THREE ESSENTIAL HOME SHOPPING TOOLS

Chris Thompson / haystackhomeinspections.com / chris@haystackhomeinspections.com / Copyright © 2011

604-734-4700 haystackhomeinspection.com

Home Inspections

What three tools for under $30 are indispensable for house shopping? They will fit in you coat pocket and can help flag questions that should be asked. Why is that ceiling sagging? Why do none of the outlets have grounds? What's that smell?

Flashlight / 55 lumens, single AA battery ( $17 )Some small flashlights pack a powerful punch these days. They are great for looking in closets, basements, and attics or under sinks. You can also use a flashlight to see if ceilings, walls, and floors are flat.

In a darkened room hold the flashlight close to the wall or ceiling and shine the beam parallel to the surface. Shadows appear on uneven surfaces. What might this mean? On ceilings in particular it can be important because it can identify a sagging ceiling.

A sagging ceiling below a bathroom or kitchen may suggest a water issue. It leads to other questions like; is there staining, is there an active leak, has it been fixed, when was the bathroom last used, when was the ceiling last painted, can your inspector check the ceiling with a moisture meter? The answers to these questions can determine if the sagging ceiling is an area for concern or simply a long ago fixed issue.

Electrical Circuit Tester / with GFCI test button ( $11 )An electrical circuit tester can tell you some important information about a homes electrical system. First and foremost it will tell you if an outlet works. It can tell you if that outlet is wired correctly. You can test for safety outlets and there function in the kitchen, bathrooms and outdoors.

It may also suggest what kind of wiring house has. This becomes important in older homes where knob and tube wiring or a slightly more recent two-wire system is suspected (numerous ungrounded outlets might suggest this). These older systems typically need upgrading in homes today and may have an impact on your insurer and premiums.

Your Senses ( $0.00 Priceless )The most important tools you already posses. These comes in the form of your senses, sight, touch, smell, hearing, typically taste doesn't come into play however your sixth sense let's call it intuition should be on high alert.

Sight: It is amazing how much we look at but don't see. Make a conscious effort to actually see everything in a home. Stainless steel appliances and granite countertops can be blinding so you need to make sure to see past them. Look at the both the good and the bad. Do you see any staining, cracks or holes, and do things appear square and true?

Touch: When you're shopping touch everything and think about what you're touching. Is it moist or wet, rough or uneven? It is also about more then just your hands. Is the floor you're walking on sloped or spongy, warm or cold, do the stairs feel awkward to go up or down? Can you feel drafts as you walk through the home?

Chris Thompson / haystackhomeinspections.com / chris@haystackhomeinspections.com / Copyright © 2011

604-734-4700 haystackhomeinspection.com

THREE ESSENTIAL HOME SHOPPING TOOLS (continued)

Home Inspections

Smell: What can smell tell you when home buying? If you pay attention it might suggest the place was just painted, had new flooring put in, or it might be musty suggesting a dampness issue (largest concern). Does the house smell stale, can you smell last nights dinner? Houses should breath; a fresh house is a healthy home.

Hearing: Are there any unusual sounds in the home? Is the air conditioning or heater loud? Is there noise transfer from the neighbours or the street? Do the floors squeak? Do the sinks gurgle excessively when they drain? Be aware sounds can be much different depending on the time of day.

Intuition: Intuition tells you to look at something a bit closer or to ask a question. Does everything seem to be in the right place? Is there anything that is bothering you? It can be as simple as depressions in the carpet from where the buffet used to be 12" to the left. Why is all the storage raised up off the ground in the basement?

Think about everything your senses are telling you and ask questions. Remember there are only smart questions when purchasing a home. If you notice something unusual to you, like the drains gurgling excessively, ask a professional what this might mean (the drains may be poorly vented which could allow sewer gases into your home). Some things you may be noticing for the first time but are quite common. Other issues you may see as serious are minor and of course the opposite might also be true.

This is provided for general information purposes only. Any reliance or action taken based on the information, materials and techniques described are the responsibility of the user. Readers are advised to consult appropriate professional resources to determine what is safe and suitable in their particular case. Haystack Home Inspections assumes no responsibility for any consequence arising from use of the information, materials and techniques described.