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The Raleigh Home Inspector On: Inviting People Into Your Filthy Home

April 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Raleigh Home Inspector On Filthy Homes

As a professional Raleigh Home Inspector, I necessarily have to go into other peoples homes…it comes with the territory; it’s a foundational aspect of the job. You likely wouldn’t believe, though, the condition in which some of these houses are  maintained. You likely couldn’t possibly fathom the degree of filth and squalor that presents itself inside some of these houses. In fact, to say that some of these homes…and I use the word homes loosely  in those fairly rare subject instances…are actually maintained at all might be somewhat of a stretch of one’s realistic imagination.

Gary Gentry, Ezine Articles Expert Author

Gary Gentry of Quality Residential Inspections, EzineArticles Expert Author

Now, let me set the record straight forthrightly…I’m surely not referring to the vast majority of homes. On the contrary, most homes that I have the occasion to enter are well-maintained; it’s obvious that it is someone’s home. It’s obvious that someone actually lives in the house and takes pride in their abode. Let me also state that I don’t consider myself a prude and that I, myself, am a responsible pet owner who loves most all creatures. So, no cries of prejudice or to a lack of sensitivity, please; such cries will fall on deaf ears.

When I have the occasion to visit a house, it’s usually because someone has expressed a distinct interest in purchasing that house and has signed an Offer to Purchase Contract to do just that. But sometimes, when I walk through the front door, I can only wonder why there is any interest from anyone at all. A case of the heebie-jeebies sets in; an eerie gloom casts its shadow upon the scene. An unnatural pallor arrives upon the faces of all those present. I silently ask myself why, in this beautiful world, would anyone want to purchase the sty-like place into which I have just immersed myself? And, where I’m contractually obligated to stay immersed for the next 2 – 4 hours, I might add.

As a Home Inspector, it’s most definitely not my job to point fingers or to cast blame for any of the myriad of reportable conditions that I might discover. Likewise, for the most part anyway, I have no reserved place, in the Home Inspection report, for the reporting of dirty conditions. But, let’s be honest here; some things just can’t be over-looked or readily ignored. There are a few things that nobody should have to experience and some things that we just simply shouldn’t see…or smell…or have to avoid if we enter your domicile:

  • Clean Or Replace The Carpeting – It shouldn’t be readily obvious that your dog…or cat…or Iggy The Iguana is the primary occupant; there’s nothing worse than being initiated into the home with a big whiff of pet urine.
  • Do Your Dishes – It’s not pleasant to observe 2 weeks worth of crusty dishes in the scum pond commonly and usually recognizable as the kitchen sink. Using the dishwasher would be a good starting point.
  • Pick Up Your Undies – There’s probably no really good reason to leave 2 weeks worth of unwashed undies on the bathroom floor or hung over the rim of the bathtub…really!
  • Clean Up After Your Dog – Nobody wants to have to skirt the land mines in the back yard just to walk around a little; and we know what happens when we step on, or into, one of those cone-shaped, pooch-generated mines, right? Poof! Instant vaporization of the human form! If the land mines are on the living room floor then…Oh, never mind!
  • Exterminate The Pests – Infestations of roaches are bad enough, agreed? But, if fleas are jumping onto your clothing while you are walking across the living room carpet…well…that’s just Yech, with a capital Y…and I don’t care who you are!

So, with my tongue partially, I say, partially planted in my cheek, don’t invite people into a dirty, filthy home. Please…for the love of all things sane and reasonable…do some house-cleaning. If you exert a little time and effort to clean it up, it’ll show better, it might fetch a few extra dollars in the sales price, and you’ll spare your visitors the embarrassment of contracting a case of the dreaded heebie-jeebies……Poof!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6989173
The preceding original, partially tongue-in-cheek article, was written by The Raleigh Home Inspector in response to an article title suggested by EzineArticles….More articles by Ezine Expert Author, Gary Gentry.
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The Raleigh Home Inspector Asks: Do Those Light Bulbs Convey?

April 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I was inspecting a home not too long ago, which isn’t all that unusual given that it’s what I do as a professional Raleigh Home Inspector, when I made an observation that set me to thinking.

We all know that the ”Green” movement is in full swing. We’re aware that things are changing, that things are moving in a direction where energy efficiency and the use of environmentally friendly products are becoming more the “norm” than the exception. We’re all more environmentally aware than we used to be…and that’s probably a good a good thing.

