Home Buying Tips
1- If this is new construction and you are told you don’t need an inspection, don’t believe it. Many builders cut corners and use day laborers who are untrained or poorly trained.
2- If the house is in a valley or low area, water seepage into the basement may be an issue, although this can be addressed with proper grading and proper gutter/downspouts.
3- Very old houses sometimes have little or no insulation within the walls, and very old wiring can have rubber insulation which gets dry rotted from age, and crumbles when moved.
4- Certain types of old flooring tiles, ceiling tiles and tile glues were made with asbestos.
5- Nearly all inspectors are recommending abandonment for underground oil tanks, and the copper supply piping to the heating unit can leak if in contact with concrete.
6- Old forced air furnaces can have cracks in the heat exchanger which can then blow carbon monoxide into the home through the heating ducts.
7- Aluminum wiring in a home can be the cause of fires due to arcing.
8- There is one brand of circuit breaker panel that is known for being the cause of fires.
9- Roofs with a pitch of less than 4 in 12 should have roll roofing material, not shingles.
10- Over 15,000 fires occur in the U.S. every year from improper clothes dryer venting.
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