inspector.
we just spent the morning at the house with the inspector. we'll have the report over the weekend, but he verbally went through his findings with us. *most* of his recommendations are for items already on "the list" but the list is growing.
here are some highlights:
we need new shingles on the south side, which is oh-so-obvious, but we could probably get away with patching elsewhere...patching would probably mean we'd have to paint so the old and new would match. i'd prefer not to have painted shingles, but the inspector had a very low opinion of the effectiveness of water-based sealers (oil based sealers being better, but getting increasingly harder to come by and there is lots of prep to put water-based products over oil-based products) so this is something to look into.
we need a new roof. the current one is a 20 year roof that has been on for well over 20 years. there are multiple layers of roof up there. this issue has now moved from the 5-year list to the soon list (there is also a before we move in list).
the current electric service/system consists of a single 30 amp/120 volt single circuit. yeah, a new service with branch capabilities is on the before we move in list. so is heat. the existing 1940s era single floor heater doesn't work.
all the piping is galvanized and should be upgraded to copper. add to the list. one toilet leaks and the other one is "iffy." add new fixtures to the list.
we have potentially dangerous extra gas lines to remove. shouldn't be a big deal, but add it to the list! the gas is turned off. we need to find out why and if we should be concerned.
the foundation seems mostly okay, but has some water damage...did i mention that there is no drainage system? we're going to call an engineer to take a look at the foundation and review the seismic estimate/proposal we already have.
sadly, the fireplaces were designed for coal and are not adequate for burning wood. maybe i can eventually get one retrofitted for gas...bleh, i was excited about having fireplaces...
none of this is that shocking considering the age of the house and the lack of prior owner upkeep, but it is a bit overwhelming.
here are some highlights:
we need new shingles on the south side, which is oh-so-obvious, but we could probably get away with patching elsewhere...patching would probably mean we'd have to paint so the old and new would match. i'd prefer not to have painted shingles, but the inspector had a very low opinion of the effectiveness of water-based sealers (oil based sealers being better, but getting increasingly harder to come by and there is lots of prep to put water-based products over oil-based products) so this is something to look into.
we need a new roof. the current one is a 20 year roof that has been on for well over 20 years. there are multiple layers of roof up there. this issue has now moved from the 5-year list to the soon list (there is also a before we move in list).
the current electric service/system consists of a single 30 amp/120 volt single circuit. yeah, a new service with branch capabilities is on the before we move in list. so is heat. the existing 1940s era single floor heater doesn't work.
all the piping is galvanized and should be upgraded to copper. add to the list. one toilet leaks and the other one is "iffy." add new fixtures to the list.
we have potentially dangerous extra gas lines to remove. shouldn't be a big deal, but add it to the list! the gas is turned off. we need to find out why and if we should be concerned.
the foundation seems mostly okay, but has some water damage...did i mention that there is no drainage system? we're going to call an engineer to take a look at the foundation and review the seismic estimate/proposal we already have.
sadly, the fireplaces were designed for coal and are not adequate for burning wood. maybe i can eventually get one retrofitted for gas...bleh, i was excited about having fireplaces...
none of this is that shocking considering the age of the house and the lack of prior owner upkeep, but it is a bit overwhelming.