 | Safety | Poses a risk of injury or death. Have the appropriate contractor evaluate and correct the defect at once. |
 | Major defect | Correction may involve a significant expense. Have the appropriate contractor evaluate and repair / replace as needed. |
 | Repair/Replace | Recommend repairing or replacing. Have the appropriate contractor evaluate and repair / replace as needed. |
 | Minor defect | Defect appears cosmetic or likely involves only a minor expense. Have it repaired or corrected at your discretion. |
 | Maintain | Maintenance or on-going maintenance and repair needed. |
 | Evaluate | Recommend further evaluation by licensed contractor or specialist before purchasing the home. Make any repairs based on their evaluation. |
 | Monitor | Recommend monitoring over time, have appropriate contractor repair or replace as needed. |
 | Comment | For your information. |
Concern items are sorted by the types listed above.
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3) Guardrails at rear porch missing and need to be closed down, need to correct for safety.
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4) Ground Fault Circuit interrupt (GFCI) outlets not noted at exterior rear of house. GFCI outlets provide a measure of shock protection in wet or exterior areas. Needs to be corrected for safety. Recommend having a licensed electrician install outlets as necessary.
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5) Noted dry grass over the septic fields at the rear of the home. This usually means that the piping has too much gravel on top of it and not enough earth to retain moisture. Not a mechanical concern, but the grass will tend to dry out unless you add more soil on top. Add soil to yard as needed to prevent the grass from drying out.
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6) The soil or grading appears to be pitched toward the house or is level in one or more locations. This may lead to water in the basement or crawlspace areas. Soil should always be pitched AWAY from house to prevent water penetration. Monitor any areas of the basement where the soil is level or pitched against house for possible water penetration, Make sure gutters are clean and working properly, extensions should be in place on downspouts so water drains away from the house foundation. Have landscape contractor change the pitch at areas so water flows away from the structure as needed.
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7) Driveway is cracked and poses a trip hazard. Recommend having a qualified paving contractor repair the driveway.
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8) Windows appear to be the older non-insulated type. Replace in the future for energy efficiency and ease of use. Two windows noted with broken glass, needs repair or replacement.
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9) Hose bibb(s) do not operate. They may be broken, disconnected or shut-off at the interior. Check with owner to see if they have been shut-off and have a plumber make any needed repairs.
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10) Minor cracks and deterioration present in foundation. These are not a structural concern, but recommend sealing them to prevent water and insect infiltration.
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11) Gaps and cracks were noted in the house siding. Should be caulked. Have these repaired to avoid water and insect penetration.
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12) Weatherstrip at the front door is missing. Recommend installing weatherstripping at exterior door(s) where needed.
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13) One or more storm doors do not operate correctly and need adjustment or repair. Closer arm missing on front door.
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14) Noted mold mildew on the interior of the rear porch, needs cleaning.
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15) Cooling compressor at exterior is not level and needs to be adjusted for proper operation of the cooling system. Mulch or shrubs block airflow to cooling compressor at exterior, needs correction.
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16) Vegetation (trees, shrubs and/or vines) are too close to or are in contact with building exterior. Recommend pruning or removing vegetation as necessary so there's at least a one foot gap between all vegetation and the building exterior. This gap should exist to allow exterior building materials to dry quickly after it rains, and to eliminate pathways to the structure for wood destroying insects. Tree limbs should be pruned so that they do not overhang or touch the house. Falling limbs will damage the roof while falling leaves clog the gutters and may cause water to fall close to the foundation and seep into the basement area.
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17) The finish on the deck and / or railings is worn or deteriorated. Recommend cleaning and repainting / re-staining deck.
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18) The exterior door at the garage could not be opened - locked with a key, no key found to operate. Ask the owner for the key. If not available call locksmith to open.
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19) Downspout leader buried in ground is broken and needs repair.
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20) Noted loose bricks at chimney at ground level. Noted cracks in chimney wash (cement covering top apron of chimney) at roof level. Call mason for repair. Noted no rain cap / spark arrestor at top of chimney, call chimney service and have one added to keep rain out of the chimney and to prevent sparks from landing on roof when you light a fire.
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21) Small amounts of mildew noted on roof, clean as needed.
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22) Patching noted at roof penetration at chimney, will need periodic maintenance to prevent water infiltration. It dries out and cracks over time. Maintain and repair as needed to seal any cracks or deterioration in the patching material.
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23) This asphalt or fiberglass composition roof appears to have two or more layers of roofing materials. When this roof is replaced, a complete "tear off" will be needed where all existing layers of roofing are removed before installing new roofing materials. Removing existing roofing materials will significantly increase the cost of the next roof.
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24) Holes in walls and/or ceilings noted that need repair. Keep the garage envelope intact to retard flames and keep them from spreading into main structure should there be a fire.
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25) The garage-house door poses a fire risk because it's not made of metal, not fire-rated and not of solid-core construction. Recommend having a qualified contractor replace this door with a fire-rated door.
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26) The garage vehicle door doesn't appear to "auto-reverse". The door should reverse when closing and when it either strikes something or when something passes through a photo sensor at the base of the door. This is a safety hazard, especially for small children. Recommend having a qualified garage door contractor evaluate and repair as necessary.
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27) Rust / water stains noted at garage - indicates water penetration under garage door. Have an apron or lip added where the driveway meets the garage door to channel water away from garage.
