Having performed home inspections since 1990, I have seen nearly everything a home inspector can ever see.   Unfortunately, I have also learned that a few in my profession — whether because of a lack of experience, a lack of continuing education or perhaps trying to book too many inspections — may overlook serious issues that an experienced, highly-trained inspector will typically find.

What are the issues most often overlooked in our area?

Issue #1 – HVAC Issues

Without a thorough understanding of how HVAC systems work, a home inspector can improperly inspect one of the most important systems in a home.

Many inspectors will not take the time to review the A coil inside a furnace or to look inside the ductwork.  Many inspectors will not take the extra time to ensure there are sufficient return air registers in a home — or that all supply air registers are working properly.

Real world examples:  A home I inspected recently did not have a single return air register in the finished basement.  (Although not required, Housebusters provides diagnostic testing to determine the pressure differential to know if there are “sufficient return air” issues.) The very large second floor of this same home had only one return air register.  (The lack of return air registers can result in an uncomfortable home,  high heating and cooling bills and an overworked HVAC system.)  In several homes I have also found biological growth with mold-like properties growing inside ductwork — after I looked inside the registers to determine why there was a musty smell coming from the registers.  While performing inspections for the past 27 years, I have also found hundreds of non-working or disconnected supply air registers.

Next week, we will address electrical issues — #2 on our list of issues commonly overlooked in our area.

Contact me if you have any questions, need additional information or want to schedule an inspection service.  At Housebusters, we are always here to help our clients — as well as potential clients — by sharing what we’ve learned over the past 27 years.