First, after many years around houses I can confidently say that you will never find a perfect home. There will always be issues no matter how minor they are in concern. Some years ago, after doing many "live-in" renovations, my wife suggested, or more appropriately insisted, that our next home be new construction and I agreed. I'm no fool you know?! The lesson of this story is that any home, new or existing, will have some problems and for that reason, a home inspection is an absolute necessity no matter which you decide to buy.

Some of the more common problems we at Mixson Home Inspections, LLC find when conducting an inspection include:

The Homeowner "FIX" We would all like to think we are handy around the house, and many of us are great do-it-yourselfers but some homeowners have and will take on some things they shouldn't. It is common for us to find many of these "fixes" during the course of an inspection. As I've told clients before, sure it works, but it's not right and, in many cases, not safe. We can help you identify these issues.

Roofing Problems with roofing are a common issue as well. While most roofs don't need full replacement, many require some maintenance and or repair. 

Sheetrock/Drywall stains Caused by past or present leaks, these stains are quite common. Tools like our FLIR Infrared Camera and GE Moisture Meters can assist in determining whether leaks/moisture are present. Below is an image of an icemaker/water line used to connect to a refrigerator. A small amount of water was present to the touch at the valve. The Infrared scan confirmed water hidden in the sheetrock adjacent to, and below the valve. By the way, the wall was completely dry to the touch!

Electrical Safety Concerns While this is often found in older homes, you might be surprised at the things that are lurking in a newer residence. Quite often, these are the result of a homeowner "FIX". I was recently on a home inspection and spent some time in the crawlspace. There I found a water conditioning system. Looking up I noticed how the homeowner had wired this electrical appliance. I was surprised to see that the 3 pronged grounded appliance plug was not only plugged into an extension cord hanging from a pipe, it was also rendered a safety issue with the grounding circumvented using a two pronged adapter. Wet crawlspace + ungrounded appliance = safety problem!

Rotten Interior/Exterior Trim This is generally caused by surfaces being exposed to water over time. Oftentimes, it was a simple maintenance issue that could have been avoided with proper caulking and the application of a coat of paint. In many cases, by the time we see it, the wood must bee replaced. Mixson Home Inspections, LLC makes every effort to identify not only those issues that are in need of immediate repair but those areas of the home where this can be prevented with some simple repairs.

Water Heaters Often this is an area where we see a unit that has not been installed correctly. This can be venting, water supply, temperature and relief valves, height from the floor and a whole host of other issues.

Gas furnaces  Owning a home is an ongoing effort to keep all your systems maintained. A gas furnace is not exception and it should be regularly inspected for issues relating to safety and operation by a qualified, licensed HVAC professional. 

Plumbing Concerns  It's fairly uncommon not to find a house without even a small plumbing issue. Whether it be a dripping or leaky fixture, a slow drain or missing hardware, this is an area of the home especially prone to a defect. Remember that brand new home my wife insisted on? Leaking kitchen sink at inspection. No home is completely immune.