I'm afraid that this isn't going to be one of those nightmare descriptions - the house is in great "above average" shape (his words), and during the three hour inspection, he offered a great deal of insight and advice.
With that said, there were some things that he mentioned that will need addressing by myself or the current owners. I was hoping to pick everyone's brains on where to go from here.
Overall condition: Above average. The assessor in a separate evaluation said the house, built in 1929, has an effective age of 15 years. This is clear based on many updates throughout. I bid $164,200 on a house assessed for $165,000 and the asking price was $144,900 in a highly competitive market.
Exterior
Brick facade. Loose/missing bricks are on one corner of house, likely hit by snowblower. This was an opportunity to get an exterior look at the foundation. No issues whatsoever. The owner has agreed to fix the bricks before transfer.
Bricks on chimney. The chimney was completely re-mortared, but there is deterioration near the top. The chimney is properly lined and with a proper vent, and it's likely the vent was placed in a few years after the chimney rework, as the mortar near the top looks like it has been serviced after the rework. The affected area is about 5-6 bricks worth of mortar, all in the same row. I will NOT DIY this, but what can I expect in terms of fixing this?
Basement
Wall coverings were installed 17 years ago by waterproofing company to allow drainage to drain tile. It was hard to get a good look at the walls for cracks and other issues, but what we could see was positive. No bowing, and any cracks in the concrete blocks seemed to be hairline, small cracks not indicative of major issues.
Smell. No smell, aside from a sewer smell that occurs with the usage of plumbing in other areas of the house.
Beams and floor joists. Good condition. Noticed there is no insulation around the top perimeter of the foundation. What do I need to do to address this? What type of insulation? What other precautions should I take? Is this a DIY job for someone who is handy, can repair a car, and can ace a high school shop class?
Sump pump/drainage. The setup is against code, and the current owner is mandated by law to fix. The sump drains directly into the municipal sewer, and not the storm sewer. This is an easy fix for them as the storm setup is nearby. Are there any red flags I should be aware of? Is it possible/probable that they opted for this setup to avoid fixing a collapsed pipe in their yard? They also have the sump on a non-dedicated, non-GFI outlet, which is not code compliant.
- Attic. Attic is full and insulated. Blown-in insulation is adequate and will remain. We requested that the insulation be removed from the roof. Small black spots have formed on the rafters, and with the roof only being 3 years old, we want to keep the roof young. We asked the owners to dispose of the insulation and I've been advised to get a mold evaluation. Also, the soffets have no venting, so I would need to install this. How difficult is soffet venting installation? Is a mold assessment necessary, or is the "black mold" thing a rare occurrence? Venting at the top of the roof is adequate.
Plumbing
There is an odd configuration in the basement that is likely the cause of sewer gas smell. There is a 5' tall, 3/4" copper pipe stemming from the main sewer that's open at the top. Going into this pipe is a smaller, 1/2" or so pipe (I don't know, but it's the type you use for a refrigerator), emptying into it. This small pipe has it's own shutoff. We have no earthly clue what it's made to accomplish. http://ift.tt/1zxA7XW Any ideas?
There's a sewer vent pipe connected via electrical tape and not a proper fitting. Will buy a rubber fernco fitting to fix when I take possession.
Water heater from 2003. Will buy one now as supposedly regulations are going to be strict in a few months, causing the price of these to rise sharply.
Heating
Heater is forced air, newer, and in good condition.
A/C is about 11 years old. Cools extremely well (34 degree reading at vent). What do I need to keep in mind as this will need replacing in a few years?
Electrical
This is a weird one. From the line that goes to the house to the meter, the wiring is 100A. From the meter to the box, the wiring is 150A. This was a huge red flag, but then at the box, which is rated 150A, the main line is wired directly to a 100A breaker, and the main breaker is unconnected. Any red flags here?
Copper wiring present. A number of outlets that need to be GFIs are not. I will replace these as I've done it before a bunch of times. A number of outlets are also not grounded. Is there anything I need to consider in order to protect my equipment and my safety?
The kitchen stove is gas, but the oven is electric. They drilled a hole from the kitchen floor to the basement to use an outlet in the basement to plug in the oven. Is this a concern or a safety issue?
Several windows are in fair condition - they're the ones you crank open. The major problem is that they're double-paned, and they have condensation inside. It looks like crap, and I realize that there's some efficiency issue. How hard is it to replace this? Do companies make replacement windows minus the frame where I can just swap out the window itself by screwing it on to the open/close mechanism?
Bathroom window is cracked. Asking owner to replace or come down in price. Realtor will suggest a price, what do you recommend?
Garage
3 car garage with a double door and a single door. We were not allowed to test the single door as there is a classic car in there being worked on. We will ask owner to test for us, but if it is broken, how hard is it to replace a garage motor when everything else (frame, door, track) is in place?
Garage was built in 2007. The rafters in the roof are spaced 24" apart. No roof bowing is present but how difficult will bracing the roof be? Is this a DIY job, or something for a contractor?
Bathroom
- The upstairs bath doesn't have a fan (well neither does the downstairs, but it's not an issue for me since it's a half). How much of a pain in the ass is it to install a fan that vents to the roof, and not the attic?
I'd love to know /r/homeimprovement's thoughts on this. It's a wonderful home, and there are no dealbreakers that will prevent me from moving in.
Thanks!
Submitted April 19, 2015 at 08:24PM by autoverse http://ift.tt/1G7HGcx HomeImprovement
No comments:
Post a Comment