Inspection Priorities (Part 2)

While I pride myself on being thorough and detailed in all my inspections it is simply impossible to catch every small detail, especially when the previous owner/tenant’s belongings are still in place. Here are some examples of areas a home inspector generally doesn’t focus their priorities to:
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Lightbulbs
I make it no secret that I am big on energy efficiency and am a huge fan of Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs. Simply put, LED bulbs are brighter, last longer, don’t fade with age and generate very little (waste) heat. In fact, the very first thing I did upon moving into our home was replace almost all our mostly incandescent lighting with LEDs. However, this is not something I check for because:

• Bulbs are frequently located in fixtures that need to be disassembled to access.
• It can be difficult to tell an LED from an incandescent bulb from a distance as they are designed to look like the familiar shape.
• The price of LEDs has dropped substantially and a whole house can be retrofitted for a small upfront cost.

Note: we do check to see if lights turn on as in an inspection it is impossible to tell a burned out lightbulb from a localized electrical failure. 

Flooring
Not only are cosmetic finishes excluded from a standard home inspection, but in most cases the flooring, if it isn’t brand new, almost always has defective areas. It can be very difficult to identify the quality of a flooring installation from look alone and in many cases new homeowners prefer to change the flooring style anyway. I do look out for major safety issues but normal wear and tear, scratches, dents etc. are normal in a lived-in home and to be expected. I will however point out inappropriate flooring such as carpet in bathrooms and kitchens. 

Drywall
I am generally not worried about holes or dents in drywall as, like most homeowners, I have created more than one moving furniture or carrying a large, pointed object. In fact, it can provide the inspector a way to see in behind the walls even if just a small area. Drywall is generally easy to patch and repair and I have done this myself without issue for a very low cost. Having said that, I do notice and evaluate cracks or holes in a ceiling as they can provide valuable clues. 

Sheds
While outbuildings are not included in standard home inspections, if I could sum up my observations on sheds I have inspected I could simply just say “recommend complete replacement” as the cost is usually cheaper than doing necessary repairs. In my experience, sheds have a shorter life expectancy, are generally not maintained or properly footed as they aren’t designed for living and are rightfully not a priority for homeowners on a limited budget.
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I have discussed previously that as a professional home inspector, one of the most important skills to be successful in this field is discretion about what is really important and not just filling in lines on a boilerplate. Roofing, HVAC and structural systems are three such areas that can be very expensive to repair/replace and are the focus of the majority of our efforts.