| You might not know Bob Walstead, but there's a chance he's been at your property. Sometimes, he said, he'll be halfway through an inspection and realize he was at the house a decade earlier. Now 67, and after having been in the business for nearly 30 years, Walstead estimates he's conducted more than 10,000 inspections — he says he stopped counting when he reached five digits. But he hasn't been on 10,000 roofs. Question: The single-family housing market has suffered over the past four to five years because of the economic downturn. Answer: According to the American Society of Home Inspectors, roughly 77 percent of houses sold in the U. and Canada are inspected as part of the sale. In 1984, after a vacation in Colorado Springs, he decided to move here. "I run up a ladder onto a roof with the best of them," he said of still conducting inspections. Talk to the inspector before you hire him or her and make sure that the experience you need is there. There are many decks that need lots of work. Electrical, plumbing, and structural work by amateurs — done without permits from the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department — is usually a problem and often dangerous. Things leak, particularly in places the homeowner never goes, like crawlspaces. My business plummeted, and then came back, as home inspector numbers decreased. Buyers should plan to be present at the inspection. The inspector will go everywhere that is safely accessible without damaging your home. All systems — electrical, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, roofing, structural, siding, drainage — will be visually checked and evaluated. Recommendations for repairs, maintenance,and further evaluation by licensed experts will be generated. Walstead isn't a cat burglar or a relative you can't get rid of; he's a house inspector with perhaps the most years on the job of anyone currently working in the Pikes Peak region. When home sales increase, so do the number of inspections performed. It's the only house I ever inspected where I took a five-minute break outside every 15 minutes, and the buyer waited in her car at the curb. Q: Are there problems with homes which are caused by our dry, arid climate? A: There is pretty good balance here. We don't have the level of mold-related problems to the extent that wetter climates have. Q: Are inspectors regulated in Colorado? A: There is no licensing in Colorado. Q: What's your advice to someone buying or sellinga home when it comes to inspections? A: Remember that you're not buying flour. Find out about the report you'll receive and the timing on receiving it. Certified by the Chicago-based American Society of Home Inspectors, Walstead is proficient in his knowledge of heating, electrical and plumbing systems. But he also describes himself as a "generalist," and bows to the expertise of electricians, carpenters and other tradesmen. Home inspections became in vogue more than 30 years ago. Home inspectors and Realtors have seen a property sales downturn and, as a result, both have seen their numbers thinned. When the seller is the customer, potential hiccups can be identified before they either scare off a potential buyer or kill a sale midstream. Q: Give us a quick overview: How much does a home inspection cost, how long does it last and what's involved? A: Inspections generally start at about $300 and escalate based on the home's size, age, services offered and distance from the inspector's headquarters. Better to talk about these things before the closing. The home inspection is more like an annual physical. This is when we find things that the seller wasn't familiar with — like hail damage to the roof or a deck that needs heavy repair. Q: Is there a worst-ever, or most unusual, problem you've seen in your years of inspecting homes? A: Several years ago, there was a house that had been rented by a few young guys who liked to party. The wall between the kitchen didn't have a pass through, but someone had a chainsaw, so they made one. Bugs were breeding. . |
Sunday 11 March 2012
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