Recently, I was performing a home inspection when I made an observation that set me to thinking; my observation concerned the type, quality…and quantity…of light bulbs that were installed in this particular home.

Consider the newer types of light bulbs as they relate to energy use and efficiency. Newer types of much more energy efficient light bulbs are now available and in common use in the residential setting. What’s the big deal about that you might wonder. Well, lets consider those light bulbs on a different level than you might have previously considered.

There are three basic types of light bulbs in common residential use:

The Raleigh Home Inspector on 3 Different Types of Light Bulbs

Do Those Expensive LED Light Bulbs Convey With The Property?

1) The vast majority of bulbs in use today are incandescent bulbs, They come in various wattage ratings and are relatively very cheap; they can be bought just about anywhere (for now at least) and will last from between 1000 and 2000 hours depending on quality. A 60 watt bulb, which is a very common size, can be bought for as little as $0.50 each…less than that if you buy them in bulk and on sale.

2) You are likely familiar with the newer compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. These are bulbs that are quite a bit more expensive but that will last considerably longer. A 15 Watt CFL bulb, which is the equivalent of that 60 watt incandescent bulb, can last for as many as 10,000 hours of use and can cost anywhere from $3.00 to as much as $15.00 depending on quality.

3) Then we have the much newer Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs. These bulbs can last a very long time…25,000 to 100,000 hours or more…and that’s a very long time. They are, though, considerably more expensive to purchase. LED bulbs can cost from between $20.00 to as much as $80.00 each for high quality bulbs, again, dependent on size and design.

Which brings us back to that house about which I made reference earlier. In this particular house, just about every light bulb…and I mean most all of them in the house with the exception of maybe a few in closets or storage spaces that see little use…had been replaced with very high quality, and very expensive, LED light bulbs. Now, I didn’t go around and count each individual light bulb, but I hypothesized that there were over 50 such light bulbs in the home. If one were to assign a very conservative median value of, say, $25.00 to each light bulb, then there would be at least $1250.00 worth of light bulbs in the home. The total value of the installed bulbs, therefore, was much more than a typical water heater…or a built-in dishwasher. In fact, for that amount of money, one could easily replace the water heater and the dishwasher in the average home and still have a few dollars left over. I suspect that negotiations during real estate transactions have become…heated…over far less dollar amounts than that.

I was left wondering whether or not the presence of those light bulbs had been considered as a value added to the home. Because, certainly, they do provide a long term value and benefit both in reduced energy consumption on a daily basis and on a replacement value basis as well since some of them may not have to be replaced for a very, very long time. Were those light bulbs going to be there when the new buyers moved in? Had they been a part of any discussion? From a Home Inspection perspective, if electricity flows and the light fixture functions when the wall switch is operated, then all is usually well.

At the end of the day, though, and on an entirely different level, I couldn’t help but wonder…do all of those expensive LED light bulbs convey with the sale of the property?

This original article was written by Gary Gentry, Owner of Quality Residential Inspections…your Raleigh Home Inspection firm, as a guest post for the good folks at Fonville Morisey Realty for publication in their Faces of Fonville blog.  Fonville Morisey Realty is a leading real estate company, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, that provides a wide range of  professional services to people engaged in the process of buying or selling a home.


 

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The Raleigh Home Inspector On: Three Things A Home-Buyer Can Do To Protect Their Investment

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Raleigh Home Inspector Wants Home Owners To Protect Their Investment

Buying a home can be exhilarating…owning a home can be exciting; the Raleigh Home Inspector is able to routinely observe the excitement evident when a new home is being purchased. Investing in your own home is smart, too, for a number of reasons. For most of us, the financial investment is a considerable one. I haven’t heard of too many homes being given away lately, have you? And I’ve posted here  before on various considerations regarding Home Maintenance. So what can the prudent home-buyer do to protect that substantial investment? What does it mean to “protect your investment”?

1) First, you should arrange for the services of a professional Raleigh Home Inspector to inspect the home prior to your purchase so that you know the physical condition of the property. I am often surprised at just how little time a prospective buyer, who is already under contract to purchase the property, has actually spent at there. I have stated before that a Home Inspector is paid to be suspicious even when there is nothing particular to be suspicious about…and that’s what you need prior to plunking down a significant amount of money for that new home…someone who is suspicious and someone who is not “in love” with that beautiful new home. A professional Home Inspection will provide you with valuable insight as to the physical condition of the property without emphasis on the floor plan of the house or the colors of the interior walls or of the condition of the wall-to-wall carpet. Having a Home Inspection will be mostly invaluable to you in your purchasing decision because the Inspection Report will identify areas of concern that you may not have yet considered. Is there any indication of damage from past plumbing leaks? What about from roof leakage? Are there any obvious electrical hazards present that need to be corrected? Is that garage overhead door operating safely?  The Home Inspector should also teach you a bit about the home because homes don’t generally come with  Owners Manuals. Where is that main water shut-off valve located in case you were to have to turn off the water…..right now? What is the most efficient way to operate the heat pump system?

