home inspection

January is National Radon Awareness month.

Radon is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas that is very common in our Granite State of New Hampshire.  Radon is 8 times heavier than air, it will accumulate in the basement and can then spread up into the home above.  It can also be concentrated in private well water which can then enter the home through sinks and showers.  See the info graphic below.

Radon comes from the ground and any home can have elevated levels.  Your neighbor can have low radon and your home can have high levels, there are many different factors that can affect the levels.

A few quick facts about Radon:

  • Radon is the SECOND leading cause of lung cancer, just behind smoking cigarettes.
  • Radon can be in the air and in your well water
  • Of the 25,000 New Hampshire homes that have been tested through the State radon program, more than 30 percent exhibited radon concentrations that exceeded the action level of 4.0 pCi/L
  • In the winter time levels of Radon can increase due to the “Stack Effect”.   The heating system in the home will draw more gas out of the cold foundation and the ground.
  • Carrol County has the highest Radon Levels in New Hampshire
  • Radon mitigation systems are not as expensive as most people think

Please share this info with your friends and family and urge them to get a Radon Air Test if they haven’t yet. There are home test kits that are available from hardware stores, local testing facilities, or call us at Knox Home Inspections.  We use the best available electronic continuous radon measuring machines for the fastest and most accurate results.

Thank you very much and Happy New Year!

 

 

 

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The Home Inspection process can be a stressful time for any home buyer.  My goal is to make this time stress free and smooth as possible for you and your real estate agent.  I am writing this piece to prep you as the buyer for your home inspection.

Let’s assume that you have finally found “The One” and your offer has been accepted.  Your next step is to find an inspector and get your inspection scheduled.

  1. Scheduling the Inspection.  Your agent should be there so communicate with them and your inspector to make sure you pick a day and time that works for everyone (you most of all). Your agent has done many of these, and having them with you is a great resource.  They will help you along the way if anything comes up.  Couples should BOTH be there, it makes things much easier and keeps everyone on the same page.  You normally have 7-14 days to do your inspections, this is called your “due diligence period”.
  2. Do you want to test the water?  If you have a well you MOST DEFINITELY want a water test.  If  you have an FHA or VA loan and your home has a well, you may be required to get a test.  It is best to know what condition your water is in before you start drinking it. “Buy a filter or be a filter…” I hear that saying a lot.  There are many different contaminants that can get in your water.   Here’s more info about Water Quality and contaminants. 
  3. Radon air testing?  The EPA requires a 48 hour minimum test because radon levels can fluctuate from hour to hour.  Things like temperature and humidity can affect the levels. Knox Home Inspections uses specialized equipment to get your results immediately after the required 48 hours.  Our equipment will give you the most accurate reading possible with over 200 data points. Other inspectors may use a lab which can take 2-3 days longer.  Let us know and we can set the test ahead of time saving you and your agent valuable time.  More info about Radon Air right here.
  4. Septic Evaluation?  It is a CRAPPY job, literally.  We leave that to the septic evaluation companies that are licensed specifically for that.  If you want a septic evaluation we can coordinate with a few qualified companies to get it done at the same time as your inspection.  They will provide you a separate report that will show you more than you probably want to know about what goes down the toilet.
  5. Inspection Day.  Your inspection will take 2-3 hours depending on the size and condition of the home.  Make sure you block off enough time to be present the whole time.  You will be glad that you did.  You are about to learn A LOT about your new home.
  6. Bring a Tape Measure.  Bring your camera too.  The inspection is a great time to take your own pictures of the rooms and to measure for things like fridges, couches, beds, dressers, etc.  Your inspection report will have a bunch of pictures, but not the kind that will help you plan out your new home office layout.
  7. Dress For Success.  Wear something comfortable and that you don’t mind getting dirty.  Sneakers or boots are good.  Dress warm or bring an extra layer.  The weather doesn’t always cooperate and sometimes the houses can be cold if they nobody is living there.

