I just read a great post by Carson Dunlop & Associates at Muddy York blog discussing, THE 1% RULE.
"When you consider the life cycle of every component of a house, a reasonable annual estimate of the cost of normal maintenance is 1% of the value of the house. One year you may replace the furnace; a few years down the road you may re-surface the roof. Throw in the odd unexpected repair in between and you average 1% per year. It’s incredible but this rule is not far off even for very expensive and very inexpensive houses..."
This is great advice from arguably, the most established and respected Home Inspection company in Canada.
Read the rest of the post: In search of the perfect house
Showing posts with label Home Inspection Blog (Other). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Inspection Blog (Other). Show all posts
Wednesday
Monday
Your Home Inspector should have caught that!
I. G. "Zack" Lilienfeld, PE, CEM, Licensed Home Inspector, and Consulting Engineer is one of my favorite HI bloggers. He writes about some of the challenges faced by Home Inspectors,
"Recently, I received two phone calls where my clients explained that there was repair work required by them due to a defect, and that their plumber/electrician/handyman exclaimed "your home inspector should have caught that!" The implication was that I missed the problem, and if so, I'd be liable for the repair. These calls naturally left me with a sinking feeling, so I wanted to get to the bottom of things to see if I had indeed slipped up. In my fact-finding, I was alarmed to find out that the "issues" were not so much defects requiring repair, as they were contractors looking for work in a declining home repair market." Read the rest at Home Inspection Blog
It does not matter if your Home Inspector is from Calgary or Cape May County, he or she might have missed something. However, just because a trades person or your Uncle Bob - says its so, it doesn't mean it is.
It is normal for people to get emotional when they are given a huge home repair estimate. The Best thing to do is a get as second or third estimate and/or opinion. If your think your Home Inspector was in error, at least give him or her the chance to see the defect and make an assessment.
"Recently, I received two phone calls where my clients explained that there was repair work required by them due to a defect, and that their plumber/electrician/handyman exclaimed "your home inspector should have caught that!" The implication was that I missed the problem, and if so, I'd be liable for the repair. These calls naturally left me with a sinking feeling, so I wanted to get to the bottom of things to see if I had indeed slipped up. In my fact-finding, I was alarmed to find out that the "issues" were not so much defects requiring repair, as they were contractors looking for work in a declining home repair market." Read the rest at Home Inspection Blog
It does not matter if your Home Inspector is from Calgary or Cape May County, he or she might have missed something. However, just because a trades person or your Uncle Bob - says its so, it doesn't mean it is.
It is normal for people to get emotional when they are given a huge home repair estimate. The Best thing to do is a get as second or third estimate and/or opinion. If your think your Home Inspector was in error, at least give him or her the chance to see the defect and make an assessment.
Tuesday
Your Home Inspector should have caught that!
From the blog of I. G. "Zack" Lilienfeld, PE, CEM, Licensed Home Inspector and Consulting Engineer
... Another instance involved a client who was told by the electrician that her electric wiring was not "up to code" and that it would need to be replaced. He said, of course, "your home inspector should have caught that".
Well, for the uninformed, there is no requirement anywhere that says that a home built in 1960 must be brought up to current code, except if there is renovation work being performed.
This is a make-work comment. If this were true, nearly every home built more than five years ago would require the services of a contractor to replace windows, raise handrails, install wind strapping, replace staircases, and perform a myriad of other things to bring the home up to "code".
No preexisting home would be sold in this environment. Replacing an outlet or installing a ceiling fan does not require the rewiring a house, unless you are a contractor looking for a Caribbean vacation. Unfortunately, this client went ahead with the work and needlessly spent the money, and was upset with me until I explained what the truth was...."
Read more at NJ Home Inspections
... Another instance involved a client who was told by the electrician that her electric wiring was not "up to code" and that it would need to be replaced. He said, of course, "your home inspector should have caught that".
Well, for the uninformed, there is no requirement anywhere that says that a home built in 1960 must be brought up to current code, except if there is renovation work being performed.
This is a make-work comment. If this were true, nearly every home built more than five years ago would require the services of a contractor to replace windows, raise handrails, install wind strapping, replace staircases, and perform a myriad of other things to bring the home up to "code".
No preexisting home would be sold in this environment. Replacing an outlet or installing a ceiling fan does not require the rewiring a house, unless you are a contractor looking for a Caribbean vacation. Unfortunately, this client went ahead with the work and needlessly spent the money, and was upset with me until I explained what the truth was...."
Read more at NJ Home Inspections
Friday
More Home Inspection Realities
"Home inspectors are generalists, and as such, are usually not equipped to report on the nuances of the many types of structural defects except to note areas of concern and, perhaps some detail when the defect is obvious. So, as a home buyer or seller, you may be told that a structural defect was found, and that an "engineer should be consulted to evaluate and make recommendations". Mind you, this is not a cop-out by the home inspector, its just that they are not specialists and indeed, there are structural issues that do require an engineer to give the final word. However, because many a real estate deal has hit the wall because of a simple statement like "consult with a structural engineer", I thought it appropriate to elaborate on my somewhat unique perspective as a licensed NJ home inspector and professional engineer".
This came from a Cape Cod Inspector who is both a Home Inspector and an Engineer. You can read the rest of the post here.
This came from a Cape Cod Inspector who is both a Home Inspector and an Engineer. You can read the rest of the post here.
Home Inspection Realities
"Older houses pose a challenge when it comes to heating and cooling systems. Today’s methodologies which incorporate zoned systems or separate heating and cooling systems to climatize each level of the property are common place. Older properties follow the guidelines of “accepted” trade practices at the the time the property was built and upgrading duct work and units to properly condition a property can get quite expensive."
This Tennessee Inspector brings up some very good points. You can read the rest of his article here.
This Tennessee Inspector brings up some very good points. You can read the rest of his article here.
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