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We recently went in contract on a house in Scotch Plains and had the inspection yesterday. The contract price is $625K and the house is updated cosmetically. House is a 1962 colonial with a finished basement. The sellers disclosure basically said there were no problems with anything.
Well, our inspection found the following:
1. Heating system (clearly they had been lighting the furnace with a match frequently)--also the furnace is blowing the air out the chimney which seems to be undesireable
2. Cooling system (dual ac units that are NOT working/cooling) Also, the vents in the family room are not working at all
3. Chimney (spalling, cracks)
4. Roof (only about 3 years remaining )
5. Basement water (sheet rock has recently been applied to water damaged areas). Inspector things due to improper grading/draining
6. Concrete grading in rear toward the house
7. Water in electrical panel- will need an electrican to look at further
Now, we are very upset that we offered a certain amount based on the premise that all the systems were working. Would you go forward with the house sale based on this problems? Are we over-reacting or do these seem like major problems?
Well you use the results of the inspection for further negotiation. $625k was what you offered based on the assumption that the house was in good working order. Knowing that it's not, you should be able to go back and ask that certain things be fixed, or they give you cash credit to fix them yourself. But you would need to be prepared to walk away if they don't give you enough back (or anything at all), or just deal with all the problems out of your own wallet. However, some of these problems may be serious, such as poor grading and water damage in the basement. Your realtor should be able to help guide you through these issues (hopefully).
We recently went in contract on a house in Scotch Plains and had the inspection yesterday. The contract price is $625K and the house is updated cosmetically. House is a 1962 colonial with a finished basement. The sellers disclosure basically said there were no problems with anything.
Well, our inspection found the following:
1. Heating system (clearly they had been lighting the furnace with a match frequently)--also the furnace is blowing the air out the chimney which seems to be undesireable This could be due to a cracked heat exchanger which means the unit needs replacement.
2. Cooling system (dual ac units that are NOT working/cooling) Also, the vents in the family room are not working at all This could be as simple as an electrical problem, lack of or low freon or both may need replacement.....non working ducts means the ductwork to the vents are either missing or damaged.
3. Chimney (spalling, cracks) This is due to water intrusion which could mean additional hidden damage or the structure has shifted/cracked.
4. Roof (only about 3 years remaining ) If there is only one layer of roofing then you can add another but if theres already two, which is likely with a 47 year old home, then you have to strip everything off and then add a new roof.
5. Basement water (sheet rock has recently been applied to water damaged areas). Inspector things due to improper grading/draining
6. Concrete grading in rear toward the house Water drainage toward a house will cause water intrusion, especially with a block foundation, again likely with a 47 year old home......additionally, the water freezing against the foundation in winter can and frequently does cause structural foundation problems such as bowing inward.....indicated by horizontal cracking in the foundation mortar joints.
7. Water in electrical panel- will need an electrican to look at further Water in the electrical panel comes from two sources....one is a cracked/split service line on the exterior allowing water to run within the service line into the panel and the second is improper sealing where the service line enters the house. Once water is in the panel it tends to rust/corrode the circuit breakers and wiring connections.
Now, we are very upset that we offered a certain amount based on the premise that all the systems were working. Would you go forward with the house sale based on this problems? Are we over-reacting or do these seem like major problems?
I performed home inspections for 20 years....over 5000 inspections.....your offer was based upon a SATISFACTORY home inspection....this is clearly not the case here. I would warn you that if the homeowner clearly didn't keep up with standard maintence of the house as would seem to be the case here there are probably additional hidden problems that were not discovered at the time of inspection. You are NOT over reacting....all that you have listed are serious problems and based upon this negative inspection report your agent should be taking steps as we speak to inform and guide you through this...... in fact....you may not be reacting enough !!!
No, you're not overreacting! Just use the inspection results to further negotiate. Maybe they'll lower the price accordingly or fix the MAJORITY of the bigger problems themselves (though most caution against the seller fixing the problems because they may do the repairs on the cheap). Whatever you do don't feel you have to continue with the sale if you're uncomfortable. And I've yet to hear of a home new or old that had "no problems with anything". No home is perfect.
The inspector said that the furnace was vented through the chimmney and that ideally it should be vented through the exterior. We are still waiting for the official report so I am not sure of the exact wording.
The inspector said that the furnace was vented through the chimmney and that ideally it should be vented through the exterior. We are still waiting for the official report so I am not sure of the exact wording.
What's wrong with venting the furnace through the chimney- that's what a chimney is for. I'd get more details on that one, as it sounds kinda fishy, unless we're talking about a direct-vent furnace.
We recently went in contract on a house in Scotch Plains and had the inspection yesterday. The contract price is $625K and the house is updated cosmetically. House is a 1962 colonial with a finished basement. The sellers disclosure basically said there were no problems with anything.
Now, we are very upset that we offered a certain amount based on the premise that all the systems were working. Would you go forward with the house sale based on this problems? Are we over-reacting or do these seem like major problems?
What was the listing price of the house?
Next, there should be a dollar amount for inspection repairs in your contract that allows you to walk away or for the seller to walk away.
I would start thinking to look for an electrician, HVAC person. What on this list is safety related? The roof is not, unless it is leaking.
#2 could be that the balance isn't set correctly in addition to what FlyersFan said.
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