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Agents, Don't Let This Happen To Your Sellers...

By
Home Inspector with Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 3380-000723

The seller is an elderly widow, and wants to move south to be nearer to children and grandchildren.  She has been living in her home for 47 years.  She has been single for 4 years, during which time maintenance slipped a bit on her house. 

To prepare it for sale she had recommendations from various "real estate consultants," and many new things were added to the house.  There were many "improvements."  And many associated problems therewith.  The words unscrupulous contractors come to mind.

One such improvement was to add air conditioning to a house that previously was heated only with electric baseboards.  There was no central air conditioning.  To sell the house such an improvement would be very worthy.

The house was warm and there was a new compressor outside.

Thinking the heat exchanger must be in the attic I looked there first. 

Not finding it there I thought it must be in a closet.

Finding it no where, this was the last closet I looked in.  I heard it, I just couldn't see it.

 

After gently sliding a couple of boxes, I could see the fused knife switch on the wall.  >>>>>>>

I thought it might be in there!

But where, oh where, could the access be?

 

 

 

It wasn't on the side in the hallway.

But I could hear it running through the returns on the wall.

Could it be around the corner?

 

Bummer!

Not there either!

But the wall was vibrating behind that clothes hanger!  >>>>>>

 

 

 

So I knew I was close!

So I went back to the closet in the first photo and pulled back the side wall.

Peek a boo!

There's the unit!

No, you can't get to it from there.  And the wall to the left of this photo is paneling.   That paneling seems secure.

When the many boxes are removed I suspect there is some clever way of removing the paneled wall to get to the unit.

But it is covered with boxes and I DON'T MOVE BOXES!  I learned that lesson a long, long time ago.

The Realtor and seller are out to lunch.  They won't be back for a while.  I will have to return to check out that heat pump and its installation.

When I do, maybe I can also check out the electric panel box!

I think it's in there, behind those boxes, in the corner! 

Peek a boo to you too!

What angered me was that this heat pump installation was put into an empty space and, perhaps, hidden with a paneled wall.  THIS IS NOT CONVENIENT OR EASY FOR AN ELDERLY WOMAN TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE UNIT TO REPLACE THE FILTER!

I wonder if she was even told she needs to replace that filter!  The ducts were EXTREMELY filled with accumulated dust.  The heated air was blowing hard.  Is there even a filter in there?

Don't get me wrong.  I am NOT blaming this agent.  It isn't her job or purview to make sure something gets installed to code, or properly, or professionally or with convenient access.

There were other things done to bring this house up to a sell-able condition.  A new laundry room, a new deck, new plumbing for a wet bar and even a roof repair.  These were all disasters.

My recommendation:  If you are going to have improvements made to an older house to make it more modern or sell-able, why not employ a home inspector to have a look at things before you put it on the market?  That way, if things are installed, um, funny, you have recourse to the "contractor" to make things right before you list the house!

And if your listing has a home inspection scheduled, make sure things that need to be accessed are accessible!

 

 

Posted by

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC  

Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.

Office (703) 330-6388   Cell (703) 585-7560

www.jaymarinspect.com


Comments (52)

Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Seems like most of the agents here live where permits are required for home improvements. Around here they aren't - so it's easy for an unscrupulous contractor to take short cuts.

And the truth is, far too many homeowners know nothing about how things "should" be done. We're continually amazed at our 80+ year old neighbors who get my husband do to simple things around their house. How could anyone get to be that age and not be able to figure out how replace the flush handle on a toilet tank?

Anyone who talked a good line could convince them that the wrong way was the right way to do any installation.

 

Dec 02, 2010 09:26 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Marte - there are many who don't take advantage of life as a means of learning and growth!  And as to doing things the wrong way, I hear all the time someone say, "But I have been doing it that way for 20 years!"

Maybe, but wrongly?

Dec 02, 2010 09:34 AM
Bandele Oguntomilade, Top REALTOR
Bogun Realty and Luxury Homes - Woodland Hills, CA
Your Woodland Hills Real Estate Agent 818-825-6996

There is nothing worse or more unscrupulous than people taking advantage of the elderly.  Quite frankly, with sellers, I am always predesposed to limit any amount of money invested in a house in order to sell it.  if it can be cleaned up, de-cluttered, my preference is always to do the minimum and sell it for what it is worth (as-is) than having a seller throw in more monney into a home in this recessionary economy.

Dec 02, 2010 10:39 AM
Chanda Barrick
Keller Williams Indy Metro Northeast - Indianapolis, IN
in referral

I can't believe someone would actually install the air handler that way????  I mean why would the put a panel over it?  I dunno, something definitely sounds wacky about that setup!  Not only does it make it ridiculous to change the filter, but isn't it a tad bit unsafe too?

