John McKenna

AMERICAN HOME INSPECTION

I have seen some of my Clients start up a business in some old buildings in order to save money.  What they did not realize were the hidden aspects of the repair process and the discovery was sometimes more than they bargained for.

When dealing with an old building, the chances of disturbing lead based paint and asbestos must be considered and dealt with properly... or there could be legal and health problems later.

The cost of undoing previous unprofessional repairs and upgrading to the acceptable standards that will make the local municipality happy for a commercial building needs to be verified very carefully.

Those areas where the moisture penetration problems have been only patched, year after year, may have caused some fungi-mold issues that cannot be seen under that pretty layer of paint and caulking.  If you get a fungi-mold inspection, what will the health department make you do to repair the problem and what will your building be worth when try to put it back on the market for sale later?  This gets touchy.

What you don't fix, will be still have to be disclosed to the next buyer by letting them see the inspection report you just did.  If you try and hide the report, the truth may come out later and you can really suffer the loss of big dollars in court for be deceitful.

If you level the foundation, the pressure on walls, doors and windows can create a lot of movement and repairs that you may not be able to predict at this time.

Old galvanized plumbing has a limited life span.  Old metal drain lines underground need replaced sooner or later.  Is the electrical safe for the public to come into your place of business.  The old electrical system is probably full of surprises and safety issues.  Commercial standards are not the same as residential.

Is that old AC and Heating system about to go out?  Just because it works today, you may need to budget for replacement if it is really old stuff.

How do you take the sag out of the old roof without creating new problems?  Is there any insulation in the walls?  Maybe... maybe not.

If your not used to the stress that renovating and repairing an old building can be on you, be careful.  Don't buy on emotions today and then loose sleep later because your depressed as you are half way through the demolition and reconstruction process.  Your going to hear lots of conflicting opinions and prices.  Who should you believe?  It can be very stressful if you have never been through this before.

Think about it and hire a quality Inspector before you make your move. Do your homework.

John B McKenna is a Certified Master Inspector serving the East Texas area. John has been licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) and approved by TREC as an inspector trainer. He has more than 25 years experience in the construction industry and is certified by the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI). He continues to update his yearly education and testing requirements. Visit his company website at www.texas-inspection.com, or call his office at 1-888-818-4838 (Toll Free) for more information. 
 
Complete Home Inspection Service For Conroe, Lufkin, Bryan, Crockett, College Station, Livingston, Palestine, Nacogdoches, Athens, Jacksonville, Huntsville, Lake Palestine, Lake Conroe, Lake Livingston, Corsicana.