Contemplating Home

Is there a value to it? You agents are the experts. I'll take your word for it. For years I have been trying to sell prelisting inspections. And to no avail. Sure we get a few each year but not the number that I would expect. What's the answer? Are we, the inspection industry, selling it incorrectly? Maybe we're just wrong. Maybe there's no demand for this service. I hope that's not the case.

I can't imagine why we don't get 200 calls a year for prelisting inspections. It just seems to make sense to me. Any time there is a chance to avoid a last minute rush to repair or replace something it seems like a win. Why not set the sellers up for success? Maybe I just don't understand.

Is it the cost? I doubt that. Is it the fear of the unknown; what will he find? That shouldn't be a deterrent. Someone will find the defects during an inspection. Wouldn't it be better to discover the flaws when you are in control? Is it disclosure? If I was buying a home I'd prefer to know what the sellers know up front. Again, no last minute surprises.

As for disclosure and fear, you'll have to deal with that. Cost is something I can help with. How about if we put off paying for the inspection until closing? Your sellers pay me when you sell the home. Would that help? Again, I'm asking for your help here. You Realtors are the experts. I'm on the outside here looking for guidance and advice.

I would love to hear what you think. Call me. Email me. Let me know how to make this work.

Oh yeah, if you need a prelisting inspection, call us. You'll be glad that you did.

508-259-3248

rory@warrenhomeinspections.com

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Do you read the Boston Globe? Did you see Sunday's Globe Magazine? Lisa Provost wrote an article called "The Price Chopper". This piece talks about buyers using a home inspection as a negotiating tool, and  how the sales people feel when this occurs. I disagree with much of what this article says. Here's why:

The article mentions  "imperfections" that could be fixed but don't have to be fixed - a leaky faucet, a sticking door, a slanted porch. Well,  if I'm buying a home I want the plumbing to work correctly - all of it. If a tub was installed with a stopper it should still be there and it ought to work properly. If the home has doors with hinges and  lock sets, they should work correctly. A slightly slanting porch? Was it built that way? If not, it's failing and needs repair.

As I tell my clients, a small repair is not usually a big deal. A 3 page list of small repairs can be a very big deal. 25 repairs that will cost $200 each to fix adds up fast. Do the math.  More importantly, a list of repairs like this is indicative of one thing; neglect. Now we all have to remember that there is a difference between normal aging and neglect. Everything ages over the years. That doesn't mean that they fall apart and fail.

I realize that this will not win me any favors from the real estate community but I firmly believe that an inspector has an obligation to educate his client. They deserve to know the entire story of the property they are considering purchasing.

And here's something to think about.... why don't listing agents have these homes inspected before they go on the market? Wouldn't that save a lot of trouble at the last minute?  You agents know that we will be there "picking the home apart". Why sabotage your deal? Get it looked at early on in the sale process. Fix the deficiencies or at least disclose them. Everyone's life would be easier.

Lately I've noticed that there's a lot more wrong with the homes I look at. Why is that? I didn't get new glasses so I'm seeing things the same as always. I haven't changed my philosophy about home inspection. I still look at each home the same way, but the defects are piling up. Why?

I believe that we (today's homeowners) are not doing our jobs. We're ignoring the basic preventative maintenace that every home requires. As a result our housing stock is in a state of neglect. Simple repairs aren't getting done. Seasonal and yearly upkeep is skipped. The result is obvious. Longer home inspections. Longer inspection reports. Angry home sellers.

As I've said before, don't shoot the messenger. Instead, go fix up your home. It's crumbling around you as we speak!

Clean the gutters.

Paint the trim.

Service your heating system. Change those filters. It says every 30 days, not sometime next year.

Have you flushed your water heater? It might help.

How old is your roof? When will you replace the shingles? After the big rainstorm puts a few hundred gallons of water into your living room?

Have you looked at your attic lately? We have found mold in over 50% of the homes we have inspected this year. Do you know where to look?

How about pest control? Do you have any mice in your home? You know you do. Now do something about it. Soon it will be ant season. Termites are here also. A preventative program is a great idea.

These are only a few of the things that need to be done on a regular basis to keep a home in good condition. Do you have the time to check these things? Who does?  We can help. Contact Warren Home Inspections and we will arrange a Home Maintenance Checkup for you. You'll find out what needs to be done. If you're a handy person you can do the work yourself. If not we can show you who you can trust to help get those jobs done correctly at a reasonable price. 

Give us a call. You'll be glad you did.

Here I am in Dallas. Every year I come here in February to spend a week with over 100 of the most successful home inspection companies in the USA. It's a great opportunity for me to share ideas with the best of the best. To be included in this group is a honor that I take very seriously. Most of my associates in the home inspection industry think this is a silly waste of time and money. I love my competition.

I'm learning how to better use all of the social media out there. Someday I'll master it and unleash it's power. Someday soon.

I have some great new ideas for you, my clients. A new service that will make a home inspection a value to everyone involved; buyer, seller, listing agent and buyer's agent. With this new service everyone wins. And the best part of it all.... it's free. How about that. Everyone gains and no one pays.

If you want to hear more about what I've learned here give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to stop by your office and show you what is new and innovative in our industry. Until then, enjoy the snow!

Everyone in Massachusetts should read this!

    It's always wet.  I can't use it for storage. What can we do about it?  Can it be fixed?

     I hear this a lot.  Sure you can fix it, but it's not always easy.  

