Home Inspections can find some unfortunate things you may miss

Everyone should know by now that you always do the home inspection when buying a home. The home may look good on paper and in person, but until you truly get a full inspection and look everywhere thoroughly you never know. Even inspections have some limits though, so keep that in mind.

Some key things to watch for are the things you can't see right away. Things that are underground, or in attics and crawl spaces are usually critical to a home and to buying the home.

Attics can show what is under the roof, they can show the insulation levels and types in the home, wiring may be more visible, and you may find things such as ventilation issues, exhaust fans venting to the attic instead of out of the home, or mold issues.

Crawl spaces are another place that can help to get a story told about a home. This is especially important in lower wet areas and around lakes or rivers. You may see the homes substructure, how well it is draining water away from the home, mold may be present, standing water would be a definite concern if it were found, wiring can be visible in the crawl or basement, foundation issues, and sometimes mechanicals are in the crawl such as pressure tanks, plumbing lines, other water supply components, and even furnaces.

Underground can be tough but important to check. I am referring to septic tanks and drain fields here. Be sure you have these looked at by a professional. In addition to these you may also have underground wiring or plumbing that you need to understand. I have seen a lot of things happen over the years that I was not aware of before being a Real Estate Agent or home owner.

In recent months I have come across water supply plumbing connections breaking and spraying water in the crawl space for days leaving the space flooded when it is found. I have seen brand new shingles installed on a roof with bad decking, mold, and insufficient roof support. I have also come across several inches of standing water in the crawl space, which would likely mean bad drainage, likelihood of mold, and a likelihood of foundation issues.

Save yourself the headache and potentially a financial disaster, have an inspection done.

Written by

Korey Rowlson

Associate Broker

517.414.1230

five star

215 S. Dettman Rd. Jackson, MI 49203