John Martino's (looksmart) Blog

Most people buying a house never go into the crawlspace. Honestly, many homeowners never go in there either. That is understandable. Crawlspaces are dark, dirty, cramped, and sometimes difficult to access. But after performing thousands of NJ home inspections over the last 25 plus years, I can te...

When people are buying a house, they usually focus on the roof, heating system, kitchen, bathrooms, windows, and maybe the basement. Those are all important items. But one thing that often gets overlooked during a NJ home inspection is the retaining wall. I have seen many buyers walk right past a...

You finally found the house. Your offer was accepted. Things were moving along and then the inspection report arrived. Now the excitement turns into stress. The roof may be older. The basement may show signs of moisture. The deck may need repairs. The electrical panel may need updating. The repor...

If there is one area of a home that consistently gives people trouble in New Jersey, it is the basement. After more than 25 years performing NJ home inspections, I can tell you this is where I find a lot of the real issues. Some are obvious. Some are hidden. Some take years to show up. A basement...

You walk into a basement and it looks good. Finished walls, maybe newer flooring, everything looks clean. Then you stop for a second and there is that smell. Not terrible, but it is there.That musty basement smell is not random. In most cases, it is a sign of a moisture condition in the basement....

This is one of those things I run into more than people think. You walk into a house and it looks fine. Clean, staged, no obvious issues. Then I get into the attic or crawlspace during a NJ home inspection and it tells a different story. As a NJ home inspector rodents can do real damage to a hous...

If you are buying a home in New Jersey, deck safety issues should be on your radar. I see problems with decks all the time during a NJ home inspection, and some of them are serious. A deck can look fine when you walk it, but that does not mean it is built correctly or safe. A lot of what I find i...

One of the first things buyers say to me during a home inspection is that the floor feels off. Sometimes it is subtle. Other times you walk across the room and feel like you are leaning toward one side. It gets your attention right away.The question is always the same. Is this a structural proble...

Most home inspections go fine. But every so often things do not go the way they should. I see the same issues come up again and again as a NJ home inspector, and most of the time it has nothing to do with the house itself. It usually comes down to access, distractions, or timing. A home inspectio...

When most people think about expensive home repairs, they picture something dramatic. A failed foundation. A roof replacement. A flooded basement.In reality, most major repairs I see as a NJ home inspector during a NJ home inspection did not start big.Here are some of the most common small defect...