Summary Page
| Sample Home Inspection Report for: | |
| Client(s): | Sample Home Inspection Client |
| Property address: | 5 Sample Court Sample Township, NJ |
| Inspection date: | Monday, October 03, 2005 |
This is a list of all items requiring your attention.
It is organized by seriousness, with safety related items appearing first.
You should review all items on this list,
giving the most attention to the more serious issues,
while not ignoring other concerns:
1) Wood Destroying Insects:
Repair/Replace, WDO/WDI Damage, WDO/WDI Conducive conditions
- Evidence of a prior or current termite infestation was visible on the left part of the rear concrete foundation wall, the left side foundation wall, and right side foundation of the house in the form of termite mud tubes leading up under the siding of the house.
There was evidence visible of prior treatment for termites on the right and left concrete foundation walls.
Recommend that the present owners be questioned regarding this and any information they can provide relating to termite and/or carpenter ant infestations.
If they are unable to provide any information and/or inspection/treatment contracts they may have had with pest control companies in the past, it is recommended that a pest control company be hired to inspect for and treat for termite and carpenter ant infestation around the entire perimeter of the house, and under the siding where previous infestations have taken place.
3) Exterior:
Safety, Repair/Replace, WDO/WDI Conducive conditions
- The railings on the deck are loose. This is a safety hazard.
These railings must be repaired / replaced so that they are securely fastened to the deck, and to the wall of the house.
4) Exterior:
Repair/Replace
- The concrete at the bottom of the front steps to the house where the steps meet the path is cracked and broken.
Recommend this be repaired.
5) Exterior:
Repair/Maintain, Evaluate, WDO/WDI Conducive conditions
- Vegetation (trees, shrubs and/or vines) are in contact with building exterior. Recommend pruning or removing vegetation as necessary so there's at least a two 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.
There is one tree at the left front corner of the house which may be too close to the foundation and may create problems in this area some years in the future.
Recommend that you consult with a landscaper to determine the nature of this tree and it's likelihood to grow extensive roots that may damage the foundation.
6) Exterior:
Repair/Maintain, WDO/WDI Conducive conditions
- Soil is in contact with or less than 6" from siding and/or trim. Recommend grading soil so there's at least 6" of space between the siding and trim and the soil below.
7) Exterior:
Maintain, WDO/WDI Conducive conditions
- All downspouts carrying water from the rain gutters on this house drain through pipes into the sump pump in the basement where they are pumped out to the township sewer system.
Recommend that these pipes be inspected and cleaned every 5 years or if any of the downspouts are seen to be overflowing onto the grass at the side of the house.
8) Exterior:
Maintain, WDO/WDI Conducive conditions
- Recommend cleaning deck and treating with a waterproof sealant claiming to waterproof, block ultraviolet light, and stop mildew.
This should be done every 2 to 3 years as necessary.
Consumer Reports recommends these products:
9) Exterior:
Maintain
- One outside faucet in the front of the house is a weather-proof faucet which should not have to be "turned off" from inside the house during the winter.
The outside faucet on the rear of the house will need to be turned off from inside the house to avoid the chance of freezing winter-time temperatures causing the faucet or pipe it is connected to freezing and bursting.
10) Exterior:
Maintain
- Siding on this house is vinyl siding.
The siding was applied level with the front of the house, and continuing horizontally along the left and right side walls. This exposes a large portion of the concrete foundation walls.
While it is less preferable than having the siding be a uniform height above the ground (following the hill down the left and right side rather than remain horizontal and get farther away from the ground as it goes towards the rear), this is not a harmful or dangerous condition.
In the rear, the siding is applied right down to the ground.
This is unavoidable for the walk-out basement design of this house, however it is a condition conducive to termite and carpenter ant infestation.
It is therefore recommended that once the recommendation in the Wood Destroying Insect section is followed, the "contract" with the pest control company that will be hired to inspect and treat the house for termites and carpenter ants be maintained, and follow-up inspections be conducted every one or two years as recommended by the pest control company.
