# How to avoid surprises when buying a house



## Aggie67

This thread is for all of the "wow, didn't see that coming when I looked at this house" experiences. I'm a licensed engineer and licensed home inspector, and I'm going to try to add some nuggets of experience from the time I (and the guys in our office) spend doing inspections. So in the future, if you're with your home inspector walking through a home that you are interested in purchasing, maybe you'll have a few more things to ask him to check. It might avoid a surprise after you move in. Oh, and please feel free to add your own "gotcha's".


First up:

The dreaded "vacant building choke hold syndrome".

If a house (regardless of age) has been vacant for any period of time (which is sadly a condition more prevalant now than ever), the plumbing drains, traps, and waste lines could pose problems for you that can't be caught during a normal inspection. Root balls, dried up solids and paper, and partial collapses are things a typical inspection won't catch, because the standard of care typically only calls for running tap water in the fixtures during the time of the inspection. In order to catch these larger problems before you buy and move in, bring it up during the inspection as a concern. The inspector will include it on his/her report. He probably can't physically do the sewer line inspection, but he can note it in the report and recommend a video inspection. This could avoid the scenario of you moving in, spending the first couple days in the house, only to realize then that your sewer line is clogged with a root ball, old solids, or a partial collapse, and you've filled the plumbing lines up to the gills with waste.


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## hoz49

Who pays for the video inspection?

Buyer or seller?


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## Aggie67

Typically the agents negotiate that. It's similar to a structural concern. If it pops up on the inspection report, the buyer's agent can say "we have a concern, please have the owner confirm condition through a video inspection." The seller can turn around and say "price is based on as-is condition", in which case a buyer can either walk, or if they're really interested in the home, pay for that due diligence inspection themselves. I've seen it go both ways. But a vacant home is usually either bank-owned or relo company-owned, and it behooves them for the sale to proceed, thus making it worthwhile for them to cover the inspection. And more likely than not, those types of companies have oodles of contacts to do such inspections (I'm part of a network that does them for relo companies and banks).


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## LateralConcepts

> because the standard of care typically only calls for running tap water in the fixtures during the time of the inspection. In order to catch these larger problems before you buy and move in, bring it up during the inspection as a concern. The inspector will include it on his/her report. He probably can't physically do the sewer line inspection, but he can note it in the report and recommend a video inspection. This could avoid the scenario of you moving in, spending the first couple days in the house, only to realize then that your sewer line is clogged with a root ball, old solids, or a partial collapse, and you've filled the plumbing lines up to the gills with waste.


Aggie67 -

First off, thanks again for your important and useful post. That's exactly what I do here in North Idaho, and that's all I do. Video inspections and locates. I don't do sewer or septic repairs, service, replacement, or excavation. Thus, I'm unbiased in providing my clients with forthright information. I do offer free consulting however for sewer and septic problems. In many cases if a problem is found, the client looks to me for professional advice. If they are interested in having the repair or replacement done, I will then step in and act as a liaison between them and the contractor to make sure they are not taken advantage of. In many cases I can even save them on the repair due to relationships I've built with local contractors. 

Sewer and septic problems can cost thousands of dollars in property damage and sometimes tens-of-thousands of dollars to repair. Anyone planning to purchase a home or investment property should not go without a sewer or septic lateral inspection.

Thanks again!

Best Regards,


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## Salvatorparadise

*cold weather concerns*

You can look up my post from a few weeks ago for more details, but I agree with the OP that if the seller is out, look extra carefully at the mechanicals.

October and November were very warm here in Ohio, and our inspection in november found only a leaking water pipe. Because of this the seller shut off the hot water heat in the house, and left it off through a very cold snap. We take possession Dec. 22 to find several leaks in domestic water pipes, cracked radiators in radiant system and at least one break in a cast iron hot water pipe to a radiator, found at the elbow the the radiator.

Not good. Terrible in fact! The day of closing go over and power everything up to the max and make sure it's all cool if the place hasn't been lived in.

You'll save yourself a lot of money and time.


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## Aggie67

Proper due dilligence includes cranking up the heat. Even if it's summer, I'll get the boiler cranking just to make sure it all works (with the seller's permission). But even so, like you say there's no telling what could happen between the inspection and the move in. It would be interesting to find out if you could have a clause that states something along the lines of "seller responsible for maintaining good working order of equipment and appliances between time of inspection and time of closing." That has to have come up already, somewhere. Your agent would probably be the best one to have that conversation with, and bring up Salvatorparadise's experience.


