Inspecting Condos and other multi-family dwellings represents different challenges for the inspector than single family homes.  Because defects that are found in the unit I am inspecting may also exist in other units in the complex a different approach must be taken in communicating these findings.  My buyer may decide to purchase the unit and have the repairs made (or the seller may be willing to make the repairs), but what about the fact that the same conditions most likely exist in the rest of the structure.  This might be a significant issue if the deficiencies are serious enough.  Let's say I discover single conductor aluminum wiring in the unit.  Will it concern my client that the entire complex is also wired with aluminum---regardless of the repairs made to their unit?  Another example might be electrical outlets installed over the baseboard heaters.  Not a difficult repair to make within the unit itself, but is the unit any safer really if the rest of the complex stays the same? 

     Sometimes communications about these defects need to involve the Seller and the Condo/Homeowner Association to help the buyer with their decision.  The following picture shows a common room in the Condo that contained the water heaters for several of the units.  While I am there to inspect the heater associated with my buyer's unit (the middle one) and can comment on the missing seismic strapping; can I ignore the defects in the other unit's heaters that are nearby? These other heaters have missing seismic strapping as well and in the case of the one to the right the potentially very serious condition of the Temperature Pressure Relief valve drain running up-hill.  While some of these may be judgment calls, others involve serious potential safety issues that should be addressed by someone.

     So far we have been discussing inspections where the buyer was deciding to proceed with the purchase.  What about scenarios where the buyer is not going to proceed.  Take for example the A different movie:  "Snakes on a roof", shouldn't that kind of defect be brought to the attention of the Condo Association for immediate repairs regardless of my buyer's plans?

Charles Buell

www.buellinspections.com