11) Exterior:
Maintain
- Rain gutters should be cleaned every 2 years or as necessary.
One rain gutter appears to be overflowing (see streak down the side of the house next to the rain gutter), and may be clogged.
17) Attached garage:
Safety, Repair/Replace
- Garage-house door isn't auto-closing. Recommend installing hinges with springs or an automatic door closing device so door closes and latches automatically to prevent vehicle fumes from entering building.
21) Electric service:
Safety, Repair/Replace, Minor defect
- One of the electric outlets mounted into the "island" in the kitchen is connected using BX armored cable, however the armored cable is not fastened or secured to the outlet's utility box.
This causes a potential grounding problem, and other safety issues.
Recommend an electrician be hired to repair this outlet so that the properly armored cable is secured to the metal outlet box.
22) Electric service:
Safety, Repair/Replace
- One electric outlet in the basement near the sliding door to the rear was tested and found to have an open neutral.
This is a safety issue, and must be repaired, however the repair is simple and inexpensive.
27) Water heater:
Repair/Replace, WDO/WDI Conducive conditions
- Water heater has no catch pan and drain installed.
Recommend having a qualified contractor install a catch pan and drain to prevent water damage if/when the water heater develops a leak or is drained.
28) Water heater:
Maintain
- The estimated useful life for water heaters is 8 to 12 years.
This water heater is 4 years old, and should reach it's expected useful life if it is properly maintained.
Recommend that a service technician be hired to clean and adjust the hot water heater, and the forced hot air furnace now, and every 2 years to maintain these appliances in good working order, and to assure that they are working efficiently so as to produce the lowest possible energy bills in normal operation.
30) Heating and air conditioning:
Repair/Maintain, Maintain
- Filters for this forced hot air heating system are located at the bottom of the return line where it enters the bottom of the furnace.
The filter that is presently installed is dirty, and has "collapsed" and is no longer effectively filtering the air going through the furnace.
Recommend this filter be removed, and replaced with a new filter in a manner that it stays in position, and does not also "collapse" with the force of the air blowing through the system.
This may require the services of an HVAC contractor.
31) Heating and air conditioning:
Repair/Maintain, Evaluate
- Last service date of this system is more than two years ago or is unable to be determined. Recommend asking seller when it was last serviced. If unable to determine or if more than two years ago, recommend that this system be inspected, cleaned, serviced and repaired if necessary by a qualified heating and cooling technician. Recommend that this servicing be made every two years in the future.
32) Heating and air conditioning:
Minor defect, Maintain
- This system is equipped with throw-away filter(s). They appear to be dirty. Recommend replacing filter(s) now and every 2 months in the future if the thermostat's fan position is set to "Auto", or monthly if it's set to "On".
33) Heating and air conditioning:
Maintain
- The estimated useful life for forced air furnaces is 15 to 20 years.
This forced air furnace is 4 years old, and should reach it's expected useful life if it is properly maintained.
Recommend that an HVAC service technician be hired to clean and adjust the forced hot air furnace and the hot water heater, now, and every 2 years to maintain these appliances in good working order, and to assure that they are working efficiently so as to produce the lowest possible energy bills in normal operation.
37) Plumbing and laundry:
Repair/Replace, Serviceable, Comment
- The basement bathroom has a tank and ejector pump system to remove waste and pump it up to a waste line.
This mechanism was inspected and appears to be in good condition, with the following exception:
When the tank fills to the point that the pump operates, the pipe carrying the waste up to the sewer waste line shakes. Over an extended period of time (several years), this could result in the weakening and eventual failure of this pipe and/or other pipes and fittings it is connected to.
Recommend that this pipe be braced in a manner that prevents it from shaking when the pump operates.
