple more here. Number 15. Which document typically follows a home inspection?

An appraisal report, an inspection report detailing the condition, or a property tax bill? Property tax bill is going to come soon enough, right? But the thing you want right away is the inspection report.

We can tell you all these things, but the only thing that's going to happen regarding negotiations is if you have a physical report. So we will send that to you the same day.

In most cases it's going to give you pictures, descriptions, recommendations, and you can take that information and work with your real estate agent on what to do next. Which of the following is a common issue found during a home inspection that can affect air quality?

A old carpeting, B poor ventilation or inadequate airflow, or C a leaking roof? Well, all of those can no doubt, but B would be the best answer. Poor ventilation or inadequate airflow. Newer homes tend to get really tight.

You don't have a lot of air exchanges. Any sickness that is in that house.

Germs, they don't leach out like they used to with walls that are poorly insulated or had gaps around the edges or whatever. So poor ventilation a lot of times affects the air quality in a home and a tighter home is not necessarily better. 17.

What is typically inspected to ensure a home's heating system is functioning properly? A the air conditioning unit, B the furnace or heat pump, C the water heater. Well, obviously B the furnace or heat pump.

That's the only part of it that does heat. So the water heater heats water, the furnace heats the air. Number 18.

Which system is checked for leaks, cracks and proper functionality during a home inspection? The electrical system, the plumbing system or the roofing system? Well, the only thing that can leak here, that's a system per se, would be plumbing.

Obviously a roof could leak but in terms of leaks, cracks and proper functionality, primarily plumbing, this is probably, as you look over the course of our inspection careers, it's probably the top issue that comes up. Drain lines are sloped wrong. They reduce in size, they're not installed properly. There's a mix of materials.

You have corrosion in the lines, you have gas lines that are running correctly. I mean, there's a lot to plumbing. That's why plumbers need a four year degree to get their license and certification and everything.

So plumbing is a very. If you have an older home, 50s, 60s and older, I would get a whole inspection just so the plumbing is checked.

Not that that's the only thing you do, but just so. I mean, if you're not worried about anything else, I'd at least want to know what's up with the plumbing.

And number 19, what's something an inspector would not evaluate? A, the structural integrity of the home's foundation, B, the home's aesthetic appeal. And they can see the condition of the roof.

So I think you're seeing a theme here. Obviously the answer is B, that the aesthetic appeal. We're not there for the aesthetics of the home and we could care less what it looks like.

That's up to you to determine how you're going to fix that down the road. But we don't, we don't have anything to do with that.

And number 20, true or false, A home inspector is responsible for checking the functionality of appliances such as the washer and dryer. Again, the answer is false. Now, an inspector is not prohibited from checking these, but typically they don't. Number one, the washer and dryer.

In most cases, they probably leave with the owner. Number two, we don't have clothes to run through them, so it's not going to give an indicator if it truly cleans very well.

It might say on a washer, okay, it fills up and it empties, but it doesn't really tell you much else. So there's a lot of things in there that would not be a reason why we wouldn't check it.

So let's give you a bonus question and then we'll wrap this up. How can a home inspection help a buyer? My goodness, I could talk for a half hour on this one alone.

What we see in one week would blow your mind in a week where we might be doing, you know, anywhere from 50 to 80 inspections. What we see in that time is just enough to write a book. So, A, how can we help the home inspector? How can the inspection help a buyer?

A It tells the buyer the exact value of the home. B, B, it identifies potential safety and maintenance issues before purchase. Or C, it guarantees the home is free of all defects.

Well, this is going to be B, we're identifying potential safety and maintenance issues before purchase. We can't guarantee the home is full of defects. We're there for three hours, maybe a little longer.

Out of one snapshot in the entire history of that home, we're there for roughly three hours. We can't guarantee everything's been caught. We never will. No inspector will.

But we are going to find the big stuff, the stuff that matters, the stuff that can be seen. Again, there can be concealed defects.

That's why you sign a contract that state, you understand this is a home inspection for primarily visual issues, latent defects. Just that's not part of what we do. We're not tearing things apart. So we can give you great peace of mind. We can give you a lot of information.

We can show you how to run your household, how to keep up with the maintenance on the filter, on the water heater, with the refrigerator, whatever. And so you walk away knowing, feeling confident, feeling prepared, ready to be a homeowner. We'd love to help you out. Give us a call.

We'd love to inspect it for you, Answer any questions you may have. We will talk to you soon.

Intro: 00:23:09

Thank you for listening. This week you can catch up on the latest episode of the Thoughts from the Crawl Space podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

For more information about Gold Key Inspection services, go to goldkeyinspect.com.