07-30-2006, 04:46 AM
The home inspection passed with flying colours today. The grizzled old ex-contractor was all business and closely examined the foundation, roof, electrical system, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, windows, attic, insulation, structure, and a hundred other things.
He had VERY minor gripes about our new home. Some of the caulking on the exterior of a few of the windows was aged and brittle and should be replaced. I can fix that with a trip to Home Depot and about 30 minutes of my time. The attic could use more insulation, which isn't a surprise because it gets goddamn cold here and everyone needs more insulation. The final suggestion was one I expected. None of the electrical outlets in the kitchen, bathrooms, or exterior are GFI (ground fault interrupt), because our house was built before the building code mandated it. Again though, it's a relatively cheap and easy fix.
I was very happy with the inspection.
The current owners were present for the inspection, and my wife had a nice chat with them while I followed the inspector around. The reason that they are selling is because the elder husband has a heart condition and he can't handle stairs anymore. They bought a bungalow. My wife shrewedly negotiated a deal for the dishwasher. She gave them a cheque for $100, and our real estate agent agreed to rebate us the $100 upon closing out of her commission since it was such a fast and easy deal. She also asked them to leave the swing hanging from the red maple tree in the front yard. My son loves it and the inspector gave him a few good pushes on it after the inspection was done.
So we signed the condition waivers today, and the house is ours as of September 15.
He had VERY minor gripes about our new home. Some of the caulking on the exterior of a few of the windows was aged and brittle and should be replaced. I can fix that with a trip to Home Depot and about 30 minutes of my time. The attic could use more insulation, which isn't a surprise because it gets goddamn cold here and everyone needs more insulation. The final suggestion was one I expected. None of the electrical outlets in the kitchen, bathrooms, or exterior are GFI (ground fault interrupt), because our house was built before the building code mandated it. Again though, it's a relatively cheap and easy fix.
I was very happy with the inspection.
The current owners were present for the inspection, and my wife had a nice chat with them while I followed the inspector around. The reason that they are selling is because the elder husband has a heart condition and he can't handle stairs anymore. They bought a bungalow. My wife shrewedly negotiated a deal for the dishwasher. She gave them a cheque for $100, and our real estate agent agreed to rebate us the $100 upon closing out of her commission since it was such a fast and easy deal. She also asked them to leave the swing hanging from the red maple tree in the front yard. My son loves it and the inspector gave him a few good pushes on it after the inspection was done.
So we signed the condition waivers today, and the house is ours as of September 15.