Dec 02, 2010 10:43 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Bandele - well, there must have been a lot wrong with this house for them to do so much to it to try to sell it.

But the unscrupulous thing really gets to me too!

Chanda - to say the least!  I never did see the arrangement having not gotten into that wall.

Dec 02, 2010 10:52 AM
DeeDee Riley
Lyon Real Estate - El Dorado Hills CA - El Dorado Hills, CA
Realtor - El Dorado Hills & the Surrounding Areas

Amazing!  I can't believe the agent recommended a wet bar to make it more sale-able!  Not really something my buyers are dying to have!  Another great post Jay!

Dec 02, 2010 12:09 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

DeeDee - I don't know that the agent recommended anything, but there was a lot of new stuff in the house, including a wet bar.  And the trap in the drain was made with a car radiator hose!

Dec 02, 2010 12:42 PM
Eric Middleton
Closer Look Property Inspections Inc. - Uniondale, NY
Professional Property Inspector

Jay- One of the main issues, if not the main issue of a home inspection is access to the systems and components. I did an inspection on a co-op last week and the electrical panel was completely covered with paint. If the owner had to shut off any of the breakers, it was not happening.

Dec 02, 2010 01:11 PM
Eric Middleton
Closer Look Property Inspections Inc. - Uniondale, NY
Professional Property Inspector

Jay- One of the main issues, if not the main issue of a home inspection is access to the systems and components. I did an inspection on a co-op last week and the electrical panel was completely covered with paint. If the owner had to shut off any of the breakers, it was not happening.

Dec 02, 2010 01:11 PM
Eric Middleton
Closer Look Property Inspections Inc. - Uniondale, NY
Professional Property Inspector

Jay- One of the main issues, if not the main issue of a home inspection is access to the systems and components. I did an inspection on a co-op last week and the electrical panel was completely covered with paint. If the owner had to shut off any of the breakers, it was not happening.

Dec 02, 2010 01:11 PM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

Wait, you mean those filters are supposed to be changed?  What, like once a year?

Dec 02, 2010 01:34 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I have those now and then Eric.  Once I called the seller, who met us at the door and was somewhat obnoxious about wanting to leave us in the house, and had him return to cut open the panel box so we could get inside.  Sometimes I get the feeling people leave booby traps so that when the inspector makes a mess they have something to complain about.  Well, HE made the mess!

Reubs - that should do it.  Remember, the more clogged the filter the smaller the stuff it is able to extract from the air.

Dec 02, 2010 09:09 PM
Patricia Beck
RE/MAX Properties, Inc., ABR, GRI, SRES - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Realty

Accessibility is key.  I have had a few instances where my buyer's inspector could not access something due to a LARGE amount of boxes or clutter blocking the way!  That house you inspected is going to need some work!

Dec 03, 2010 02:34 AM
Jack Mossman - The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Lodi
The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Lodi - Lodi, CA
The Nines Team in Lodi

Jay - I am with you on your suggestion about pre-list home inspections.  I've even been able to get some of my REO managers to authorize them on houses that are multiple "apparent issues."  The upside is that you can get bids for maintenance and repairs ... instead of the wildly inflated "estimates" of agents and buyers!  The downside is that it takes longer to get the house on the market and there is no guarantee that the vendors supplying the bids will get any work from the effort.

Dec 03, 2010 05:24 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Jay,

I was amused by your comment about not moving boxes. Generally that is my theory as well. However there has been a time or two where somebody talked me into it as long as there were too many. Almost always when they were moved there was a problem. It does not sound like the case here but as you know some homeowners use excess belongings to hide issues from we home inspectors.

Dec 03, 2010 06:55 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Thanks Patricia.  For sure, accessibility is necessary for an inspection!  And that house will need work, guaranteed!  You saw very little - there was much, much more!

Jack - I have tried and failed to get that going around here!  I was just trying to get it going with sellers before they actually listed their houses, but to no avail.

Steve - too many times people have tried to set me up with booby traps.  And they are very creative about artfully hiding things from view.  They just need to be moved so rooms can be seen!

Dec 03, 2010 11:39 AM
Wayne B. Pruner
Oregon First - Tigard, OR
Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Realtor, GRI

This installation was most likely done without a permit. It looks like this house may need some staging.

Dec 07, 2010 03:13 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

It was lived in Wayne!  No staging - she had boxes in every room.

Dec 07, 2010 10:07 PM
Dennis Neal
RE/MAX, Big Bear - Big Bear Lake, CA
Your Home Sold in 21 Days or We Sell It For Free

This is truly a shame. People are experiencing perhaps the most difficult situation of their live, want some honest guidance and our steered wrong. Thanks for the info.

Dec 17, 2010 07:23 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

D&T - this was a disaster.  There were boxes all over the house!  There were a few things we, um, couldn't check.

Dec 17, 2010 09:28 AM