On the Wire - Home Inspection How-To
According to a joint study by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), nearly four out of every five homes sold in the nation are evaluated by a professional home inspector before they are sold. Hired by the homebuyer, these inspections are designed to protect the buyers from investing in a home that turns out to be a real life money pit. For sellers, understanding the inspection process and preparing your home for the inevitable evaluation not only helps to ensure that the transaction goes through, but can often translate into getting a top-dollar selling price as well.
Nearly all purchase contracts for homes sold today include an inspection contingency clause, a provision to allow the buyers to hire a home inspector of their choosing to thoroughly evaluate the home for any major problems. Once the contract has been signed, inspections usually happen quickly. After an appointment is made with the seller, the home inspector arrives with buyer in tow, and goes through the entire house. Typically, a home inspection will take two to three hours and include a check of the home’s structural and mechanical condition. But besides the structural and mechanical inspection, inspectors may also do tests for radon gas, check for wood destroying insects, or perform other services requested by the buyer.
What happens next is usually detailed in the inspection contingency clause. Typically, there will be additional negotiation between buyer and seller if problems are found. In most cases, the difference between what a buyer expected going into the transaction and what was actually uncovered by the inspection, defines the scope of what they might ask the seller to fix. For example, the buyers may have known the roof is old, so a report detailing a roof in need of replacement might not raise eyebrows. However, if they expected to get through their first winter without buying a brand new furnace, which turns out to be needed, sellers can expect a request to toss one into the transaction. In a best-case scenario, resolving these disputes is best done by sharing the expense. After all, the seller didn’t promise a home with a brand new furnace and the buyer wasn’t expecting to go 20 years without replacing the existing one. Splitting the cost in a case like this is a fair and reasonable way to resolve the issue.
For more information on finding an home inspector in your area, visit www.ASHI.org or click here.
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Ask Tom & Leslie - Mask Matters
This week’s question comes to us from Fred Jackson from Bristol, Virginia. He asks, “What type of mask do I need to protect myself if I am cleaning up mold? Will one of the paper ones they sell for painting work?"
Fred, in a word - NO! Paper masks are designed to prevent dust from getting into your lungs, which, microscopically speaking, is huge compared to mold spores! To protect yourself from mold spores, The Money Pit's mold expert Jeff May, author of My House is Killing Me, recommends it is best to use a NIOSH-rated N95 disposable face mask. These masks come with TWO straps for a proper seal and are made by both 3M and Gerson.
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Got A Question About Your Money Pit?
You can do-it-yourself but you don't have to do-it-alone. Getting in touch with us is as easy as 1 - 2 or 3!
- The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.moneypit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
- Call when it's convenient for you, 24 hours a day, same number: 1-888-MONEY PIT. A live person takes your call 24/7! So -- WHENEVER you have a home improvement question -- phone it in. Simply tell our phone screener your first name, and where you're calling from...and ask your question. We’ll get back to you with the answer – or even call you back during the show!
- Click here to email your question to us. We may read your email on the air and we also respond personally to many of the email questions we get.
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On the Air - Helping Hands
Do you find yourself in the kitchen A LOT? It’s the room in the house that gives your HANDS the biggest workout. Save those aching hands with some design tips that will make your life much easier. We’ve got all the info you need, this week on The Money Pit radio show. Listen to our FREE podcast, or find out where to tune us in on your radio at www.moneypit.com.
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Dot Common Sense - Angie's List
Sometimes the hardest part about taking on a major home improvement is finding a contractor you can trust. You like to go with pros that friends, family or neighbors have used with success. Now there is website devoted to helping you find those neighborhood referrals easily. Visit Angie's List to get the real scoop on local companies. The site collects ratings from thousands of your neighbors on service companies in more than 280 different categories – anything from handymen and landscapers to auto mechanics and dog walkers. All the information on Angie’s List comes from consumers in your area who have used the company and rated their experience. You can join Angie’s List for a small fee and have unlimited access to the List. Each company is graded by other consumers just like a school report card on six different criteria including price, professionalism, and quality. You can read the actual comments from other members and find out all sorts of other information about the company. The site gets more than 15,000 new reports each month, so it’s always updated with new information. When you join Angie’s List you get unlimited access to the website and a call-in service that operates 6 days a week – so, if you can’t decide exactly what you need, you can speak to a real, live person who will help you figure it out. There’s also have a monthly magazine full of important information for homeowners and a complaint resolution service. So, if you ever have a problem with a company, Angie’s List will go to bat for you! It’s easy to sign up, just log on to www.angieslist.com or call 1-888-944-5478 to join.
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Fun Fact - Proper Drainage
When building your new home, there are four things to consider…location, location, location…and drainage. When choosing a lot for your dream house, proper drainage is critical. You need to build your home high enough to allow soil to slope away from the house, diverting water away from your house in a storm. With rainwater properly managed, you can enjoy a dry basement or crawlspace for years to come.
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Short Cuts - Keeping Cool
If the thought of sweating through another hot summer is stopping you cold, think about installing an air conditioning unit. For efficient cooling of smaller spaces, a room air conditioner is a great choice. Today's energy-efficient models can also handle larger areas with ease.
The key to choosing the right air conditioner is matching the proper unit to the space you want to cool. Btu’s are the unit of measurement that determines what size area a window unit can cool. The higher the Btu, the bigger area the unit can cool. As the Btu rating increases, so does the size, weight and cost of the air conditioner.
Matching Btu requirements to room size is important. The room(s) won't cool efficiently if the Btu rating is too low or too high for the size of the room. For example, a 110-150 square foot room needs about 5,000 Btu’s. From 150-250 square feet, you’ll need 6,000 Btu’s. Two-hundred fifty to 300 square feet of space needs at least 7,000 Btu’s and up to 350 square feet will require 8,000 Btu’s. Remember – bigger is not better. A unit that’s too large will cycle on and off too frequently, using too much energy and causing unnecessary wear on the electrical components.
Most window air conditioners are designed to fit double-hung windows. Measure the inside dimensions. Take an exact measurement, not just an estimate. Take your room dimensions and window measurements with you when you go shopping.
Lastly, check the power supply. What kind of plug does the unit have? What kind of plug is your wall outlet? Make sure the circuit can handle the operation of the unit. Smaller ones work with a standard 115-volt outlet. Larger 115-volt units may need a dedicated circuit.
Often it’s not just the heat, it’s the humidity. For a great way to control moisture in your home, consider a whole house dehumidifier. Aprilaire makes a great one that will help keep your home dry and make your air conditioner more energy efficient as well.
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Copyright 2006 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.
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