During a standard home or condo inspection our focus is on owner education with an emphasis on recommended safety upgrades. This is particularly important if you have elderly parents and/or small children living with you and if your home was built 20+ years ago. The building requirements (codes) have changed considerably over years, drastically reducing the number of fires, shocks, fall hazards and deaths as a result.
 
1. Make sure smoke alarms are operable.
If your smoke alarms are more than 10 years old the National Fire Protection Association recommends they be replaced. Older installations only have alarms on each floor and outside each bedroom. Today, requirements call for smoke alarms to be hardwired with battery backup in bedrooms, hallways and on each floor. The newer requirements have drastically decreased burns/fires from scenarios such as candle fires or smoking in bed.

2. Know where to shut off the gas.
If you are in a condo ask your homeowners association what to do in case there is a gas leak at your fireplace, water heater or gas cook top. These items generally have an external shut off separate from each device but if you don’t know where it is ask the HOA or review the owner’s manuals. Also there should be a gas shut off valve below your gas meter which will turn off the gas to your entire home, and you’ll need a wrench to turn it off. When turning the gas back on, it’s recommended that it’s done by a professional gas service provider.

3. Know where your water shut off valve is.
Water leaks are a big area of concern, especially if you’re considering upgrading the toilets, sinks, and so forth. Often times the shut off valves for these older systems can be frozen or easy break during construction and the next shut off valve location can be buried under the house or out in the street somewhere. It’s important to know where this valve is and how to turn it off when the need arises.

4. Know how to shut off water flow to the hot water heater.
If you have a hot water leak you’ll need to have clear access to the water heater and the shut off valve on top of the water heater. Shutting off water flow to the water heater will stop the out flow of hot water immediately; otherwise you will be draining the system before the water flow stops. A useful tip to decrease the hot water flow in the leakage area is to turn on the water where it’s draining properly somewhere else, like a shower or sink.

5. Know where your electrical panel is and how to shut it off.
The electrical panel, which contain circuit breakers, is usually located in a closet, bedroom, utility room, the basement and in some cases, outside the dwelling. Inside the panel, look for a large breaker. This is the main electrical disconnect and turns off all of the power for your home (depending on the size of the house the breaker is probably at the top and has a number, either 100 or 200, representing amperage rating). In condos, individual units may not have a main electrical disconnect, but instead have individually labeled breakers for different zones in the unit (e.g. bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom).

Prior to working on any electrical elements in the home (e.g. changing receptacles, cover plates, light fixtures), it’s important to shut off the circuit breaker to prevent an electrical shock or even a house fire. A good rule to live by when working with your home systems is, when in doubt call a professional.

Many people feel there isn’t a need to inspect new construction because the home has been “Code” inspected by the city. And, to a certain degree this inspection could be accurate but here’s my take as a home inspector and as a potential buyer.

As a buyer, purchasing a home and scheduling a move is stressful enough without having to worry about potential structural issues. The cost of a new construction home inspection runs with median home prices in the Puget Sound area. So, with a median price around $400,000, a new home inspection runs approximately $400 (condos inspections are generally priced lower than single family homes). Thus, you’ll gain additional peace of mind for roughly a tenth of a percent of the price of the property for an inspection.

Now here’s my impression as an inspector. I have been inspecting properties for over 8 years and haven’t found a single one without a problem. Small or large, most need some sort of attention to prevent a safety hazard or a potentially significant financial investment if not tended to in a timely manner. With new construction a list of corrections can be just that, a simple punch list with photos to assist the buyer and contractor to ensure all details were corrected by the time of the final walk through. Also, since the home is new, systems and appliances haven’t been thoroughly tested or used to ensure they’re functioning properly before you move in.

Here’s a sample list of items that would be tested during the inspection: run water throughout in the home, flushing toilets, test appliances for proper installation & function, test the furnace and heat distribution, the fireplaces, review in the attic/roof and crawlspace areas (single family homes).

If you have any questions, or if you’d like to view a sample new construction report, feel free to contact me.

A reserve study identifies the major maintenance, repair, and replacement expenses that an association will incur over time that are not practical to include in an annual budget. The purpose of a reserve study is not to inspect for defects, but to evaluate the expected cost of future repair and maintenance of common elements.

The State House and Senate have similar bills that would authorize, and in some cases require, homeowner associations to conduct reserve studies, establish reserve accounts and require resale certificates (or seller’s disclosure) to include a copy of the most recent study or disclose that a reserve study does not exist. Currently, reserve studies are optional.

These are needed consumer protection bills. More often than necessary condo buyers are surprised to learn of major repairs and incur significant assessments for issues not disclosed. Requiring reserve studies to be furnished with the resale certificate will allow buyers to make a more informed purchase decision.