Raleigh Home Inspection On ProtectingYour Investment

The Raleigh Home Inspector Suggests That A Good Maintenance Plan Can Go A Long Way Toward Protection Of Your Investment

2) So now you’ve made a really good and informed purchase…you’ve signed on the dotted line and now you are the home-owner. Not a home-owner…THE Homeowner. It’s yours. It’s your baby! Not just part of it but the whole enchilada. Your perspective of how to protect your investment has just changed. Now, you have to maintain the home and do everything that you can to make sure it’s value is maintained. And that is a tall order and one that is often taken lightly or outright misunderstood. The maintenance of a home requires a significant general commitment as well as considerable expenditures of both time and money. Home Inspectors routinely report on various conditions that are quite costly to correct and, often, these issues could have been prevented with a good maintenance plan and some affirmative action. Anything to do with water is a recurring and prominent theme with a home. Keeping the exterior well maintained is important…the siding and wood trim need to be periodically prepared and painted to prevent deterioration. Plumbing leaks, and roof leaks, need to be discovered as quickly as possible to prevent damage…there’s that water “thingy” again.

And what’s going on in those spaces of the home …those places into which most people rarely venture. What’s happening in that crawl space or attic space? You need to know what’s happening, and to know, you have to go there or have someone else check it out for you. Having your cooling and heating systems serviced is important to their well-being and to their longevity. And the list goes on.

3) At some time in the future, you are going to decide you want to sell your home. Maybe you need to upgrade to larger spaces or maybe you’re in need of down-sizing. Irrespective of your motivations, you’ll want to be able to fetch the most amount of money that the market will bear. Right? So pay attention to the way the home looks. Pay attention to how it presents itself. Drag out that dusty ole’ home-buyers hat, put it on, go out to the street, and take a good long, hard and unbiased look at your home. Walk around the exterior. What do you see? Do you see well-manicured shrubbery or scraggly bushes brushing up against the exterior walls? Do you see blinds hanging askew in the windows? Do you see “stuff” around the perimeter of the exterior? While a Home Inspector doesn’t pay too much attention to cosmetic items, you can bet your hard-earned money that your prospective buyers are doing just that. Do you remember how the home looked the first time you saw it? So spruce up the exterior. Clean and tidy up the interior. Know that, just as you did, your prospective buyer will form a first impression and that you want that first impression to be a positive one. Protecting your investment begins with your due diligence prior to purchase and doesn’t end until you have sold your investment for the fair price that you deserve. Hopefully, and with a good maintenance plan, that price will be one that is profitable for you.

For more articles related to homes, home-buying, and Home Inspections by the Raleigh Home Inspector, Gary Gentry, visit his Expert Author page at e-Zine Articles.

 

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Is That Home You’re Purchasing Really As Described And As Represented? Ask Your Raleigh Home Inspector…

August 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A few days ago, Quality Residential Inspections and I happened to be performing a Raleigh Home Inspection where I was shown some printed advertising material regarding the home. What caught the eye of this Raleigh Inspector was a stated claim that the exterior of the home had been “meticulously maintained”. This was a statement, in writing, that was held out to the public and any potential buyer as a representation of the “quality” of the home. It was there right along with other marketing exclamations such as “Absolutely Stunning!” and “This One You Don’t Want To Miss!”.

The fact of the matter is that the the home was not exactly “stunning” although it had no major structural or mechanical issues and may very have been of reasonable value if all things were to be considered. The exterior of the home, most precisely and pointedly though, had not been “meticulously maintained.

Raleigh Home Inspector Damaged Hardboard Siding

This siding was represented as having been "Meticulously Maintained"

The hardboard siding, which is a particular type of exterior wall cladding that has had its fair share of issues in the past and one that we Home Inspectors routinely determine and report to be in poor condition, was in awful shape. It was severely decayed around windows and doors,  it was soft and decayed at siding “butt” joints where siding ends meet and at bottom edges, and had been so generally and poorly maintained that it was in need of being replaced…and at considerable expense, I might add.

