Maryland Home Inspection Blog
- Written by: Stephen Showalter
Historic homes or hysterical homes
When I have a client purchasing a historic home, one of the first questions I ask is, have you ever owned or lived in a historic home? We have had clients move from a newer low, maintenance, energy-efficient home into a high-maintenance, poor energy efficient historic home, which could shock many "new to them" historic homeowners. Historic homes are great for the right individual or family. Also, in some cases, the prospective home purchaser has the budget, resources, and expectations that can come with buying a historic home. Are they buying on emotion, love of history, or the desire to preserve one of these old beauties? Be aware that some homes listed on historic registries and specific directories may have strict requirements for future modifications and remodeling, including siding, roofing, color, and windows.
- Written by: Stephen Showalter
Gotta love a flip
So, you’re looking at buying a flip.
What Does Flipping Houses Mean? House flipping is when a real estate investor buys a house with the purpose of increasing its value through repairs and updates to sell it for a higher price.
- Written by: Stephen Showalter
Pre-drywall Inspections
People often ask, do I really need a new home inspection or a pre-drywall inspection? There was a code inspection isn’t that sufficient? I teach a class on new home construction defects and until you see what we as home inspectors see you would never ask that question again. We are performing more pre-drywall inspections and new home inspections than we have in a few years.
- Written by: Stephen Showalter
Five significant inspection concerns.
Deferred maintenance:
One of the most common issues is deferred maintenance. Deferred maintenance can be present in the exterior or interior systems and components. These can include rotted trim, paints, old failing siding, failing gutters, and poorly maintained roofs. Algae, wind, and tree branch damage are common roof culprits. Overgrown vegetation and dead tree growth can be an unexpected expense for a buyer.
- Written by: Stephen Showalter
High winds and heat loss.
Have you ever felt cold air around exterior wall receptacles, doors, windows, or other surface penetrations? With a blower door, you can feel air coming from the interior door striker plates due to air movement throughout the building. On windy days, high winds pass over and around your home, creating negative air pressure inside or depressurizing the house. These higher winds can be equivalent to a blower door used in a home to locate air leaks that simulate a 30mph wind over your home.
