Posted on 10/24/2020 11:04:08 AM PDT by CaptainPhilFan
COMPLETELY off topic.
Buying a home in a unknown market, just hit with horrendous and unexpected Inspection Report
If there's a drainage problem, the foundation has a gun to its head!
“Hidden asbestos.”
I once lusted after a big old house that had everything I ever wanted in a big old house...but the asbestos in the basement was hanging from the pipes like moss in the bayou.
Would have cost a fortune to clean up the visible stuff, and then there was the invisible.
Giveaway price too, but I wasn’t looking for a short life span.
In some areas, you can wiggle out of a contract if you find asbestos...as-is or not.
Wow! Lots of work needs to be done.
Replace wiring, plumbing, HVAC?
We’re talking big bucks.
If you’re using the VA to secure the loan, the VA inspector will likely nix this home and reject the loan to you.
I’d recommend that you find another home.
I’m not going to diss you, but I think you’re overreacting.
Almost ALL older homes have older electrical, plumbing and heating and air. The comps in the area probably have the same.
You may want to replace the furnace and AC because of the efficiency, but they built things better 30+ years ago and the old ones may last longer than a new one you replaced it with.
As for the electrical and plumbing, pipes and wires generally do not wear out. (unless you get stuck with Orangeberg sewer pipes)
If you want a new house, you shouldn’t be considering old ones.
Just my humble opinion...
I just had a furnace/ac replaced in a 1200 sq ft. home. We went with a brand called Gibson. The key parts are identical with Trane which would be a couple thousand more.
I got two quotes. One was $7500. But I have a buddy who did the side job for $4800 and still walked away making plenty of money.
Galvanized pipe will likely need replacing. I did my own with copper in my first house. PEX tubing would be easier.
Having rerun some wiring behind walls in my own house myself, I can’t imagine how expensive that would be. Materials are nothing compare to the labor.
OR-—He can look long & hard at real estate agent who may have mis-represented the home.
Failure to disclose is serious wrong doing....Don’t back down if this is really the house you want...
BUT—what/who is going to remove Gladys Kravitz next door???
LOL!!! Bring it on. My dog barks worse at me every time she sees me.
I have never heard of anyone futzing up 7 sales in a row because of “undisclosed problems”. But who knows maybe people are less open about disclosing issues with their homes on the East Coast. There is however the possibility that you have employed home inspectors that are filling your head with inappropriate complaints that no older home in your price range would ever be without.
I definitely agree with your assessment on the flippers and what they do to old classic homes. And they do not even do a good job. In this market everyone thinks that they are a flipper. We get contacted about our house about 7 times a week. After spending all this time and money trying to bring this place back to its former glory we are not going to sell it to someone who is going to undo all of our work.
The house across the street was flipped and sold for approximately twice what they bought it for after taking out a couple walls putting down fake wood flooring and painting it gray as you described. When I looked at the workmanship it was just plain awful. The poor kids who bought have had nothing but trouble. So it is too bad that they did not employ one of your inspectors.
Sorry to flip out on you in my previous post.
“I despise modern. Open Concept makes me ill. Most of the market I can afford here is being picked off by flippers who remove all the walls and paint everything gray.”
Me to. These remodeled houses look like the inside of a factory and look very cold. They put in cheap made cabinets but they have self closing hinges that close slow so everyone is impressed. It is all about making it look big. I can’t imagine living in such a house with teenagers.
Cpn’Phil. If you have access to cable or satellite TV, watch “Holmes Inspection” on On Demand. Mike Holmes is a Canadian contractor who fixes what home buyers’ inspectors miss. It’s an eye opener. They miss tens of thousands of dollars of stuff that should have red flagged houses people bought... sometimes hundreds of thousands!
He does inspections that require breaking into walls through the Sheetrock, using infrared cameras, etc. he climbs into crawls species and attics, and measures everything. Did your inspection test for asbestos? He should have on a 1950s built house.
Watch it. Get an eye and earful. Some of his fixes are in the US too.
I agree with ping jockey in post #73. Remodeling is always more expensive than any quote given, and will take longer than expected. Things like having to buy 1” unfinished wood, since all plywood in our area is now 3/4” thick.
If you want a home with character, and you seem to know what you and the missus are getting into, make an offer that allows you to build repairs into the cost of purchasing.
Otherwise keep looking.
We spent over $25k in the 80’s just to get up to code, but it was spread over 6 years. Electrical wiring that catches on fire, natural gas leaks under the house and toilets that just can't flush due to a collapsed sewer line make life difficult.
Yes and we are talking complete electrical. I might not consider this job unless all the drywall was removed everywhere needed - so opened to the studs with free and clear access to the work areas.
Is this home on a slab or pier and beam? Is the community home-ruled, HOA, or otherwise? What is your skill-set with respect to the trades? How many friends do you have that have trade skill sets? Many questions, few answers.
“Yes and we are talking complete electrical.”
We were talking about bringing old wiring up to current codes.
Those types of show are fun and informative but are mostly staged events.
Mr. mm, who does HVAC and consulting work, agrees with your estimate of about 30k.
Dude, you’re looking at 100k, easy. Unless you got that handy, walk away.
The ground is called “Grounding Conductor, Equipment (ECG)” per NEC 70 Article 100. This conductor is the “safety line” so to speak and is there to provide an effective path for ground fault current of equipment connected to the system. As opposed to a person providing that path. There are many electrical circuits that do not require GFCI protection but still pose a ground fault.
There is a reason the Code is modified every 3 years. And there is a reason that an ECG has been required for prolly at least 50 years and that reason is SAFETY.
Your response shows a 1st year apprentice level of understanding.
If you wish to discuss this further please provide me with your credentials so I can reply based on your education and experience.
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