The next 2 blogs will focus on the DURING and AFTER parts of the inspection process so look out for those very soon.  Thank you for reading and feel free to comment.  I love feedback and will edit this blog if anything good comes up.  For updates and more information connect with us on Facebook right here!

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YES!

End of blog.

Jk, here are some reasons why you absolutely should inspect your potential new condo.

Condos can be a great option for first time home buyers, or people that don’t want to mow the lawn, or maintain a pool, etc.  There are many benefits to owning a condo, there are also some cons.  Every condo association has a set of rules, and fees.  You will want to get a hold of these documents before putting in an offer on your new condo.  Having a good real estate agent will help a lot with this process.

The rules are laid out in what is called a Master Deed, or the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&R).  The master deed will lay out how the condo association is governed and the policies for how things run.  The CC&R will lay out rules ranging from: Pets, parking, outdoor grills, hanging laundry, changing exterior designs, roofing, maintenance, quiet hours, etc.  There can be many rules.

With almost all Condos there are monthly fees.  These fees go into the budget for maintaining certain things around the common areas of the condos.  Landscaping, plowing, roof replacement, decks, balconies, siding, etc.  Most associations want the units to all look great which will keep the value of the units up and the tenants happy.  If the roof on one condo has seen the end of it’s days, the association will replace it and use the money from everyones monthly fees to do it.  This can be a great thing for a condo owner.  If the roof leaks and damages the inside of your attic and the insulation, most of the time that is covered.  However, if the pipes burst in your upstairs bathroom and damage the ceiling in your kitchen, that is not the responsibility of the Condo association.  This is why you want a home inspection.  Having an inspection will help you to determine what is and is NOT covered by the HOA and what issues may be inside your condo, or what issues may come up in the future.  Repairs are not a matter of if, but when.

Here is a leak that was found inside a Condo using thermal imaging.  

Without thermal imaging this leak would never have been seen, it cam from the refrigerator water line from the unit up above.  Without an inspection this buyer could have bought this unit and walked into a condo with an active leak above head and a bill to fix it right away.

Knowing what is and is not covered by the HOA (Home Owners Association) is not the job of a home inspector.  A good inspector will inspect the roof of a condo and the common areas associated with the unit being inspected.  Knox Home Inspections treats a condo the same as any other house.

Here’s an example…

 

That is the main entrance to a 6 unit, garden style condo building.  There are 2 electric code violations going on here and these people walk by, and over it every day.  The junction box directly below the door should not be in an area that has foot traffic, it should be off to the right and out of the walkway.  This is for safety.  The second violation is the circuit that is running into the gutter and up to the 3rd story flood light above.  The gutter is acting as a conduit for the circuit, it is also draining all of the water from the roof above.  Water and electricity DO NOT mix.  This whole situation should be re configured by an electrician ASAP.  This is a tricky situation for my client who is buying this unit.  My recommendation to them was to have this corrected by a professional.  Is this the responsibility of the buyer or the HOA?  That is where you want to read all of that paperwork we mentioned above and determine what to do from that.

Some HOA’s have zero fees.  Maintenance on these units can fall on the owners themselves and can be tricky with repairs and the cost of those repairs.  See the picture below of a Condex split down the middle.

All new vinyl siding on the right, and original wood siding on the left that is peeling badly.  The roof has been replaced on the right side and they wove it right into the old side on the left.  There is a lot of moss and lichen on the left side and that whole side needs to be replaced.  Also the dryer vent has no cover on it, it’s between the AC unit that is leaning over and the bulkhead.  That is direct access for critters and moisture, which can lead to damage.  The deck on the left is the original wood and the deck on the right is all new Trex material and is very nice.  This is clearly a situation where the HOA does not cover repairs on the exterior of the units.  Again you must read the CC&R to determine what is an is not covered for repairs.  Inspecting this unit was tricky because we could not inspect the other half of the house.  All we could do was inform them of what was seen from the outside and how that may effect there side.

Arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible before buying your condo.  Get a copy of all of the documents you can and read them all.  And don’t forget the home inspection…

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