The Most Common Issues Found on a Home Inspection.

No two home inspections are the same. Every single house is different and has its own story to tell. It is the home inspector’s job to interpret and tell that story by doing a thorough visual investigation of the house.  Often people hire the home inspector to perform this inspection at the time of purchase. Even though every house is different, home inspectors come across many of the same problems after performing many inspections over time. After being in business for over 25 years, there are a few that are a constant reoccurrence. So I created a list of The Most Common Issues Found on a Home Inspection. The list below does not imply that your house will or will not have these problems.  It’s just a list off the top of an old home inspector’s head. So, here we go.

1. Dirty air filters which lead to clogged condensation lines, overflow pans filled with water, and an HVAC system that is not working as efficiently as it should. I could write a whole article on how the dirty filter leads to all this but for brevity just keep those filters changed.
2. Loose strike plates and hinges. Fortunately, these are typically easy fixes that just need a screw or multiple screws tightened.  Sometimes if it is stripped You might need a larger screw.
3. Shrinking insulation on the Freon gas line. The Freon gas line is the bigger line that is cold when the AC is running.  Since the gas line is cold while running condensation forms on these.  Over time this pipe insulation shrinks or deteriorates and needs replacement.
4. No anti-siphon device on the water spigot to prevent water contamination. These are relatively inexpensive and screw right on.
5. Anti-tipping brackets on the oven are missing. Ovens should have these brackets installed to prevent ovens from flipping over
6. Faucets continuous drip/and or stopper not working in sinks and tubs. Usually not too bad to fix.  It usually involves replacing some worn-out valves
7. Tubs and Sinks need Caulking. Caulking wears out over time.
8. Caulking needed around doors and windows. Caulking wears out here too but even faster.  If the caulking fails here moisture can get in behind the wood and cause damage/ aka softwood.
9. Poor drainage and lack of splash blocks or downspout diverters. Always ask yourself where does the water go when it rains?  Look for signs of where it goes but you want it to travel away from the house and the foundation.
10. Damaged plumbing boots. There are rubber plumbing boots that make the transition from roof shingle to the plumbing vent pipe.  This rubber eventually deteriorates and crumbles and needs to be replaced
11. Cracked apex shingle. I cannot tell how many of these I have seen.  Let us just say a bunch.  When that apex shingle must make a sharp angle, it tends to crack over time.
12. Weathered Deck and/or wood debris under the deck. It’s important to keep the wood decks in good shape through periodic maintenance.  It’s also important to keep non treated wood such as firewood out from under the deck as this attracts termites.

My list is by no means an exhaustive list nor is it the list of the most expensive or dangerous things found on home inspections, just the most common issues found on a home inspection off the top of an old home inspector’s head.  To prepare your sellers for an inspection download our Seller’s Checklist for FREE!  To view one of our reports to get a better idea of what inspectors are looking for during an inspection download a sample home inspection report.