Common problems found during home inspections when buying a home in Arizona
Buying a house may be is your biggest financial transaction in your life. Whether the come is a new build or a modest fixer-upper, you want to know what you are buying. Getting a thorough professional inspection before buying a house is highly recommended by most Realtor. A qualified and experienced home inspector’s job is to find out everything that is wrong with the house. An inspector also should find something that could be corrected, upgraded, or repaired even a newly built homes! Read 8 common problems found during home inspections based on my experience representing home buyers.
No home is created equal and each inspection report will be different. There are items that are more commonly found during home inspections then others. Here are top 8 list of the most common home inspection findings that we see inspection after inspection. This list can help a seller be proactive and look for these common inspection findings prior to listing their home AND correct if present. Also this list can help a buyer understand some of the more common home inspections findings, so that buyer can be prepared.
As stated in Arizona Association of Realtors® Residential Purchase Agreement page 5 section 6a: Buyer’s Inspection Periods shall be ten (10) days after contract acceptance, unless stated otherwise.
Improper Electrical Wiring
During an inspection, the inspector will check the outlets throughout the home and also check the interior of the electrical breaker/fuse box. A common electrical wiring problem that is found is an outlet with reversed polarity. Reversed polarity is when the “HOT” and “NEUTRAL” wires are placed on the improper terminal on the outlet.
Another common improper electrical wiring finding are double taps within the electrical breaker box. This is when there are two electrical circuits/feeds attached to a single breaker. This can be considered a fire hazard.
Plumbing
Leaks in the plumbing underneath sinks and around toilets is a common inspection finding. This can be due to a broken seal around the faucet, toilet, or even rusted/corroded plumbing.
HVAC Systems
While it’s recommended that the HVAC in a home are serviced at least annually to ensure everything is in good, safe, and in working condition. Many homeowners unfortunately do not have their heating systems serviced annually, so a common inspection finding is a dirty heating system. Home inspectors will normally recommend a cleaning and inspection of the heating system.
Another common issues found in HVAC system is incorrect air temperature split.
Roof and fascia Maintenance
Common issues found is cracked roof tiles, tiles misplacement, cracked mortar and mud ball joint. Paint was flaking and worn on the trim and fascia.
Fireplaces / Chimneys
A common finding from inspections are issues with the chimney flashing. This can lead to water intrusion into a home. Other common findings are missing mortar, missing chimney caps, or cracked tiles in the chimney flue.
Water Heater
Common water heater finding relates to the temperature pressure relief valve (TPRV) pipe or lack there of. The TPRV should be specific material, length, and height from the ground to be considered safe. Another common water heater inspection finding is missing drip pan. Drip pan is placed under the water heater to ‘catch’ water if the event there is water leak from the water heater and prevent damage. Make sure the drip pan is properly connected to the drain pipe.
Poor drainage around the structure
Water needs to drain away from the structure at its perimeter to prevent water intrusion. Roof gutters and downspouts can sometimes recommended by inspector to be added to rectify site drainage problems.
Evidence of termite
Termite is commonly found even in hot Arizona weather. Common area that termite trails visible are in garage and foundation area.
Keep in mind that most real estate transactions are contingent upon an acceptable home inspection to the buyers satisfaction. If the inspection turns up items in need of replacement or repair, you can ask the seller to fix the problems, to credit you back the money to fix them (if the lender allows this) or you can walk away from the purchase and receive your earnest money back.
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