38) Plumbing and laundry:
Repair/Replace
- Washing machine is installed over finished living space and has no catch pan and drain installed. Recommend having a qualified contractor install a catch pan and drain to prevent water damage to finished interior spaces below if/when the washing machine leaks, overflows or is drained.
39) Plumbing and laundry:
Maintain, Evaluate, Comment
- The sink in the basement bathroom drains slowly.
Recommend a product such as Drano be tried in order to unclog the drain line.
If this fails, it may be necessary to hire a handy-man or plumber to un-clog the drain.
40) Plumbing and laundry:
Maintain
- It is recommended to "winterize" outdoor hose connections by shutting off valves in the water lines leading to them, and draining the connections (prior to freezing winter temperatures), in order to prevent the pipes from possibly freezing and breaking.
46) Basement:
Safety, Repair/Replace, Comment
- One open neutral electric outlet was noted.
See recommendation in Electrical section.
47) Basement:
Safety, Serviceable, Comment
- The utilities area is separated from the finished basement area by a wall with a door.
The utilities area has the gas fired furnace and ductwork (air returns, filter, gas, electric, and A/C lines), the tank and ejector pump for the basement bathroom, the hot water heater, the water meter and main shut-off valve, and the sewer line connection. The main gas service enters the house through the right side wall into this area as well.
These utilities were inspected and are in good condition except as noted (see recommendations in the Heat and A/C section, and the Hot Water Heater section).
48) Basement:
Repair/Replace
- There is no heat source to heat the 3 basement rooms and the bathroom in the basement.
Recommend that if these rooms are to be used in the wintertime, an HVAC contractor be hired to install air ducts and vents as necessary in the various rooms.
If this is not done, then it is recommended that a small electric heater be installed in the basement bathroom to keep this room above freezing so that no water pipes freeze.
49) Basement:
Repair/Maintain, Monitor, Comment
- In the left front corner of the basement, there is a sump and sump pump.
The cover of this pump has a slot cut out for the pipe.
Water enters this sump from the downspouts coming from the rain gutters, and has partially clogged and blocked the pipes that carry it.
Recommend these pipes be cleaned out and the sump cleaned out every 2 years or as necessary.
Recommend the cover over this sump be removed and the sump inspected annually.
The brown stain in the corner of the wall next to the sump is caused by splash and spray coming through the slot in the plastic sump cover, and is not due to any leakage through the wall.
51) Interior rooms:
Safety, Repair/Replace, Serviceable, Comment
- Kitchen
52) Interior rooms:
Safety, Repair/Replace
- The hand-rail on the stairs from the first floor to the basement is loose, and was poorly installed.
Recommend it be removed, the brackets that hold it be relocated to areas where there are wall studs, and it be re-installed securely.
53) Interior rooms:
Repair/Replace
- This is a 5 bedroom house with 3 rooms and a full bath in the finished basement,
4 rooms on the first floor in addition to the kitchen and a half bath,
and 5 bedrooms with a master bath and guest (full) bath on the 2nd floor.
There is a small deck at the right rear of the house off the dining room on the first floor.
See recommendations concerning this deck in the Exterior section.
There is no heat source in the 3 rooms and full bath in the basement.
See recommendations concerning this in the Basement section.
There is an access hatch to the attic in the ceiling of the left front bedroom.
Except for the specific items noted in the report, there were no problems noted with any of the rooms listed above.
54) Interior rooms:
Repair/Replace
- The "island" installed in the kitchen is not secured to the floor, and moves if it is pushed hard enough.
Recommend that this "island" be secured to the floor by drilling holes in the floor beneath it and fastening it to the floor securely.
55) Interior rooms:
Repair/Replace
- The door on the bedroom at the left front of the house on the 2nd floor is damaged, and should be replaced.
56) Interior rooms:
Repair/Maintain
- The kitchen, laundry room, and bath on the first floor have tile floors.
All other rooms on the first floor have cherry hardwood floors which are in good condition.
All rooms on the second floor except the bathrooms are carpeted.