I have more information about these bills on the Buzz.

Also, Farren’s SCL article provides a good overview of reserve studies.

One can think of a building envelope as being similar to envelopes used to mail packages through the postal service. A standard package mailing envelope is used to protect the interior contents from moisture, wind and damage while in transit. The building’s envelope acts like a mailing envelope by protecting the structure from rain, sleet or snow…so the saying goes.

A building’s envelope includes the walls, siding, flashing, roof, foundation and so forth. These systems should work together by providing a barrier between the interior of the structure and the exterior environmental elements such as rain and moisture. The installation materials and methods used in the building’s construction will determine how heat, air and moisture travel through the structure.

So, why is this important to me as a condo owner or potential buyer? Well, if the building envelope was not installed property and/or has begun to prematurely fail, it can lead to a whole host of problems including, but not limited to, moisture intrusion, wood rot and fungal growth.

Seattle and the surrounding areas are not immune to poor building envelope systems. One can find examples of building envelope failures while driving through the city. Just look for older buildings (5-10 yrs) that are newly wrapped with scaffolding and white fireproof material that resembles a giant tarp, sometimes labeled Tyvek or firewrap. This can often be tell tale signs there was a failure in the building envelope and/or siding system. The good
news is that it’s being fixed, hopefully by a reputable company who knows how to correctly repair/replace the items, followed a detail plan, and most likely created by a reputable architectural firm.

When considering purchasing a condo in a high rise building one should inquire with the seller or the Homeowner’s Association to verify whether there’s been a history of moisture intrusion (i.e. roof leaks, moisture intrusion around windows/doors/openings, fungal growth, etc). If there has been a history of any of the above mentioned details, get more details on the corrections. The KEY is to ask questions and obtain verification on work completed by a reputable company. Understanding this process can be overwhelming and that’s why we recommend assistance from a quality Realtor and home inspector. The last thing a buyer wants to happen is to purchase a condo then get hit with large assessment. Ask questions and get professional assistance, good luck…

Once you and your real estate professional have found the right condo to meet your needs, the best location/price/aesthetics/etc you will now begin the process to understanding the distinct difference when buying into a condo and its association compared to purchasing a home.

When one purchases a home the home buyer is buying the home and surrounding land and is responsible for all maintenance and repairs be they minor or major. This is one of the distinct differences when buying into a condo. As the condo buyer not only are you purchasing the condo but also you are buying into an home owners association and all of the maintenance and repairs (minor, major, etc) for the particular association.

In order for the association to be properly funded for maintenance and repairs an association will hire a company to provide a Reserve Study. These studies generally are completed by a company having architects and professional engineers on staff, which is qualified to do building inspections and estimations on repair/replacement costs for all components related to the said property. These studies can be done every 1-5 years and at a cost of $3,000+ depending on the depth and breadth of the particular study.

The goal of the study is to set a minimum level of annual reserve contributions made by a home owners association. This will help to ensure adequate funds exist for a significant repair/replacement of any component associated with the property. The study breadth and depth of evaluation can vary depending on many factors but as a general rule the goal is to determine the present condition of said component, the remaining useful life, and the replacement costs.

During the next article we will discuss the benefits of a reserve study and begin to learn about building envelope studies.

Generally there are two types of condo/townhouse inspections. The first and most popular is the “Interior Only” inspection. This will cover everything from the sheetrock in, or as others may say, from paint to paint.

For the most part this is all that the home owner is responsible for when owning a condo. The other external items, roof/crawlspace/attic/siding/etc, are covered by the dues paid into the Homeowners Association, but this may not always the case so refer to your HOA guidelines.

The “Interior Only” inspection will focus on health/safety, moisture intrusion, functional testing, and inspecting for components improperly installed, nearing or exceeding their design life. The inspection will last between 1.5-2.5 hours depending on the size and age of the property. The cost of an “Interior Only” inspection starts around $225 and up again depending on size/age of unit.

The second type of inspection is more of a building complex inspection overview. This will cover all items in the “Interior Only” as well as the exterior siding, roof, crawlspace, and attic. This is more of a peripheral view of the exterior components and will be limited to the exterior components directly attached to the unit in question.

Understanding the complex inspection is limited to safe access to the above mentioned components. The inspector will not inspect areas which will endanger him and/or potentially damage the property. The complex inspection generally last between 2.5-3.5 hours again depending on size, age, and access, the fees range from $325 and up.

In the next article we will discuss what a reserve study is and how it applies to purchasing a condo.

If you have questions regarding condo inspections, please visit the Key Inspection website or email Farren at FarrenWest(at)KeyInspectionServices.com.