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## Aggie67

Here's one for sellers:

To avoid surprises like buyers asking for copies of permits, have them ready. All you really need is the approval copy. If the buyer wants all of the gory details, you can politely give them directions to borough hall. Having copies of the permits handy for when they ask (if they ask) will go a long way in preventing the scenario where a lack of permits pushes the buyer off their desire to buy the home at a price close to where it would have sold, had permits been in place.


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## Salvatorparadise

we're hoping our lawyer will help us after we meet with him this week


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## Aggie67

Here are a couple of good reads that could avoid problems:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Your-Final-Step-in-the-Home-Buying-Process---The-Walk-Through&id=2789987

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Write-A-Repair-Request---Its-In-The-Details&id=852279

A blurb from an official Louisianna home purchase contract, available on the state's web site: 

THE SELLER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE PROPERTY IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME OR BETTER CONDITION AS IT WAS WHEN THE AGREEMENT WAS FULLY EXECUTED. 

In addition, make sure you at least discuss these scenarios with your agent and lawyer.


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## MooseWoodworks

I don't know that I'll add much new here, but I'll give it a shot. This is what I have taken away from searching for my first home:

- Check the roof. Outside, inside, and all along the perimeter of the house. Check it very closely. Don't be afraid to climb up in the attic and go from one end to the other.

- Check the crawlspace/basement if it has one. Mainly checking for water damage, but many homes have been junked underneath from the previous owner not wanting to dispose of his unwanted items the proper way. 

- Check every window inside and out. Will they open? Will they lock? Are they square? Do they seal properly? 

- Check all cabinets, especially those that are located beneath sinks. 

- Look at every square inch of bathrooms. Water damage. 

- Check the age and condition of the heating and ac unit. 

- Check and decide what updates will have to be done immediatley and ones that can wait. 


After all of this (I'm sure I am missing one of my personal steps) if you still like the house very much. Do the right thing and pay a proffessional (if you aren't one or aren't equally knowledged) to do a proper and thorough inspection of the house.


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## kanepe

There might also be environmental problems. 

if you are sensitive to noise, consider that.

:icon_confused:


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## FlyingHammer

I've bought and sold about a dozen homes in my life, so I think I speak from experience on this topic. The inspection not only protects you against surprises, but it is also a great negotiating tool. The more problems the inspector finds and documents, the more likely the seller will be to reduce the price. IMO, there are two critically important aspects: 1. Find the right inspector, and 2. participate 110% in the process. 

It's going to take some time to find the right inspector, so you should start interviewing right away and have your guy lined up before you make an offer. Anyone can call himself a home inspector, but you really need somebody who understands how a house is put together and how all the mechanical systems work. Ideally, you want somebody who has personally built a lot of houses in the area where your new house is located, so a retired contractor is best. It's also important to find someone you're comfortable being around and talking to, because you're going to spend a lot of time with him.

If you don't already know someone, just call a few local realtors and ask for recommendations. Realtors deal with inspectors all the time, but they usually don't have any financial connections so you should get an unbiased opinion (especially if you're not using that particular realtor).

Once you have an inspector lined up, schedule the inspection for as soon as possible after your offer is accepted. You usually only get 5-10 days to inspect the house, so get started immediately. You want as much time as possible in case you decide you want to go back for a second look after you've had time to think about things. 

On inspection day YOU MUST BE THERE, and YOU MUST BE FULLY ENGAGED. No matter how good the inspector, it's a total waste of time if you're not there and paying attention. You should plan on spending at least 3-4 hours looking over the house, and you will want to ask a lot of questions. The inspector should tell you what he's looking for (and why), and he should show you all the good and bad parts of the house. He should also explain how all the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems work. At the end of the inspection, before you even see the report or get feedback from the seller, you should already know whether you still want to buy the house. 

At the end of the inspection you'll receive a printed report detailing all the inspector's findings. It will usually be a nicely bound 30-40 page report, and it will look like it covers everything. Unfortunately, the report is basically worthless except as a bargaining tool to help get the seller to pay for repairs (or reduce the price). In most cases, the inspector can't guarantee the condition of anything, and the report will contain dozens of disclaimers limiting his liability if/when problems come up. That's ok as long as you understand that going in. Just don't expect to be able to sue the home inspector if you later find a problem that "he should have caught". The real value in the inspection comes from the time you spend with the inspector, not the report.

It's also a good idea to talk to a few neighbors, either before or after the inspection, to see what they'll tell you about the house. This is probably the fastest/easiest way to learn about any problems with the house or neighborhood. 

