Post-inspection walk-through

We had an inspection done on a house we're looking to buy. There were some issues but after negotiation the sellers agreed to fix the important stuff, so we wrote it up as an addendum on the contract, signed our agreement on it, and are headed toward closing. I forgot to specify in the addendum that the sellers must have a licensed/bonded/insured contractor do the repairs so, while I hope that happens anyway, I want to be prepared in case they try to do the repairs themselves.

Specifically I want to know how to identify good vs. shoddy work in the following areas when I do my walk-through:

- Repairing very small hair step cracks in the foundation
- Repairing ceiling/drywall where previously there was some warping due to moisture
- Sealing copper water pipes so they don't leak
- Sealing HVAC ducts so they don't leak
- Fixing a small gas leak going into the water heater (anything I can do besides the smell test?)

Hopefully not too many of these have an answer of "The only way to tell is wait a few months/years and see if the problem reappears."

Ask for receipts of work preformed.

Sealing the copper pipes so they don't leak? Is this from condensation or an actual leak?

For the gas leak, do a bubble test. Make up a solution of soapy water and brush it on all the connections. If there is a leak you'll get bubbles forming.

Sealing the ductwork, do a visual inspection, have the joints and seams been sealed? Did they use the proper duct tape or mastic and not "Duck Tape" or similar cloth backed tapes?

You are holding the signature and the check.

Make sure you know where you are looking for these things, take photos.

And if you can not feel satisfied pay for another inspection.

You can not complain if they did it themselves but you can ask for a writtin report on what was used to do what exactly.

You can write anything into the contract like $1000 hold back for 2 yrs. to check performance of concrete repair over winter.

Then the seller can change anything .

That goes until you settle.

Realtor suggested inspector?
If so huge mistake, hire your own.
No way is anyone going to be able seal leaking copper pipes without replacing them or replacing them with PEX.
Fixing the ceiling is not going to do a thing unless someone takes the time to figure why it failed.
33 post and still no location in you profile so we have no idea if it could have been an old ice dam issue leaking plumbing on the second floor, failed seal on a vent seal on the roof.
No such thing as a "small gas leak" any leak can blow the whole house up!

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

oldognewtrick said:

Ask for receipts of work preformed.

Click to expand...

Yup, asking for that. Just wished I'd specified the repairs be done by licensed/insured contractors.

Sparky617 said:

Sealing the copper pipes so they don't leak? Is this from condensation or an actual leak?

For the gas leak, do a bubble test. Make up a solution of soapy water and brush it on all the connections. If there is a leak you'll get bubbles forming.

Sealing the ductwork, do a visual inspection, have the joints and seams been sealed? Did they use the proper duct tape or mastic and not "Duck Tape" or similar cloth backed tapes?

Click to expand...

The leaks in the copper pipes are at the joints where they weren't soldered together properly. You can see the stalactites where the calcium in the dripping water has hardened to the pipes.

Thanks for the tips on the gas and duct leaks.

nealtw said:

You are holding the signature and the check.

Make sure you know where you are looking for these things, take photos.

And if you can not feel satisfied pay for another inspection.

You can not complain if they did it themselves but you can ask for a writtin report on what was used to do what exactly.

You can write anything into the contract like $1000 hold back for 2 yrs. to check performance of concrete repair over winter.

Then the seller can change anything .

That goes until you settle.

Click to expand...

Thanks, good to know.

joecaption said:

Realtor suggested inspector?
If so huge mistake, hire your own.
No way is anyone going to be able seal leaking copper pipes without replacing them or replacing them with PEX.
Fixing the ceiling is not going to do a thing unless someone takes the time to figure why it failed.
33 post and still no location in you profile so we have no idea if it could have been an old ice dam issue leaking plumbing on the second floor, failed seal on a vent seal on the roof.
No such thing as a "small gas leak" any leak can blow the whole house up!

Click to expand...

I hired the inspector who is a friend I know and trust and happens to be a forensic environmental engineer.

I left the location off my profile for privacy reasons. I live in the lower Midwest. (You know, "flyover" country!)

Good call on "small gas leak".

I might view this topic different than most coming from a time long ago when it was buyer beware. I don’t at all have a problem with real estate people or home inspections or the potential buyer bringing all his friends and family and hired inspectors thru the house a dozen times if they want. I don’t care if they spend all day in the crawl space or the basement or attic. Take photos write reports and even if there is a sign of some active problem opening a hole in the wall to get a look.

On the other hand, I’m selling something used and the expectancy of anything used is it is at some point in its useful life. When I sell a property, it is used and in buy it “as is” condition. I have a price in my mind what I want to get for the property and the buyer needs to come up with a price they are willing to pay and make me an offer. The offer should include deductions for whatever the buyer thinks are wrong subtracted from what he thinks it is worth to him if perfect. It is then the sellers job to say yes or no or counter offer. If the house has a 100 grand of repairs needed and the buyer wants to finance the extra to bring it up to their standards that’s fine and once they have it, they can get the work done to their liking.

A couple years ago we bought a house for 25k in a really nice location that if I would have itemized the fixes required would have been 50 to100k. So we basically offered 25k for what the land was worth and they took our offer after a couple rounds of negotiations.