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28) Window(s) stuck shut and can't open under normal pressure. Recommend repairing window(s) so they open easily.
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29) Noted minor cracks in the garage floor, appear to be cosmetic, no need to repair at this time.
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34) Inadequate clearance exists to the main service panel. It is blocked by shelving in front of it. Recommend having a qualified, licensed electrician make modifications as necessary so:
An area 3" wide by 3' deep exists in front of the panel
The panel is at least 5 1/2 feet above the floor
There's at least 6'3" of headroom
The wall below the panel is clear to the floor
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35) One or more circuit breakers are "double tapped", where 2 or more wires are clamped in a circuit breaker terminal, and the circuit breaker is only designed for 1 wire. This is a safety hazard since wires may loosen and cause arcing, sparking and fires. Recommend having a qualified, licensed electrician evaluate and repair.
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36) Does not appear to be any room for expansion (room for additional circuits or breakers) in the main panel. This may necessitate adding a sub-panel, special circuit breakers, or replacing the main panel should you wish to put additional circuits in the home.
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44) Steel hangers are used to support copper water supply pipes. This contact between dissimilar metals causes corrosion. Recommend replacing the steel hangars with copper hangars that won't cause corrosion.
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45) Non-insulated supply pipes were noted in the crawlspace or basement. Recommend insulating the pipes. This will A) help prevent any condensation forming on the pipes and decrease resulting moisture B) help keep the pipes from freezing during a cold spell , and C) increase energy efficiency.
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46) Caulking at kitchen sink missing or deteriorated, need to re-caulk around sink to prevent water penetration to the surrounding materials.
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47) Recommend you replace the rubber water supply hoses at the washer with steel braided hoses. Rubber hoses will deteriorate over time and burst under pressure, causing flooding.
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48) Washer and dryer appear to be older or past their useful life, need to budget for replacements as these may not last much longer.
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55) This bathroom does not have an exhaust fan installed. Even if a window that opens exists, it may not provide adequate ventilation, especially during cold weather when the window is less likely to be opened. Recommend having a qualified contractor install an exhaust fan, duct and vent cap as per standard building practices in bathrooms with showers where missing. Fan should be vented to the exterior.
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56) Noted leak at toilet, have repaired by a licensed plumber.
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57) Bathroom sink not secure, needs to be fastened to the wall.
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58) Area around sink needs to be re-caulked to prevent water damage, have it corrected by a handyman.
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59) Drip noted at the shower spout, needs repair.
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60) Towel bar(s) loose, need tightening.
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61) Bathroom walls and ceiling need to be repainted.
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65) An insufficient number of smoke detectors are installed. Recommend installing additional smoke detectors as necessary so a functioning one exists in each hallway leading to bedrooms, and in each bedroom. For more information on smoke detectors visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html
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66) No carbon monoxide detectors noted, add at least one for safety.
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67) Noted missing faceplate(s) on interior electrical outlets and/or light switches. Need to be added for safety.
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68) Ground Fault Circuit interrupt (GFCI) outlets not noted in the kitchen. Needs to be added for safety. Recommend having a licensed electrician add outlets as needed.
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69) Railings are loose and/or wobbly at the front stairs. Recommend having a qualified contractor repair or replace railings as necessary so they're securely attached
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70) Glass in window(s) broken. Many windows do not open, stuck shut. Some window counter-balances do not work (windows do not stay open). All windows older, single paned non-insulated glass and most in disrepair. Recommend replacing the windows for ease of use and to increase energy efficiency.
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71) One or more burners on the range do not light or operate correctly. Have appliance service person evaluate unit, repair or adjust as needed.
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72) The doorbell appeared to be inoperable at the time of inspection. Recommend that an electrician evaluate and repair as necessary.
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73) Nail pops, cracks, and / or tape marks noted in the ceiling and walls, mostly in the living room area. Cosmetic concern only, repair as needed.
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74) Small leak at dishwasher needs repair.
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75) Hole noted in wall at rear bedroom, needs repair. Appears to come from recent installation of electrical wiring for central cooling system.
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76) Kitchen cabinets and drawers need adjustment to open and close correctly.
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77) Recessed lights noted in attic floor close to or touching insulation. I did not find a label stating that they are safe to be in contact with insulation ("IC Rated"). This is a possible fire hazard - the light fixtures should be upgraded to IC fixtures that are safe for insulation contact OR the insulation should be pulled back so there is at least a few inches clearance around each fixture to prevent them from overheating. Please note that should you pull back the insulation from the fixtures this will negate much of the insulating value in that part of the ceiling, gaps will exist that will allow hot and cold air to flow from the attic to the interior and vice versa.
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78) Based upon conditions noted you should add more ventilation in the attic.
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79) There does not appear to be enough insulation in the attic. The Department of Energy recommends R-49 insulation for the attic in this part of the country. Recommend adding more insulation and / or vapor barriers to the area to increase energy efficiency, reduce air flow, block moisture and help prevent ice dams on the roof.
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80) Exhaust fan duct from master bath terminates in attic. Should be corrected so it vents to the exterior of the home. Recommend having a contractor install a vent cap designed for this duct that exits to the exterior, and securely attaching the duct to the cap so 100% of the exhaust fan air exits the attic.
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81) Loose screen noted on gable vent needs repair.
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