The 10 Most Common Home Inspection Issues and Gaffes

The 10 Most Common Home Inspection Issues and Gaffes
By Tim Buell, ACI and Forrest Lines, CRI

At the winter joint Ohio ASHI/NAHI educational seminar in Columbus, inspectors were asked to suggest and vote on the top 10 most common issues observed during a home inspection, along with the biggest gaffes made. Recommendations needed to receive all but a very few votes to be listed. No doubt you have experienced one or more issues and gaffes. So here are “The Home Inspector’s Top 10” Enjoy and don’t be afraid to laugh out loud.

The 10 most common home inspection issues

• Two-slot ungrounded receptacles with only two wires replaced with three-slot grounded receptacles.
• The furnace, air conditioner, fireplace and/or dryer vent have not been serviced in the past 12 months
• The landscape slopes toward the house.
• Lack of proper exterior water control, e.g., gutters and downspouts.
• Bathroom vents exhaust into the attic.
• Lack of weep holes in brick, stone veneer and weep screed in stucco.
• Lack of and/or improper deck flashing.
• Improper and/or lack of grounding and bonding.
• Mortar missing in between the brick/stone of exterior chimney.
• Improper guardrails, handrails and balusters or lack thereof
• Lack of GFCIs in bathrooms, kitchen, garage and exterior.

The 10 most common home inspector gaffes

• You are at an inspection with the buyer and Realtor. The water is turned off and the meter disconnected. You have to go to the bathroom and there is no water or toilet paper.
• You have left your most expensive piece of home inspection equipment at your last inspection, which is located on the other side of town or the farthest point from from your home.
• You have entered the home with all your equipment including your computer, car keys and cell phone. You go outside to inspect the exterior and the door closes and locks behind you. The key is inside the house and no one is coming to the inspection
• You are on top of a two-or more story roof in the middle of nowhere. No one is there and no one is coming. Your ladder falls to the ground and your cell phone is in your car being charged.
• You have left your house without your electronic key pad and/or incorrect access code to the home you are about to inspect.
• When checking the sinks and tubs, you have left the water runnning to the point of overflowing onto the floor.
• You have tripped (while testing) the garage GFCI, which is connected to some appliances (refrigerator) and you cannot locate the reset.
• You have to explain to the police/fire department why you are there because the alarm went off when entering the house. The Realtor or seller forgot to turn it off or give you the code.
• You have turned on the oven and forgot to check to see what may be inside.
• You have turned on any device, e.g., oven, furnaces, hot water tank, and didn’t turn it off or back it off or back to it’s original setting.

Tim Buell, ACI Pillar To Post Franchisee, ASHI Director, ASHI Education Inc Director, Past President Chapter of ASHI

Forrest Lines, CRI Bylions Home Inspections, President – NAHI, Director – NAHI, Past President – Ohio Chapter of NAHI