For the OP hairline cracks in the foundation can be normal and could have been there for many years or they could mean very major problems starting. Any repair they will make to sell the house will just be cosmetic.

The ceiling as mentioned above. Water was or is getting in the house? If there was a leak and the problem was fixed the repair is only cosmetic. The seller isn’t trying to hide a problem, I kind of like that. When I smell fresh paint in every room I get worried.

Fixing a couple joints in copper pipes is an easy cheap fix. The problem is does this mean all the copper plumbing is at the end of its lifespan.

Sealing HVAC duct work. Simple easy DIY project. Condition and age of the furnace is the bigger question and concern.

Gas leak again a simple fix. The same method used to find it is the method used to test it after it is repaired. I have a feeling someone smelled gas and that’s why you feel there is a leak. The smell could also be the water heater at the end of its lifespan and that’s a bigger ticket item.

Your asks could be under a $1000 total or they could be in the 10’s of thousands. We have no way of knowing. Just as the seller of the house could be a master DIY person (I doubt it though) and of the 5 things you listed I’m willing to bet there are another 10 no one saw waiting to be found within a year or two.

Without seeing the problems in person or knowing the asking price or what a comp in the area was worth, or how much of a buyer or seller market there is in your area, it is hard to offer advice. Most sellers start off asking a bit more than what they are willing to take for a house. They hope to cover the realtor costs etc and maybe make a little money. The longer it is on the market sometimes the more willing they are to sell. If I was selling the house I would just tell you make me an offer I’m not paying for insurance on the sale and fixing a lot of little things. If I was buying the house I would have an idea in my head from comp prices for move in ready places in the area and I would offer them 5k less than they were asking for the problems you listed.

It is my opinion that all these punch list items end up costing the buyer in the long run on a used home. They have more than enough cushion in the starting price for all this messing around they know is coming and they agree to making the buyer feel like he got a deal. It all muddies the water IMO.

My dad used to tell me when you take your car for state inspection always have a burnt-out bulb. They find that and charge you 10 times what the bulb costs but then they don’t tell you that you need a new exhaust system and ball joints. I think this new system of getting everything “perfect” before a sale is about the same. But I grew up in a different time.

bud16415 said:

I might view this topic different than most coming from a time long ago when it was buyer beware. [...]

Click to expand...

Good perspective, thanks!

For the OP hairline cracks in the foundation can be normal and could have been there for many years or they could mean very major problems starting. Any repair they will make to sell the house will just be cosmetic.

Click to expand...

Good to know.

The ceiling as mentioned above. Water was or is getting in the house? If there was a leak and the problem was fixed the repair is only cosmetic. The seller isn’t trying to hide a problem, I kind of like that. When I smell fresh paint in every room I get worried.

Click to expand...

In the inspection report the stated problem is that the drywall in the ceiling above the garage has warped and come loose from its moorings (to the joists or crossbeams, I guess?) and posed a hazard if it fell down. (This might have been the inspector, a personal friend, being a little over-zealous.) The roof is pretty new (6 years old) and so the inspector concluded it was likely replaced after whatever moisture or water damage caused the drywall warping.

Fixing a couple joints in copper pipes is an easy cheap fix. The problem is does this mean all the copper plumbing is at the end of its lifespan.

Click to expand...

I think it was just done in an amateurish way.

Sealing HVAC duct work. Simple easy DIY project. Condition and age of the furnace is the bigger question and concern.

Click to expand...

Furnace is from the late 90s or early 2000s I think. When we went down in the crawl space we saw the ductwork sealed with duct tape that came off basically when you touched it. I have a roll of good foil tape ready; it's the stuff I might not be able to reach that worries me.

Gas leak again a simple fix. The same method used to find it is the method used to test it after it is repaired. I have a feeling someone smelled gas and that’s why you feel there is a leak. The smell could also be the water heater at the end of its lifespan and that’s a bigger ticket item.

Click to expand...

Found the gas leak by smelling (nose picks up, what, 3 parts per million of the added odorizer vs the standard device which picks up 40 parts per million). The water heater is pretty new, from 2009 I believe.

Your asks could be under a $1000 total or they could be in the 10’s of thousands. We have no way of knowing. Just as the seller of the house could be a master DIY person (I doubt it though) and of the 5 things you listed I’m willing to bet there are another 10 no one saw waiting to be found within a year or two.

Click to expand...

There are another 10-12K of repairs we consider important but not urgent and are willing to do on our own, spread out over the next year or three. Our sale price is about 40-50K below the value of other houses on the street, so we consider it pretty equitable.

The inspection was extremely thorough. We only asked the sellers to repair the urgent stuff that my wife didn't feel comfortable moving the kids into the house with (gas leak, loose ceiling drywall) or that would immediately cost us money (water piping and ductwork leaks).

Without seeing the problems in person or knowing the asking price or what a comp in the area was worth, or how much of a buyer or seller market there is in your area, it is hard to offer advice.[...].

Click to expand...

It's a seller's market here. Hopefully some of the above info gives you a better picture. Let me know if you want any more details and I'll try to provide.

Thanks for the helpful comment!