Good luck.


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## mark2741

Not sure if this is totally on-topic but it's certainly valid IMO.

In 2009 I made the grave mistake of purchasing a home that was about a half mile from a gun club. I knew the club was there before purchasing (the house/neighborhood was about 15 minutes away from where I had previously lived and we often were in the area), but this is a suburban neighborhood that is well populated so I figured I would have heard if there was a problem. This house had about .75 of an acre yard behind the house, and then the township owned a lot of wooded, undeveloped acreage between this house (and the rest of the development) and the gun club. We visited the house 3 times before making an offer, with each visit being at least an hour, and had a home inspector in which I was there for a couple of hours with him and never once did we ever hear any gunfire.

All of this happened in March while it was still cold out. We settled and moved in on July 31st.

The day we moved in all we heard was gunfire in the distance, non-stop. Turned out that, in the summer, the outdoor range at this gun club was used non-stop some days from 9am to 11pm at night (even though the rule was supposedly for no one to shoot after dusk, I was told that half the guys shooting at the outdoor range on Friday/Saturday nights were the township police...). I was devastated, my wife was devastated, and the smiling neighbors, who like us had not been aware of the issue until after they bought and moved in, kept telling us "you'll get used to it in no time! we don't even notice it anymore!".

Well, within 2 months of moving in, my wife had had enough and we decided to sell the house. We waited until after the winter, sold the house, and moved back to our old neighborhood. I lost approximately $40k in the process. All equity from the sale of our previous house, so I technically 'could afford it' (we made over $100k from that sale), but this was supposed to be our dream house and our dreams were shattered. 

We like our new house but because of the money we lost from having to sell the prior house (there is a whole 'nother angle to this story too, regarding structural problems that had to be repaired before I could sell....), it is a definite step down from what we had always hoped for.

I urge anyone that is buying a house to not trust ANY realtor.

Another good tip: check Google (or Bing) Maps and do a 'satellite' view of the surrounding property so you can see what is nearby from a high-level.

If you are wondering:

1. No, it is not law in this state (PA) to divulge this.
2. No, I did not voluntarily divulge this to the buyers I sold it to. I feel horrible about this to this day, but the alternative would have been for us to stay for the rest of our lives, which my wife was not going to do. I would have made the best of it and 'gotten used to it' like the neighbors claimed. I heard through a contact that still lives nearby that the buyers are quite happy and don't mind the gunshots. I hope that is true.
3. Turned out that when the gun club was open, the shots were clearly heard very loudly throughout the ENTIRE village. The village was quite a few miles square. It wasn't just my house but the entire damn town.

Buyer beware.


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## LateralConcepts

> 1. No, it is not law in this state (PA) to divulge this.
> 2. No, I did not voluntarily divulge this to the buyers I sold it to. I feel horrible about this to this day, but the alternative would have been for us to stay for the rest of our lives, which my wife was not going to do. I would have made the best of it and 'gotten used to it' like the neighbors claimed. I heard through a contact that still lives nearby that the buyers are quite happy and don't mind the gunshots. I hope that is true.
> 3. Turned out that when the gun club was open, the shots were clearly heard very loudly throughout the ENTIRE village. The village was quite a few miles square. It wasn't just my house but the entire damn town.
> 
> Buyer beware.


Yes, buyer beware.. of previous homeowners that don't disclose the reason behind selling. Hopefully the new owners truly do enjoy the sound of repeat gunfire; and if they don't, hopefully they don't also lose $40K or more over something that could have been easily disclosed by the seller (law or not).

Just like with sewer and septic problems... there are plenty of tell-tale signs for the layman indicating whether a sewer back-up has occurred in the past. Other times however, it's simply out of sight, out of mind. That's where sewer or septic inspection and/or lateral video inspection would come into play. It's especially important in states without disclosure laws for buyers to perform their own due diligence. Whether you're buying a used car or "your dream home", sellers simply (in most cases) won't disclose major problems. And sometimes they just don't know major problems exist.


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## Blondesense

I understand you can ask your realtor to get you copies of the last 12 mos of utility bills on a house you may be interested in. Didn't know this when we bought ours.  

Not only can it save you sticker shock come heating season, but can give you a heads-up on the general energy efficiency of the house.


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## salemguy2012

Great post - and great follow-up comments, everybody. And I've got a minor horror story I want to share with everyone.

