Here’s a novel idea: You’re not buying or selling a house, but you need a home inspection?

You heard correctly. Now you’re probably wondering why you need an Asheville home inspection if you’re not buying or selling. There’s a simple but powerful reason: Your home is a major investment that can build value and provide security over a period of many years. If you want to protect that investment, you must perform upkeep and maintenance on your home and its systems. This is almost a no-brainer.

Where do you begin? Kitchen makeover? Bathroom tiles? New refrigerator? These are things most of us can see at the surface, but there may be hidden perils that only a trained eye will spot. That’s where an experienced home inspector comes in. If you want some reassurance that you’re not in for some expensive, sudden surprises, arrange to have a home inspection. Inspectors will check so much more than most homeowners are capable, including the structural integrity and major systems, to find any problems that may require fixing. 

Additionally, timely home inspections can increase your home’s value. Making sure your home is inspected regularly makes sense both financially and for safety. Don’t wait for an emergency. Schedule an inspection before you start any upkeep or repairs on your home. 

Let’s take a look at some of the hidden perils homeowners might miss.

The shocking truth

Electrical problems are among the most prevalent and dangerous hidden perils in your home. Homeowners may miss the signs until it’s too late.

Some of the most common issues are faulty wiring, overloaded circuits, and even outdated electrical systems, such as those with aluminum wiring or old-fashioned fuses instead of breakers. Any of these could cause risk of shock, electrocution, or even devastating house fires. Home inspectors are trained to identify potential electrical problems.

Older homes may not have enough outlets, which can lead to overloading the existing ones. Overheated wires in walls are serious, hidden fire hazards. Additionally, older homes may contain knob-and-tube wiring, considered unsafe by today’s standards. A competent inspector can identify these problems and suggest fixes, such as replacing old fuse boxes with breaker panels and installing three-pronged grounded circuits throughout the home. Put simply, a qualified inspector can spot potential dangers before disaster strikes.

All wet

Plumbing problems are not to be taken lightly. When it comes to water, even a small leak can lead to big problems if left unattended.

The most frequent issues in homes are pipe leaks, clogged drains, and old, corroded water heaters. Especially water heaters. They may leak slowly at first, but this won’t last. 

Think about it. You have a 50- or 75-gallon cylinder filled with pressurized water that springs a leak. Consider this a wakeup call! If that cylinder cuts loose and spews all that water into your home, the result can be extremely expensive.  But even very small leaks can herald big problems, such as toxic mold growth in your home. 

Old, outdated pipes made from galvanized steel or polybutylene can be a disaster waiting to happen, leading to extensive damage and costly repairs. A professional inspector may be able to identify underlying issues before they become problems.

If your home is on a septic system, ask your inspector to arrange a video septic inspection to rule out impending problems. A backed up septic system can dump raw sewage right into your home. Experts like to say that really stinks!

Breaking the mold!

If you have had any water leaks, mold may be a problem in your home. Mold growth can be hazardous to your health, resulting in allergies, respiratory infections, and even neurological problems.

Your inspector can help spot problem areas in your home and possible moisture sources that exacerbate mold growth.

If your home has a musty smell and you suffer from chronic respiratory issues, ask your inspector to arrange for a mold inspection. In the meantime, be sure you have adequate ventilation, and use dehumidifiers if necessary. If a professional mold inspection reveals a significant problem, you will have to call in mold professionals to make your indoor air safe for breathing.

While we’re on the subject of safe indoor air, be sure to ask your home inspector to check for sources of potential carbon monoxide in your home, such as malfunctioning gas heaters, ovens, or dryers. Also be sure to have carbon monoxide detectors in your home, and check them regularly.

We’ve covered the hidden perils in your home. While your inspector is there, he or she will check your appliances, doors, windows, grading, and more to ensure your home is safe and ship shape.

So don’t wait for trouble or until you’re buying or selling. Schedule a home inspection as a blueprint for regular maintenance of your most important investment. The cost of that inspection is great insurance against unexpected, costly repairs.

Buying or selling a home?

