Looking for a new home can be
exciting and frustrating. You can help alleviate the frustration
by paying close attention to five key areas of the homes you're
considering buying; it may save you money in the long run.
Todd Livingood is an inspector and
owner of a home Inspections company. He says there are five
areas in homes that he frequently reports problems with. They
are electrical, foundation, plumbing, the attic, and
landscaping.
Electrical
Sometimes homeowners assume with newer homes that all will work
just fine but that's often not the case. "I [inspected] a brand
new house -- four years old but the electrical was all done
incorrectly," says Livingood.
Having a complete home inspection
will help to rule out any problems and point out any areas of
concern. However, even as you're browsing homes, buyers can
start to make note of the key areas that Livingood mentioned,
such as the foundation.
Foundation
Livingood says a four-year-old home he inspected recently
was already showing trouble signs which could result in a costly
repair project. "It was a model home. What [the homeowners] did
was plant trees for shade to make it look really nice, but they
planted the wrong trees and they're going to crack the
foundation and it's going to cut the property value down by
$50,000," says Livingood.
Livingood says in the case of that
home, the trees were causing micro-fractures in the tile in
various locations of the home. "As you walk through the house,
21 feet in and 30 feet deep, there's just too much root invasion
and it's going to ruin their tile," explains Livingood.
He says some tell-tale signs with
this home were the minor cracks in the foundation that were
causing a lifting and separation of the foundation. Also, the
windows were not opening and closing properly, "which means the
foundation is moving."
However, just because you see
cracks doesn't mean there is a foundation problem. "Most people
don't understand that there are natural cracks in a house.
That's why when we do an inspection report we have to look at it
and say 'Okay, this is a typical crack and this one is an
untypical crack,'" says Livingood. He says some cracks may lead
to other problems while others won't.
Plumbing
Livingood says another big area of concern is the
plumbing. It's an area that you can't always spot as easily but
it can create expensive repairs if plumbing issues go either
undetected or are not properly fixed. "Mold forms underneath
sinks when people have a leak and they fix the pipe but they
don't take care of the mold."
He says things like caulking the
sink can help prevent mold. "That's my number one thing I always
find -- bad sinks.".
He says that when you look at the
sink, look behind it and most of the time you will discover a
little crack. "What happens is, when you wash dishes or you wash
your hands in the bathroom or the kitchen, the water gets in
that crack and seeps down. Once the water gets behind the
cabinet it's in a perfect position to create mold," says
Livingood. The dampness, humidity, and lack of light can turn
that area beneath the sink into a mold-breeding ground.
Attic
"You can tell everything about the house by the attic,"
says Livingood He says other areas of the home can be covered up
if a repair had occurred. For instance, if there was a leak and
it damaged a wall, with the right contractors and repairs it can
be made to look like new and, hopefully, function like new. But
Livingood says the attic is sort of the eyes to the soul of the
home. "In the attic you can tell where all the damage has been."
"If you're in a 20-year-old house
and you see that the insulation is brand new, you know that
there was a water leak because it had to be replaced.". He adds,
"You can tell if the roof is good because you can look right at
the wood."
Landscaping
"There should not be moisture or plants next to your
house," says Livingood. He says there should be a 12 inch
barrier between the landscape and the house. Livingood says
otherwise you run the risk of having the foundation crack and
affect the home. What happens is, as the landscape that is too
close to the home is watered, the foundation and soil expand.
Then, when no watering occurs, the foundation dries up and
shrinks and this can cause it to crack.
Remember, knowledge is power, so
learning about the home before you close the deal on it will
keep you from making a mistake that may cost you extra
out-of-pocket money later.