My wife and I are currently living a home (2nd floor of a triple decker condo in Eastern MA) that is our second purchase, and boy have we learned a lot. First off, we had a terrific home inspector (if anyone needs the name of a hyper-detailed and conservative home inspector in the Boston area, let me know) who highlighted some not-so-terrific red flags. They weren't enough for us to not buy the home, but a red flag is a red flag. In hindsight, we shouldn't have bought the place. 

In the 8+ months that we've lived here, we've uncovered a lot of shortcuts that were taken when the unit was redone some years ago. The guy who did it was a carpenter by trade, and really did some lovely woodwork in the place, enough to really up the value of the home and enough to make us put in an offer almost immediately, but he also did a lot of unpermitted work himself, which we're paying through the nose to repair.

We've found: outlet boxes that are coming out of the wall, illegal plumbing under sinks, and major problems with the vent stack in the bathroom. 

The worst part is just too crazy: last summer, our neighbor below us was complaining that we were leaking from our bathroom. After some detective work by the plumbers, we decided that we needed to open up the wood-covered hot tub (a red flag was that the inspector couldn't open up the tub to look at the fixtures!), and see underneath the shower. When we finally did, we uncovered a slew of problems that were not visible to the inspector, and if we had, we wouldn't have bought the place. SO... an incorrect vent stack was used and was not placed high enough, tubing from the shower and bath were too skinny, and, to take the cake - there was no copper pan under the walk-in shower! So water was literally seeping through the grouting and through the joists under the shower and through our neighbor's ceiling. It was jaw-droppingly awful. Overall we ended up paying 5k to get the shower tiles taken apart from the waist below just so a copper pan could be put in place, mudded, and tiled up again.

Lesson: if it looks like some things are hard for the inspector to get to, it may be because some scary things are hidden. Watch those red flags - don't let your feelings for a new house get in the way of common sense!

We're renting next time...


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## shadytrake

Here's another good tip. If you are going it alone (without an inspector - which I don't recommend), take a nail set or a moisture meter tester with you when you do the first walk-through of the property (before you even offer). When you look in the bathroom, finished basement, and the kitchen, carefully push the nail set or the tester in a questionable area to detect a possible moisture issue. Solid drywall should not crumble or be soft. If you find soft areas especially in a basement remodel (red-flag), the work was probably done wrong.

You don't have to be a negative Nancy with your realtor, but there is nothing wrong with being thorough before you make an offer. Save some inspection money up front by doing a pre-inspection. Don't rely on the inspector to root out every problem. If you find a solid contender that you want to make an offer on, then definitely line up your inspector. Know what to look for.

Basements: Moisture, mold, window egress rot, framing and foundation issues.
Attics: Insulation, water leaks, roof issues (how many layers?), water heaters, ducts, air flow for heating
Kitchens: GFCIs, dishwasher drains, crappy remodels (permit issues).
Bathrooms: same as kitchens (permit issues), moisture, mold, venting fan (decibel level and recycling ability)

If the house is advertised as completely re-modeled, be wary of flippers. Go over every inch of the remodel and get the permit approval copies.

Just a few tips from a person who watches a lot of Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection.


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## garethcooper9

Great piece of advice shadytrake and very useful thread as a whole. People should know where to look when buying a house, doing your homework really matters.


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## jjrbus

Buyer Beware! Knowing someone that took, passed and became a home inspector, I am not going to spend my money on one! This person while well meaning, and a good person knows nothing about homes. But they are a licensed home inspector.

Moving to FL I do not know anything about Concrete Block Stucco construction, so I asked a real estate agent acquaintance to recommend an inspector. He told me while he always recommends an inspection, to his buyers, he never pays for one for property he is buying as it is a waste of money!

I am sure there are competent inspectors out there, but just because they are licensed does not mean they know anything!

In the meantime I met a contractor who seems competent, he is also a long term Florida resident, so I paid him to go over a house for me. I feel much better about our (I did it with him) inspection than some yahoo that took a 90 day inspector course! 

So how does one find a knowledgeable competent inspector? JIm


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## gmwilkes

This is great! Being in the process of searching for my first home, it gave me the idea to find a home inspection checklist to take with me on my visits to houses prior to a home inspector. I'm not certified but it will help me understand what I should look for and notice things I normally overlooked but someone else has pointed out. Thanks! Keep it going, any tips for a first time buyer are welcomed!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jjrbus

Finding a competent inspector is difficult. I bought a 25 year old house last year with the original roof on it. The owner has an inspection report that says the roof has three years life left in it. I can see water stains in the attic and holes in the roof! I am in the attic and I can see daylight through the roof.

