I have always happily attended home inspections. I always learn something about construction, code enforcement, and society in general.
It is so important to get a home inspection. It’s nothing personal against the Seller and it shouldn’t be a matter of contention. I explain it as a snapshot of the condition of the house at the time of the inspection to my Buyers. My Buyers always walk away with a better understanding of what they are buying.
My buyers selected a very well known home inspector in our area. I have used him before and respect him as a professional. He started by walking the outside of the house and pointing out;
- Blemishes on the siding
- Cracks in the foundation
- An odd 50 amp plug-in receptacle, before the electrical meter (RED FLAG)
We then went into the house and the inspector was really excited, like a Bloodhound with a scent. The inspector suspected something but several things didn’t add up.
- The neighborhood
- The Sellers, an elderly couple
- The overall condition of the house and yard
The attic of the house was clean and well insulated and the inspector seems upset that the attic is in great shape. We usually are pleased at these findings. This is when I realized we were no longer on a home inspection but we were at a crime scene.
The inspection investigation seemed to go back to normal and we got back to checking ground faults and moisture in the bathrooms. The whole inside of the house passed muster. We didn’t see the access for the crawl space which if not on the outside of the house, should be in one of the closets. The coat closet in this area is where the this crawl space access should be but it was covered with wall to wall carpet with no breaks for a door.
I called the listing agent to ask where the access was (No idea) and then got permission from the owner to pull back the carpet in the closet to gain access. It was there! Why do you carpet over your crawl space access?
You guessed it, to hide a home pharmaceutical business.
- 20 grow lights
- A nice electrical sub-panel and 50 amp yellow cable
- A misting water system
- Some dried up plants
- A smile from ear to ear on a home inspector
Crime solved, right? Wrong! The listing agent had sold this home to the Seller three years earlier. At the time, they decided not to get a home inspection on the, then 2 year old house. The house had brand new, high grade carpeting, and a 2 year home warranty. It had to of been the prior owner...
Moral to this post; ALWAYS GET A THOROUGH HOME INSPECTION. It would be a crime not to…
©2009 Paul S. Henderson, When home inspections surprise everyone,
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