    First think about the source of the water. It is usually ground water seeping in between the rubble in the foundation.  Sealing the foundation is very difficult, maybe impossible.  A better solution is to eliminate the water before it can seep into the basement.  One of the main sources of a wet basement is missing or poorly maintained gutters. Diverting the water that drains from the roof will go a long way towards keeping your basement dry. It is also imperative that the grading around the home is proper. Does it run downhill from the foundation in every direction? It better!

    Sometimes even these measures can't keep out seepage. The next line of defense is a sump. If you do use one, please have it professionally installed. A check valve or back flow preventer is required.  Also, make sure that the sump drain line terminates at the exterior, on a downward slope. You don't want the sump discharge to run back into the basement. If the basement is humid in the summer you may need to ventilate it. Keep your sills and floor framing dry. A last resort is a dehumidifier. They work but are costly to operate.  If you must use one, be sure that it is a newer model that is energy star rated. And remember to empty the water tank if it exists (I always forget). The best idea is to drain the dehumidifier into the sump pit.

    If your basement continues to seep water you should make an effort to keep your installed systems dry. The cabinet on your boiler or furnace will deteriorate quickly if it sits in a puddle. Also, any wood that is in contact with the floor should be pressure treated. This will slow the rate of deterioration.

    The bottom line is this; it's an old home and it's not perfect. It will always have flaws and may require some extra maintenance but it's worth it. Take care of it and enjoy it. You can't put a price on the charm and character of an antique home.

I last talked about hiring the correct pros to get your deal done. Often in a FSBO purchase I am the only paid professional involved. I frequently see the result of buyers trying to do what they can't do. They usually regret it in the end.  Now, I'll go into some more detail.

Buying a home is a complicated process and no one should try it alone. What does the average person know about negotiating a purchase (offers, counter offers etc.)?  And what is the real value of the home? Do you expect a layperson to know?  That might require an appraier to determine.

Where do you find a knowledgeable mortgage person?  Your cousin's neighbor's step sister is probably not the best choice. Should you shop and compare? What is a good interest rate?

Here's the big one (of course I'm biased); inspections. Do you have an inspection clause in your offer? Do you even need an inspection? How do you translate an inspection report? What should be negotiated and what is accepted as normal wear and tear? What about radon? lead? asbestos? mold?

Let's not forget the legal questions a buyer encounters. Is the bank's attorney working for you? Do you need to hire someone else? Do you understand the fine print on that contract? What's this about title insurance? Why buy a second policy if the bank made me buy one already.

As a real estate professional you know the answers to these questions, but a buyer may not. And they shouldn't have to. All they need is a team of professionals working for them; their "advocates".  The starting point for assembling a team? An agent. They have access to all of the assorted pros needed. They know where to find the answers if they don't know them. They do this every day.

When people ask me for advice about buying real estate I always give them the same answer. Go find a good agent. Then work with that agent to assemble your team of advocates. Don't try to do it alone. You will most likely fail.

Remember, you don't know what you don't know. Set yourself up to succeed. It just makes sense.

I keep threatening to do it. Now I think it's time to do something. How about an extra $100-$150 fee for inspecting a FSBO. It seems fair to me. Someone should pay me for the aggravation.

We tend to forget the work that a Realtor does until they are missing from the equation. Simple things maybe, but important. Like unlocking a door to get me in. This week I had to wait for 45 minutes to get in because the seller was busy and didn't show up. And how about the other little things that were missing from this encounter; who's going to arrange the smoke detector inspection (a requirement in Massachusetts)? Not me. Who's going to help the buyer find a mortgage, an appraiser, an attorney? That's what the agents do, at least in my world. Sure I can recommend some to help them. I have access to a great team of Real Estate Resources; but the one referral this buyer needs is a good Realtor.

Now how about the big things the agents do? Who will assist the buyer in their negotiations once the inspection report is delivered? They'll ask me for help but it's not my job. I can't advise them even if I want to. Sounds like a job for a Realtor. What do the buyers do if the radon levels are high? Their Realtor (if they had one) would know.

I'm sure you get my point.  Everyone involved in a real estate transaction is important and needed. When you try to cut the corners to save a few dollars it usually backfires and it may end up costing you more in the long run, a lot more.

Bottom line? Hire a pro. In fact hire as many pros as is needed to get the job done correctly. It's the smart way to do it.

I shut off the water at the meter. I left the heat on in the kitchen. I insulated the pipes. Why did they freeze? Good question and here's why.... it's cold!

What some folks seem to forget is that insulation does not create heat. It will help to contain heat or slow it's transfer, but it can't make it any warmer. In the winter an unheated basement is cold. In this environment without heat, water will always freeze. It's just a matter of time.

I inspected a home the other day that had electric heat. The current owners were out of town so they decided to save a few bucks and turn the heat off except in the kitchen. They assumed that the water pipes were only present in the kitchen and the bath directly above it, so why heat the rest of the home? That didn't work out so well for them. When I arrived it was cold in the home and really cold in the basement (36 degrees). The electric heat in the kitchen was on low while the heat in every other room was off. There were no doors between the kitchen and the rest of the first floor, so the temperature was consistent throughout the home, consistently cold.   The single electric baseboard unit in the kitchen was trying to heat the entire home; not a very efficient way to keep the place warm. I believe the owners could have saved some money by setting the heat in the entire house on low. Unfortunately, the pipes in the basement still froze. There was no source of heat down there.

If you must shut down your heat, you should have the home winterized. Even if it's short term. This can be done by any licensed and qualified plumbing contractor. There is a cost involved, but it's minimal compared to the cost of repairing frozen pipes.

Lessons learned the hard way are very rarely forgotten but boy, can they be expensive. I hope this helps someone avoid a costly mistake.

If you have any questions please feel free to call me.

Talk to you soon.