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Even
brand new homes often have major construction flaws.
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Rushed to meet deadlines carpenters
sometimes fail to wait for plumbers and heating & air
people. They put up beams and walls that block
pipes and air ducts. |
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Plumbers are
forced to cut through
structural beams to lay their pipes... heating & air
people do the same for vents. |
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A new home should be
inspected before the walls are closed up, while structural
problems are out in the open. |
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$350
might sound like a lot to spend for inspections of a fine looking home,
but it's cheap if you find $10,000 in defects. Hire
an inspector! |
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Four
types of defects:
- Hidden defects
- Visible defects
- Legal defects
- Not real defects
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Hidden
defects are behind the walls, on the roof or out of site
inside the furnace and under crawl spaces. |
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Even
professional inspectors might not spot all signs of termite
damage, faulty wiring and improper roofing.
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Visible
defects are out in the open for attentive buyers to see. Check
for the following red flags... (make a note and review with your professional
inspector). |
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Moisture: water
stains on ceilings, damp basement walls or musty odors are all
signs of possible water damage. |
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Cracks in
plaster walls might mean nothing, but all cracks should be
investigated by a professional, especially cracks around
fireplaces or in foundation walls. |
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Uneven floors: floors
that are not level could mean the house is sinking. It might
have done all its settling in the first year and has been stable
since, but have it checked. |
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Loose doors:
Look for light coming in around and under exterior doors. These
might need insulation or refitting. |
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Alignment: Doors not perfectly
vertical. If you can see more space between a door and its
frame at one end than at the other, the door is installed improperly and will eventually stick or fail to lock. |
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Tilted stairways:
Like uneven floors, tilted stairways indicate movement in the
foundation. Make a note and discuss with your inspector. |
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Legal
defects: |
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- A real estate attorney will spot liens
on the property or other challenges to the title, such as
inheritance disputes.
- A building inspector is needed to spot
oversized pools, illegal tool shacks and other zoning violations.
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Not
really defects: |
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Sticky doors &
windows: Hard to open windows are not serious problems, but
they make good negotiating points. Ask for a few hundred
dollars off the price or some other concession from the seller. |
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Horrid or ancient
paint jobs are not defects, they are signs of poor
maintenance, and make useful negotiating points. |
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Sellers
disclosures:
- Most states require sellers
and real estate agents to make full disclosure of all known
mechanical, structural and legal problems.
- Many sales contracts require
termite inspections plus disclosures about lead paint and
other hazards.
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Disclosure
requirements are big improvements over the "buyer beware"
rules of only a few years ago. The main problem is that Sellers only
have
to tell what they know. He or she might not know that the heating
system has only another few weeks of life. |
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Top
of page |
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Copyright January 1, 2003
Audrie.com Corporation
PO Box 870454
Stone Mtn, GA 30087
All rights reserved
Fax: 770-469-2180
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