But he has an inspection report that says the roof has 3 years left and does not want to negotiate. I did not want to pay for an inspection, but I need an licensed inspector to say the roof has holes in it.

I found a decent inspector through my insurance agent. In FL agents deal with many inspectors and may be able to guide you to a good one??

Question the inspector and make sure they have a construction back ground.


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## gmwilkes

Thanks. My realtor happens to be a family friend, which means the trust level is higher with them than someone else. I'm going to see who she recommends but I'll also do my own research into the inspector. 


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## fixrupr

gmwilkes said:


> This is great! Being in the process of searching for my first home, it gave me the idea to find a home inspection checklist to take with me on my visits to houses prior to a home inspector. I'm not certified but it will help me understand what I should look for and notice things I normally overlooked but someone else has pointed out. Thanks! Keep it going, any tips for a first time buyer are welcomed!


Excellent idea. I'm in the same boat and an inspection checklist is definitely getting made after reading this thread.


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## Honest Bob

I avoid any house that has had an addition, most of the time they arent of the same quality as the rest of the house. 

Also beware of a closed in porch, rarely do they ever seem insulated properly costing $$$ in hvac bills.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC

FlyingHammer said:


> *It's also a good idea to talk to a few neighbors, either before or after the inspection, to see what they'll tell you about the house. This is probably the fastest/easiest way to learn about any problems with the house or neighborhood.*
> 
> Good luck.


Flying...... Excellent advice to newbies, as to the practical and real world operation of Home Inspections......

And I highlight your last point.... 

(I trade/rehab/flip and always go to introduce myself to neighbors and just tell them the truth that I'm looking at the property next door/accross the street, wonder how they like the neighborhood etc.

Most people are most accomadating and forthcoming.

Besides potential structural issues, you often find out valuable negotiating related information relative to the seller.

Best


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## MTN REMODEL LLC

I would just reinforce the previous advice for a non-informed buyer to really check out your inspector before hiring him/her.

I don't use one, but my wife is a RE agent, and I respond to many inspection reports on behalf of both her buyers and her sellers.

*Unquestionably, the quality of inspectors varies dramatically* in our area.


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## Ariadne

Very helpful thread. I am compiling a list of things to personally check, and I now plan to be involved in the inspection.

:thumbup:


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## oh'mike

I am a remodeling contractor--I frequently inspect homes for my regular customers.

I am not a 'home inspector'--but I can inspect the 'bones' of a house in short order.

This process saves the customer from falling in love with a house with structural or major system failures---if they want to move further --then they can hire an inspector----

_I've looked at three in the last month for one of my regulars_


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## gma2rjc

What are some of the worst things you've found Mike?


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## oh'mike

I start at the bottom---if the foundation is in trouble--that is a deal killer---

Then I look for grading issues---all to often the earth has been piled up against the siding or brick---that leads to termite damage and rotten sills---

Also ,I look for sagging and settling of the center beam---that is another very expensive problem---

From there I go up---look for water damage from bad windows and roofing/siding--another very expensive mess---

I look at how the structure was built--stick built? Truss roof? Floor joist type and span?

Was this a high quality home when erected or a cheap structure?

Then I check out the mechanical----age and condition of the plumbing/electrical--

I look for the deal killers---things easily replaced like furnaces and appliances--floor coverings and trim? I don't look at to carefully---

A good friend just bought a 90 year old place and did not want impose on my friendship---She had the home inspected---but did not mention that she planned on some structural changes---

Disturbing the old plumbing and electrical lead to my repiping and rewiring the entire house---She has a nice place now---but the budget she had in mind went right out of the window----

I am leaving the shop in a few minutes to install the kitchen cabinets at her place.

She has a nice home now---and I would have given her a thumps up on the place if I had seen it before the purchace---but she would have known about the mechanical problems and costs before she owned it----Mike---


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## DIYRemodeler

Great thread! 
One of the best I've read. Kudos OP.


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## brandofaction

DIYRemodeler said:


> Great thread!
> One of the best I've read. Kudos OP.


Agreed. I wish I would have seen this 8 months ago!


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## venator260

Blondesense said:


> I understand you can ask your realtor to get you copies of the last 12 mos of utility bills on a house you may be interested in. Didn't know this when we bought ours.
> 
> Not only can it save you sticker shock come heating season, but can give you a heads-up on the general energy efficiency of the house.



My wife and I were able to get the 12 month averages directly from the gas companies (the one that we were interested in). This was helpful, as it confirmed what I thought about one house, that there was little to no insulation present.