Avoid unpleasant surprises! Contact Asheville Home Inspector Peter Young before signing any contracts. Call (828) 808-4980, or click here to make an appointment.

The post Don’t wait until buying or selling; Get your home inspected before beginning upkeep or maintenance appeared first on Peter Young Home Inspections.

Home inspection is a must for home buyers before signing closing papers. Reliable inspection results can mean the difference between finding the home of your dreams or walking away from a money-pit nightmare. Some folks think they can skip inspection to hurry things along. A word to the wise: DON’T! A home inspection can uncover a home’s real value. It may reveal costly, needed repairs that detract from a that value or even call off the deal. Also, an inspection report can give you leverage to negotiate for a lower price on a home that’s facing serious repairs.

What should you be looking for in a home inspection report? Inspections may uncover small defects or dangerous and costly problems. Some call them red flags or deal-breakers. Let’s take a look at some of the more serious issues an inspection may reveal, beginning with a home’s exterior.

Start at the bottom

Let’s start with the foundation. This is the supporting structure for the entire house. Trouble with the foundation isn’t easy to fix, and it’s usually expensive to repair.

Uneven areas, sunken areas, or major cracks in the wall are telltale signs that the foundation is shifting.

Other signs are misaligned or sticking windows or doors, gaps between walls and windows or doors, sagging or slanted floors, or the musty smell of mold in the basement or floor space.

Click here for a look at foundation problems and potential repair costs.

Up on the roof

Roof problems can be serious dealbreakers. Depending on the size of the home and the type of roof, replacement can cost between $6,500 and $11,000 on small to average sized homes, or even as high as $80,000 on a supersized mansion. An inspector will assess the condition of the roof. Does it look well-maintained? Are there damaged or missing shingles or flattened spots where water pools?

Some homeowners may attempt to save money by doing roof replacement themselves. We don’t recommend that unless you have the know-how and are experienced working with power tools on a ladder or on a slope. You might save between $2 and $7 a foot on professional labor, but if you do it wrong, you could end up with serious damage to the roof, the attic, the eaves, and framing, even resulting in mold, water damage, and structural problems.

Check out this article on roof replacement costs.

Those darn pests!

Wood-destroying insects can wreak havoc on a home. For example, if poorly-installed support beams are in direct contact with the ground, termites may be gnawing away at posts that support floors or decks.

Not counting the cost of termite extermination, repairing termite damage can be an expensive affair. Costs range from $600 to $3,000, with a national average of $1,800.

Doors and windows

Doors and windows should open and close smoothly, but more importantly, they should seal tightly and keep the elements out to avoid costly energy bills, keep pests outside, and protect the home from water damage. Defective or worn-out doors and windows are replaceable, but the work can be costly. Much of the time the whole door frame needs to be removed and refitted, leading to stucco or siding repair and painting. Also, if a door is rotting out, that may be a sign of water damage, which can be another costly repair.

In the gutter

Damaged or non-functioning gutters can lead to serious water damage on your roof, eaves, walls, and even a home’s foundation. Gutters should be properly connected to the roof with no evidence of leaks, and water should flow AWAY from the home’s foundation.

Again, depending upon the size of your roof, you can expect to pay from $600 to $8,000, with an average of $2,000 for popular materials. If you need to replace old gutters, add in about $200 to tear down and dispose of the old ones.

Click here to learn more about gutters and costs.

Next we’ll look at some potential red flags inside the house.

Electrical issues

These can be serious inspection red flags. Many homes built between 1965 and 1972 were wired with aluminum instead of copper. Aluminum wiring can be a fire hazard. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that homes with aluminum wiring are 55 times more likely to have “fire hazard conditions” than homes wired with copper.

Replacing a home’s wiring can be a costly endeavor. Depending on the size of your home, the total tab can run as high as $30,000 or more. However, failing to address rewiring can be even costlier in the long run, especially in the event of a fire.

Insulation and asbestos

You might think asbestos problems are so yesterday, but you’d be surprised how common it is in homes built prior to 1980. It may even be found in some popcorn ceilings (remember those?).

