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I Told the Client to "Screw the House Down"

By Steven L. Smith

Home Inspector with King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. Home Inspector Lic #207

January 30, 2009 12:49 AM

Yesterday I saw something I have not seen before. The situation was way better than a newer home having zero foundation bolts. That would be rare and a real problem. But it was weird, the situation at this house. It was a home that, it ends up, was built completely by the homeowner. This person had a decent idea of how to do things but missed in a few places. He also started jobs but did not finish.

For example, down in the crawl space, there were bolts in the sill plate. Those help hold it all in place you know. But the nuts had never been tightened down over the bolts and washers. If nuts were worth lots of money, heck I could have had a whole bag full of the little devils by just taking them off by hand.

Even my client decided to play with the nuts, which gave me a photo opportunity.

It is not like the house was going anywhere, but the bolts are there for a purpose and, with that in mind, the job should be completed as intended. At least for the client, this is easier to resolve than a newer house with zero such bolts. He merely needs to finish the job someone else started. Many older homes around here (Bellingham and Whatcom County) do not have bolts at all, and people do not seem to care, but that is another story. I own two such homes, with no bolts.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections

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Morris "Bill" Austin

Team Price Real Estate - Dripping Springs, TX

Exceptional service is my standard expectation.

Steven...bizzare is all I can think of. Screw your nuts down I say!

Jan 30, 2009 01:15 AM

Brent Johnson

Chase International South Tahoe Realty - South Lake Tahoe, CA

Wow, don't you guys have local building inspectors? Here in California (earthquake country) our building inspectors favorate thing is to pick on you if you have loose nuts!

Jan 30, 2009 01:19 AM

Home Loan Search.Online

Home Loan Search Online - Newnan, GA

The seller should be responsible for finishing the job he started. Wouldn't there be a liability issue?

Jan 30, 2009 01:26 AM

Maria Morton

Platinum Realty - Kansas City, MO

Kansas City Real Estate 816-560-3758

Steven, I've noticed that many homeowners do not finish the jobs they start. Whether it's time constraints, forgetfulness, or losing interest in the job, I don't know but getting owners to finish their projects so that we can sell the house is one of my biggest obstacles to overcome when getting the house on the market.

Jan 30, 2009 01:49 AM

Steven L. Smith

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Folks,

At least around here, the code inspectors spend little time looking at bolts. Now they might notice if there were none, it would be an accident if they found they were loose. No way anyone can force the seller to do anything, he lost the home and a bank owns it. Sold as is!

Jan 30, 2009 02:18 AM

Daniel J. Brudnok, REALTOR

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Fox & Roach, REALTORS - Exton - PA License #RS-225179-L / Delaware License #RS-0025038 - Downingtown, PA

SRES, e-PRO,ABR,GREEN,CSP

Steven,

While the likelihood of the home taking of......I am sure Dorothy thought the same thing until she was no longer in Kansas anymore......LOL

Jan 30, 2009 02:22 AM

Ian Niquette

Square One Home Inspection - Markesan, WI

Good find Steve. I find lots of newre homes around here with unfinished PROJECTS, but nothing like that. But, like you said, it probably wasn't going to blow away. But, still unfinnished.

Jan 30, 2009 02:28 AM

Charles Buell

Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA

Seattle Home Inspector

Nuts?---you say nuts?----sounds like a job for Nutsy. :)

Jan 30, 2009 02:53 AM

Jack Gilleland

Home Inspection and Investor Services, Clayton - Clayton, OH

You really don't know how difficult it was not to take off and run with the multitude of openings here.

But with great self restraint I managed to come up with, "You must have been inspecting one of the new houses here".

Jan 30, 2009 07:08 AM

Steven L. Smith

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Mr Jack,

We have already determined that you too are an animal, so this difficulty in showing restraint is of no surprise to me. I fully understand.

Your bud,

Nutsy

Jan 30, 2009 09:07 AM

Carol Culkin

Diamond Partners Inc - Overland Park, KS

Overland Park Residential Real Estate

That's a major lack of follow up!

Jan 30, 2009 02:41 PM

James Quarello

JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC - Wallingford, CT

Connecticut Home Inspector

Steven, I find it strange that some houses in your neck of the woods would not be bolted to the foundation. Homes here that are not bolted are older sitting on stone and or brick foundations. Would that be the case for you as well?

Feb 01, 2009 01:42 AM

Steven L. Smith

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

James,

No regular houses, on foundations, with no bolts. The city did not call for bolts until about 1978 per the city building dept. Many houses built before that time had them anyway, but you will, loosely said, never find them in houses from the late 40's and before.

Feb 01, 2009 02:14 AM

Charles Buell

Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA

Seattle Home Inspector

Hey James, in this neck of the woods it was not common to bolt houses to the foundations until the 60's. I know that back East it was common prior to that even in the 40's because most foundations were CMU. Does that fit with your observations? We have very few CMU here and the Earthquake of 64 (I think) got them to start re-thinking the process.

Feb 01, 2009 05:26 AM

James Quarello

JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC - Wallingford, CT

Connecticut Home Inspector

Yes, that would seem to be the pattern here in Connecticut.

Feb 01, 2009 06:12 AM

Steven L. Smith

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Mr James,

He may be right this time -- maybe -- but I would not put all my acorns in one basket when taking advice from Mr Charles. Be wary.

Your friend Nutsy