Dear Barry,

We’re buying a new home and are on a very tight budget, so we’ve decided to do our own home inspection. We’ve already gotten some pointers from friends and would like some professional advice as well. Please let us know what important things we should look for when inspecting our new home. –Kari

Dear Kari,

Asking a home inspector to advise you in the conduct of your own inspection is as ill-conceived as asking your family doctor to instruct you in the performance of your own physical examination. In either case, the number of maladies to be considered exceeds all levels of anticipation, and the knowledge required to discover and evaluate this wellspring of possible defects requires years of full-time exposure.

Consider but a few examples: Acting as your own home inspector, you must open the electric service panel and determine whether there are any wiring violations. You must walk the roof surfaces to determine the condition of the roofing material, the flashing and drains, noting defective conditions and faulty methods of installation. You must evaluate the plumbing fixtures, water lines, drain lines and gas piping to determine their operational condition and their compliance with accepted building standards. You must review the heating system to determine its functional condition and identify any of a long list of potential safety problems. You must crawl under the building and through the attic, searching for and recognizing a vast number of potential construction defects. A complete list of likely problems could easily fill a book.

The home you are buying contains an unknown number of hidden defects. If you want to discover them prior to purchasing the property, you should hire a qualified professional home inspector. It’s the only way to know what you are buying before you buy it.

Dear Barry,

I’m having a problem with an unreasonable neighbor. We share a 300-foot property line that runs adjacent to his driveway. He complains that my tree branches hang over his property and endanger his vehicles. But here’s the crazy part: Instead of using his garage, he parks his cars under the branches that appear most likely to fall. I recently hired a tree service to cut the branches where he was parking. That cost me nearly $800. But then, he began to park under other branches, and now he’s complaining about those. I can’t afford to cut all the branches, but I’m worried about liability if one should fall on his cars. What should I do? –Steve

Dear Steve,

Most people do their best to avoid trouble. Others prefer to manufacture it. Your neighbor is apparently among this latter group, preferring contention to coexistence; imagining that he can play innocent if a branch happens to fall on one of his cars. What he has not considered is his own active contribution to such an event. By willfully exposing his vehicles to an acknowledged risk, he makes himself an accessory to consequential damages.

What you need is some old fashioned legal advice. The cost of a one-hour consultation with an attorney would help you gain some perspective. First determine the strengths and weaknesses of your position; then you can choose how to approach your neighbor’s foolishness.

To write to Barry Stone, please visit him on the Web at www.housedetective.com.

***

Send a Letter to the Editor for publication.
Send a comment or news tip to our newsroom.
Please include the headline of the story.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×