Removal requires expensive, professional assistance. Asbestos is a dangerous carcinogen to your lungs, so never attempt to remove it yourself.

Many older houses have poor or practically non-existent insulation. Without costly remediation, the owners of these homes can look forward to many years of high heating and cooling bills.

The pipes, the pipes are calling

Some plumbing issues have easy fixes, like replacing the flapper on a toilet or fixing a leaky faucet. What about replacing pipes that are uninsulated and burst in freezing temperatures? That will set you back some! Don’t overlook lead pipes, banned in the US in 1986, but are found fairly often in homes built prior to that.

Replacing a home’s pipes will thin your wallet! To replace the plumbing in an existing structure, expect to pay between $50 and $200 per hour for labor plus the cost of materials. A typical 2,000-square-foot home averages between $3,000 and $16,000.

Find out more about pipe replacement costs.

Before you buy a home, we advise getting a video septic or sewer inspection, and be sure to scope the pipes that lead from the house to spot problems like tree roots breaking through pipes or clogged spots where water can’t drain properly.

Appliances

Outdated ovens, dishwashers, or refrigerators are not serious issues, especially in hot sellers’ markets. But watch out for trouble with furnaces, boilers, HVAC systems and water heaters. They can be very costly to replace. And if these are poorly-maintained gas appliances, they can emit lethal doses of carbon monoxide.

Mold

Mold and water leaks are common companions. Neither condition is desirable Some molds are relatively harmless and can be fixed fairly simply. However, keep in mind that if you don’t fix the water problem, mold will return soon enough. Other types of mold are known to cause serious respiratory issues, particularly for folks with asthma or allergies.

Mold must be addressed before you move into a home, and if the problem is widespread in areas of the house, then it may be time for some negotiating the contract.

Some say there are few problems revealed by inspection that are insurmountable, but some of the ones we discussed above might be dealbreakers or, at the very least, catalysts for some serious price negotiations.

Buying or selling a home?

Avoid unpleasant surprises! Contact Asheville Home Inspector Peter Young before signing any contracts. Call (828) 808-4980, or click here to make an appointment.

The post Home inspection “red flags” appeared first on Peter Young Home Inspections.

The housing market goes on day after day, year after year, with an impressive success record. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports only about one in 20 real estate transactions is not completed. A small part of these don’t reach successful closing due to problems unearthed during home inspections. These are not the fault of the inspection or the inspector, but are due to serious issues with the homes themselves.

Home inspections are an essential part of any home buying transaction. They are usually paid for by the buyer. Please note that homes cannot “fail” an inspection (see our July, 2019 blog). However, an inspection may reveal unexpected problems, which (if serious enough) can kill the deal. More often, home inspection issues lead to negotiations in which the seller agrees to pay for repairs or adjusts the selling price to account for needed repairs. Without some wiggle room, deals may fail to reach completion.

So, let’s take a look at what happens after a home inspection.

Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware)

A small percentage of home buyers (about 5%) waive their right to a home inspection. This is not a good idea. 

Even if you’re purchasing a home “as is,” it is best to know what you’re getting into before signing on the dotted line. Otherwise, you may be in for a world of hurt, like the young couple in the Tom Hanks/Shelly Long movie, The Money Pit.  

Well, okay, that’s a bit extreme. But keep in mind that in North Carolina, sellers are under no obligation to disclose anything not requested. That makes it risky to buy a house that’s for sale by owner. Conversely, realtors are required to disclose known defects. However, in either case, a home inspection is critical. 

No home is perfect, not even newly-build ones, so don’t expect an inspection report that doesn’t uncover a few problems. Think of a home inspection as a way for buyers and sellers to get a realistic look at a home’s current state while bringing to light any problems that might need fixing in order to close the sale. 

For buyers, an inspection can bring some peace of mind in knowing no big surprises are in store. For sellers, an inspection can help set a realistic selling price on the house. That’s just one reason that many buyers opt for a home inspection prior to putting their house on the market.

A look under the hood

There’s no “one size fits all” home inspection. Different inspectors may focus on different areas, but there are a number of items generally covered in a home inspection. 