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## El Barbón

Two things I'd like to chime in on--

First, visit your potential dream home at NIGHT. Swing by the property at ten or eleven at night; that's when you'll get a feel for what the neighborhood is like, in terms of noise, etc. Pick a weekday and a Friday or Saturday night.

Second, don't skip the lead-paint inspection. I was out of town for work while we were going through the pre-purchase rigamarole, and we were worried about funds. $500 for a thorough paint inspection seemed a little steep... I mean, asbestos abatement isn't *that* expensive, so leaded paint can't be too bad, right?

Dammit, we even checked the plumbing...

Long story short, we're now living in a peeling nightmare, at least on the outside. Good news is that the poisonous paint is mostly on the exterior; bad news is that the paint (which looked pretty decent when we bought the house) started blowing off in chunks by the fall. Removed the soil from around the house--which had about 1 part lead to 300 parts soil--covered and re-covered the paint... Still (slowly!) abating. Especially if you've got kids, shell out a couple hundred bucks and get the dang paint tested!


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## oh'mike

Good advice----about the lead---


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## El Barbón

Oh, and as I stand up here in my attic, I remember to add one thing to that last comment of mine--don't assume that the accessible surfaces are the only ones with lead-based paint. If you do any remodeling, anything you find with paint on it should be treated as suspect. My house is awesome because they recycled lots of its original pieces when they remodeled back in the 50s, but it sucks because they recycled wood too. I keep finding lead-painted boards used as furring strips, behind fiberboard walls... It's not the end of the world, but make sure you play safe!


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## paintdrying

A guy out here was selling a house full of appliances on craigslist. We both got so into talking I forgot to even buy the appliances. He tells me he is a big shot structural engineer. I show him about a half dozen house of mine. before that day I never had faith in those book smart folks. Even from the street this guy could tell me things I had never known about my houses. He never did charge me but I take him to look at houses from time to time. His knowledge covers cost, time, best way to do it. Not sure about engineers but this guy was brilliant


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## MTN REMODEL LLC

^^^^^^^^^ know your market area^^^^^^^^^^


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## mrs5150

MooseWoodworks said:


> I don't know that I'll add much new here, but I'll give it a shot. This is what I have taken away from searching for my first home:
> 
> - Check the roof. Outside, inside, and all along the perimeter of the house. Check it very closely. Don't be afraid to climb up in the attic and go from one end to the other.
> 
> - Check the crawlspace/basement if it has one. Mainly checking for water damage, but many homes have been junked underneath from the previous owner not wanting to dispose of his unwanted items the proper way.
> 
> - Check every window inside and out. Will they open? Will they lock? Are they square? Do they seal properly?
> 
> - Check all cabinets, especially those that are located beneath sinks.
> 
> - Look at every square inch of bathrooms. Water damage.
> 
> - Check the age and condition of the heating and ac unit.
> 
> - Check and decide what updates will have to be done immediatley and ones that can wait.
> 
> 
> After all of this (I'm sure I am missing one of my personal steps) if you still like the house very much. Do the right thing and pay a proffessional (if you aren't one or aren't equally knowledged) to do a proper and thorough inspection of the house.



Yes, Agree but one big thing that helped us when buying our home was the in fared camera (not sure of the spelling). Detected a leak that was not visible to the naked eye…but was there…after we moved in sure enough open ceiling and their it was…glad we got some money to fix it during escrow.


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## Curatottal

Great advices!But everybody has own advice...


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## CenTex1

After 25+ years as an appraiser that's pretty much seen it all, my $0.02 worth of advice would be to be very careful about allowing an agent working for a commission in the transaction, most particularly the listing/seller's agent, recommend or choose the home inspector for you. Hiring an inspector that's in an agent's back pocket is not in your best interest. Find your own completely independent third party inspector to represent YOUR best interests, not the interests of a commissioned real estate agent in order to gain future inspection business from them. Not meaning to disparage home inspectors in the least - I know numerous outstandingly ethical inspectors that would sell their mother before they'd lie or omit critical info from their report to gain more business, but it's just good common business sense to hire someone completely detached and totally independent from the transaction.

And speaking of unethical scumbags aplenty, don't even get me started on the appraisal and mortgage lending industries. Just suffice it to say that when the very crooks largely responsible for the mortgage meltdown, namely Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd, author the Dodd-Frank "financial reform" bill to protect you the consumer, believe me, you are NOT being protected. I'll stop here before I blow a vein.


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