Links to great inofrmation to help keep your home looking and working like new.

Seven red Flags for Home Buyers - click on link below
www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2009/10/7-red-flags-for-home-buyers.html

Common Items Found During Inspections 

1. High Soil, all buildig codes have specifics for this if you have brick or stone soil should be 4inches below and if its some form of wood siding 6 inches is standard- we might be flexible on this but if we cant see concrete it will be noted on your report.

2. lack of slope or ponding around foundation- standard is 6 inches of fall in 10 feet- now a lot of new home may not have 10 feet to wor with- bubtwe expect to see efective slope away from structure and a clear path to lower groun

3. Gutter seams leaking at hte corners and causing damage to the fascia boards.

4. Gutter damaged or not maintained and overflowing.

5. Gutters that discharge next to the home. Code says in areas that are know to have expansive soils (almost all f TEXAS) downspouts shall discharge at least five feet from stucture.

6. Missing GFCI (groud fault protection) for all bathroom, outdoor, garage and kitchen counter top outlets as well as any outlet within 6 feet of a laundry sink or bar sink.

7. Non working Smoke Alrams or mising smoke alarms- since 1987 smoke alarms have been required in evey bedroom, outside of sleeping areas and on every story (living areas).

8. Missing drip edge flashing on roof- since 2007 this has been required for all New construction and re-roofs. 

9. Door hardware that is loose or not working properly (deadbolts, handles, latches).

10. Windows- fogging or spotting that indicates a failed thermal seal- get these fixed - buyers see this as a large expense.

11. Fireplaces - not cleaned and with cracks or missing mortar in brick at back wall of firebox;

12. Chimney tops without caps or maintenance to coping work, to protect from water intrusion.

12. Slow drains or missing and or non-working drain stoppers for tubs and sinks- get these fixed - just shows general lack of maintenance or concern.

13. Branches/shrubs to close to roof or scraping roof, causing damage to shingles and allow rodents acces to roof.

14. Damaged plumbing vent flashings.

15. Worn or damaged shingles - replace shingles showing fiberglass, any damaged shingles, make sure your repair guy is really a roofer and tell him the house your looking at needs a roof- so do me a good job and I use you for the big job.
 
16. Dirty air conditioning coils- outside units and a-coils- again get these cleaned.

17. Water heaters- missing pans, drains- releif valves incorrectly routed/terminated and improper combustion air. these are spelled out pretty well in the installation manuals and have not changed since 1992.

18. Attic access/stairs not secured properly- drywall and deck screws are not acceptable fastners- use 16 d nails or 1/4 x 3 inch lag screws and be sure to install fastners through the provided holes in the 4 metal brackets on most styles, and a few on each side and end.

19. Interior attic accesses (in the heated and cooled areas) - missing insulation and weather-stripping.

20. Missing the Anti-tip device that came with your free standing range. secures to floor and prevents stove from tilting when door opened. Sold with every free standing range since early 80's.

21. Miissing a high loop or air gap in the dishwasher drain line under the kitchen sink, must raise 2-3 inches above the bottom of the sink to be effective.

22. lack of caulking- entry door thresholds, windows, tubs, showers and window sills.

23. Windows- broken spings - wont stay open, cant open, or have cracked glass.

24. missing or poor insulation- if elctricians, alarm tech, or cable.internet gurus have been in your attic you have mising insulation.  minimum standard is a R-38 for East Texas - that is about 13-15 inches ( if you have hi/lo ventilation R-30 is minimum); remember thats the minimum not necissalrly whats effective. 

25. Non-working lights- check and replace any bulb that does not work - change fixture id needed. attics, closets, bath fans outdoor loights and vent hoods get missed the most.