These include a home’s major components – in essence, the things that hold a house together – and other items that are considered essential.

Here’s what most home inspections cover:

• Roof
• Attic (with visible insulation)
• Walls
• Ceilings
• Floors
• Windows
• Doors
• HVAC
• Plumbing
• Optional septic inspection (recommended to avoid costly surprises)
• Appliances
• Electrical system
• Foundation
• Basement
• Structural components

What happens if problems are found?

The majority of problems revealed by home inspections are minor. A good rule of thumb is that if the repair costs less than the price of the home inspection, it’s best to just let it go, especially in a seller’s market. Asheville is still a strong seller’s market, even if this past year has shown a bit of cooling down.

So don’t sweat the small stuff. You may have to foot the bill for regrouting the bathtub if the seller won’t do it or adjust the price for it. It’s just the nature of the beast in today’s market.

The real issues are those relating to safety or the home’s structure. For example, if an inspection reveals a serious electrical hazard in the main junction box, this must be addressed before proceeding with the sale. It’s perfectly reasonable for the buyer to ask the seller to fix this problem. Likewise, if an inspection report reveals serious structural issues, this would be the seller’s responsibility to fix it. 

If the seller refuses, the buyer can walk away from the deal. However, it is in the best interest of both buyer and seller to come to a mutually satisfying deal.

If a seller wants to make a quicker sale, or lacks the money to make repairs, the house may be sold “as is.” An “as is” home typically sells for less, and may have fewer offers, since lenders won’t approve loans on homes with notable problems. So if you’re buying an “as is” home, an inspection is a must.

What’s next for sellers when inspections reveal serious issues?

In reality, sellers are under no obligation to make any repairs. However, FHA and VA lenders mandate repairs in the following areas:

• HVAC issues
• Structural issues
• Water damage
• Roof damage
• Electrical defects
• Plumbing issues
• Insect and pest infestations

If the seller refuses these repairs, the deal can fall through and the home may go back on the market. However, this isn’t too likely, since these same issues will arise the next time around.

Counterpoint? Or was that “counter-offer?”

The seller may decide to make a counter-offer, fixing any serious problems, but denying smaller issues. In a seller’s market, buyers will have to give up asking the seller to repair any of these items:

• Minor electrical issues, such as a faulty dimmer or cracked switch plates
• Cosmetic flaws, such as a chipped tile on the bathroom floor
• Appliances
• Window treatments
• Minor walkway or driveway cracksRepairs less than $100

If the seller makes a counter offer, the buyer generally has a few days in which to agree or terminate the sale. If an agreement is reached, there will need to be an amendment to the contract that spells out the repairs to which the buyer has agreed. Then the seller will begin the process of making the repairs. 

Sometimes repairs can’t be made before the buyer takes possession. In that case, the repairs are made as soon as possible and paid for by the seller. Most of the time, this involves an escrow agreement between the seller and the buyer.

Giving credit where credit is due

In many cases, sellers may offer a credit on the home purchase price for the cost of repairs. For example, if a roof repair is going to cost $6,000, the seller reduces the sale price by $6,000. Then the buyer can use a home equity line to pay for the repair and even save a bit in taxes for the interest payments.

The bottom line: Home inspections can lead to a flurry of activity and negotiations between seller and buyer. However, you should not even consider engaging in a home transaction without getting an inspection first.

Buying or selling a home?

Avoid unpleasant surprises! Contact Asheville Home Inspector Peter Young before signing any contracts. Call (828) 808-4980, or click here to make an appointment.

The post <strong>What comes after a home inspection?</strong> appeared first on Peter Young Home Inspections.

Summer rains have arrived here in the mountains. While they can bring slightly cooler temperatures and more vibrant greenery, heavy rains can spell trouble for homeowners with septic systems on their property. Without warning, the drain begins gurgling after a shower. Minutes later, water is pouring out of the toilet across the bathroom floor. Now it’s a race against time to contain it with the wet/dry shop vacuum. Can you suck it up fast enough? If you dump it into the bathtub, the drain won’t carry it away. You have to close the drain and start filling the tub with it, and after you’ve stemmed the flow, you can begin sucking it up again for disposal out on the lawn. If you’re one of the lucky ones, it’s only water, but for the less fortunate, waste matter flows up from the system into your house. And that stinks! Literally.