Raleigh Inspector Damaged Hardboard Siding

The Raleigh Inspector thinks that this siding has not been so meticulously maintained, eh?

When the very poor general condition of the siding was brought attention and pointed out to those present, it was suggested that the condition was one of cosmetics rather than of any structural/mechanical issue, to which my reply was “Well, Not exactly…”.

Our clients, the home-buyers, were really terrific people…they did not, however, know how to identify deficient hardboard siding (or of just how expensive it can be to replace it) and had been fully reliant on the representations of the selling party. Had they not been so wise as to have hired Quality Residential Inspections  to accomplish a Home Inspection for them, they might well have taken ownership of that “meticulously maintained” exterior to the surprising tune of many thousands of future dollars in unanticipated replacement expenditures…meaning that they would have had to dig deep into the pockets and fork over a goodly sum of money to make the repairs. Not a happy thought.

While this was certainly not my first encountered occasion where the “qualities” of a home have been grossly misrepresented and over-exaggerated it did get me to thinking about just how often a home is misrepresented and about just how important it is for a home-buyer to know all that can be reasonably known about the physical condition of the home before they purchase that home.

The fact is that that many aspects of a home can be mis-represented… and not even intentionally so. Having a complete, thorough Home Inspection can go a long way toward making sure that the home is as it is being represented… and prudent home-buyer will always, as part of their due diligence, attain the services of a professional Home Inspector.

When a home is represented as having a super-duper Balcony View, and that the patio furniture conveys, you would do well to make sure that those statements cannot be classified as misleading. You want to make sure that you are purchasing a home that is right for you.

Raleigh Home Inspection - Balcony With A View

Is This Your Idea Of A Balcony View? Quality Residential Inspections Can Help You To Purchase The Home That Is Right For You...Or Help You Avoid One That Isn't...

Call Quality Residential Inspection and Schedule Your Home Inspection today…speak to a real, live person when you call 919-848-4833. Or, for your convenience, you can you can begin to Schedule Your Home Inspection right here on our website.

To watch any of our InspectBits series of videos on varied issues regarding Home Inspections, visit us on our Raleigh Home Inspection YouTube Channel.

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Raleigh Home Inspector On: ASHI and Howeowner Satisfaction – Get A Home Inspection

March 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As a Raleigh Home Inspector, I know our clients benefit from our Raleigh Home Inspection services…there’s just no question about that. Choosing a Home Inspector that is certified by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), and who is a member of the North Carolina chapter of that organization (NCASHI), will enhance your North Carolina home-buying experience and assist you in attaining a home without the worry of unexpected issues and unanticipated repair expenses.

A NCASHI Home Inspector can help you because We Speak House!

Raleigh Home Inspector: We Speak House

You Can Be Sure That Your Raleigh Home Inspector and ASHI Member..."Speaks House"

A New Poll From ASHI Reports More Than 70 Percent of Homeowners Agree Their Home Inspection Helped Them Avoid Potential Problems.

* Nearly 90 percent of all U.S. homeowners surveyed believe home inspections are a necessity, not a luxury.

* A home inspection conducted by an ASHI Certified Inspector examines the physical structure and systems of a house.

* ASHI is the only professional organization of home inspectors that has completed NCCA certification process.

DES PLAINES, Ill, (February 22, 2011) – Nearly three in four (72 percent) U.S. homeowners agree the home inspection they had when they purchased their current primary residence helped them avoid potential problems with their home, according to a survey released today by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Also, almost two in three (64 percent) noted, in the long run, they saved a lot of money as result of their home inspection. As the housing market begins to recover, ASHI encourages homeowners and buyers to hire a certified home inspector and to get a home inspection to help further protect their investment. [Read more...]

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Home Inspections Help You Sell……

July 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

These days, in a generally …..no, make that a significantly down market, home sellers need to do anything and everything that they can to improve the odds of their home selling quickly…..a pre-sale Home Inspection can help circumvent repair-related issues so that they don’t become bigger issues late in the real estate transaction process.

Home inspections help you sell

(ARA) – When you’re ready to sell your home in the current market, you need to take every step you can to ensure a timely sale at the price you want. A surplus of homes for sale means that yours needs to stand out in style, amenities and quality to make an impression on potential buyers. The more steps you take to make your house sale-ready, the better results you’ll get. [Read more...]

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