What causes this backup, and what can you do about it? Let’s take a look.

Drain field woes

One of the biggest culprits in this scenario is a flooded drain field. 

When heavy rainfall saturates the soil around your septic tank, it limits the system’s capacity to release liquids into the soil. This can cause abnormally high levels of liquids to fill up the tank.

If you don’t see flooding on the grass around your drain field, it’s possible your tank may need pumping. When was the last time your septic tank was pumped? Experts recommend pumping every three to five years, depending on usage and tank size. For example, if you live in a two-person household with a large tank, you have a bit more leeway. But if your tank is small (750 gallons), three or four years is the most you may want to wait between pumpings.

I saw the signs, and they opened up my eyes!

What are some signs of a flooded drain field?

• Slow discharge from household drains (sinks, showers, tubs)
• Slow flushing toilets
• Standing water or mushy, spongy ground around the septic tank
• Water back-ups in your basement or around floor drains
• Gurgling sounds from your drains and/or toilets
• Sewage smell around your septic tank
• Backups and flooding from drains and toilets

If your system is flooding in the absence of heavy rain, and it hasn’t been all that long since your last pumping, there are two more possible reasons: Lack of oxygen in the tank caused by heavy grease, or perhaps your drain field pipes have collapsed or become broken. Lack of oxygen can also occur if the soil around the septic system becomes tightly compressed from cars or heavy machinery.

Before the rains come

“They” say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regard-less of who “they” are, let’s just agree. When you know some heavy rains may be coming, there are some steps you can take to get ready, especially if you’ve had previous problems with your system during rainy season.

• Have your septic tank inspected by a professional to be sure it can handle heavy rainfall
• Do not put anything other than bodily wastes and toilet paper into your toilet – NO sanitary napkins, baby wipes, paper towels, disposable diapers, or dental floss
• Use only biodegradable cleaners in your toilets, sinks, and tubs – bleach or other harsh chemicals can kill off your system’s “good” bacteria
• Plant grass above your drain field to aid water absorption
• Keep gutters and runoff water directed away from drain fields
• Don’t drive cars or use heavy equipment over the drain field
• If your system is due for pumping, do it several weeks or several months before the rainy season – DO NOT have your system pumped right after heavy rains when the drain field is saturated, or the tank can pop up out of the ground!

In addition to these steps, get ready for limited water consumption as stormy weather draws near. Some suggestions are to prepare no-cook meals that you can consume with paper plates and cups and disposable flatware to avoid washing dishes on the day or days of heavy rains. Don’t run the dishwasher or washing machine during or close to heavy rains. Refrain from using the garbage disposal. In fact, if you have a septic tank, the less you use the garbage disposal, the better.

During stormy weather

Be prepared. That’s the Boy Scouts’ motto. It’s not always that simple. 

Even if you’ve followed the advice above, flooding might still be a possibility. Take these additional steps during heavy rainfall:

• Limit water use – don’t do laundry or dishes, and flush toilets only when absolutely necessary
• Don’t work around the septic tank or walk on the drain field area during mushy or flooded conditions
• If water enters your home through the toilet or drains, be ready with a wet/dry shop vac; two are ever better, because you can dump one outside while the other one is being used

After the deluge

If water still hasn’t receded a few days after the rain has stopped, call a septic tank expert to assess the situation, but as mentioned earlier, never pump out your tank during flooded conditions. Here are a few steps you can take:

• Reduce water usage for a few days by washing clothes at a laundromat and taking sponge baths if you can’t shower at a friend’s house
• Administer a “shock treatment” to your system to reactivate beneficial bacteria and enzymes that digest waste – you may have to do this a few times over a period of a few weeks

Click here for information about a septic shock treatment available at most home and hardware stores.

Staying high and dry

If your septic system backs up in heavy storms, don’t panic. Follow the steps we’ve outlined above to prepare yourself and possibly deal with a water backup if it happens. Remember to limit water usage during rainy weather, but once rainy season ends you can probably breathe easy once again.

Septic video inspection and pumping

Peter Young Home Inspections can arrange for septic video inspection and pumping. Click here to make an appointment.

Buying or selling a home?

Avoid unpleasant surprises! Contact Asheville Home Inspector Peter Young before signing any contracts. Call (828) 808-4980, or click here to make an appointment.

The post What to do if your septic system backs up during heavy rains appeared first on Peter Young Home Inspections.

The septic system is a home’s most expensive fixture. Get an Asheville septic system inspection before buying or sell a home..

Recently we’ve explored several kinds of home inspections that should be performed prior to buying or selling a home. In addition to a “regular” home inspection, we’ve looked at radon and pest inspections. We’ve even discussed the importance of water testing. Now it’s time to explore an often-overlooked but essential part of many rural homes – the septic system.

A septic system is the most expensive household fixture, and it needs regular maintenance to prolong its useful life. Used primarily in areas where homes cannot be connected to municipal facilities, a septic tank performs the task of flushing wastewater out of your house into an underground tank, where it receives natural treatment. Two chambers separate liquid and solid waste. Bacteria break down solid waste, and water remaining after separation and treatment exits though a series of perforated pipes into a drain field, where it returns to the water table.

A septic system is invisible when working properly. However, if it breaks down from lack of maintenance, it becomes like the proverbial elephant in the room. Backed up drains, odors, and raw sewage in your home are just a few of the sudden surprises that a malfunctioning septic system can deliver.

This brings up an important question. Is an Asheville septic system inspection necessary when buying or selling a home? The answer is a resounding yes.

Why you need a septic tank inspection

Over time a septic tank builds up too much solid waste for adequate settling to occur. For this reason, the tank should be pumped out every three to five years. If too much solid waste builds up, wastewater backs up and bacterial processes no longer function to decompose solid waste. Hazardous, untreated wastewater can enter the water table. It can also cause expensive property damage if underground pipes become clogged and the drain field needs repair or replacement. Additionally, a septic tank could have cracks or leaks that prevent it from doing its job.

When you are about to buy a home, make sure you get an accurate, up-to-date inspection of the septic system. You need to know if the system components – the tank, perforated pipes, and drain field – are functioning properly. If they are not, a qualified inspector can assess what’s wrong and give an idea of what you might expect in repair costs to solve any problems. At the very least, an inspection can tell you how full of solids the tank is, and how soon you may need to get it pumped out.

Who pays for septic tank inspection?

Most of the time the buyer pays the cost for this inspection. Some sellers may choose to do the inspection prior to listing the home for sale, as an incentive for buyers to know they are getting a home that’s free of any septic system problems. This is rare, however, and it’s usually the buyer who orders and pays for a septic system inspection. An Asheville septic system inspection is well worth the cost.

Septic tank maintenance tips

Since septic tanks are buried out of sight, sometimes they are forgotten. Here are a few tips to keep your septic system in good shape.

√  Only bath tissue should be flushed down the toilet. Do not put tampons, paper towels, cigarette butts, or anything else in the toilet. Never flush or dump household chemicals in the sink. Detergent and bleach can be used in moderate amounts.

√  Use a beneficial bacteria booster, such as Rid-X, every few months. This enhances the system’s ability to decompose solid waste.

√  Have your system pumped out every three to five years.

Contact us to arrange an Asheville septic system inspection

If you are about to buy a home, a septic system inspection is worth the cost. You’ll feel more confident about your upcoming purchase, and if the inspection reveals any problems, you may gain some leverage in negotiating the home’s purchase price.

Never try to open, inspect, or repair your septic system yourself. Septic tanks are dangerously unsanitary, and methane fumes can be fatal. Always use a certified professional to inspect, pump, or repair your system.

Need an appointment? Call Peter Young Home Inspections at 828-808-4980 to arrange a septic system inspection in Asheville and surrounding areas of Western North Carolina. Or click the button below to schedule an appointment.

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