The term “Building Science” may sound academic, but this is something very practical that each of us uses almost every day.
Simply put, Building Science is the knowledge of how and why houses, apartments and offices work. I will assume you already know that toilets have to flush and drains have to drain. Within a properly functioning building, air has to move, water has to run, electricity has to flow safely through its wiring and the building has to stand up on its own to keep you safe and dry.
Reporting on how all this works is the job of a Licensed Home Inspector. This must be done before a property is bought or sold to be effective. In too many cases, inexperienced buyers think they can save money by avoiding Building Professionals.
Today’s market consists of 50 percent of first-time buyers who soon realize there is more to this than meets the eye. Buyers look online (74 percent) to bargain hunt. Most of them (69 percent) fortunately end up with a broker. Most likely, as a buyer gets serious with this search, a good broker shows up somewhere along the pipeline and proves his or her value. That good broker should protect the buyer by insisting on a Professional Home Inspection.
Buyers and brokers still have to learn that “as-is” doesn’t exactly mean what it says. In the case of property foreclosed on by a financial institution, they will not want to learn that the air conditioning is broken or missing, that a drain field doesn’t drain or that a situation in the electric service could be dangerous or even deadly for a broker or buyer. In most cases, if properly presented, these faults will be corrected before the buyer can walk away. However, buyers are excited about “the American dream” of home ownership, and many brokers are afraid they may anger the financial institution and lose the deal.
Here are two very recent scenarios: A buyer and a seller stood in the kitchen of a brand new townhouse. I was inspecting things as I have learned to do, and both parties complained when I attempted to run the dishwasher through a full cycle. The seller had just shown the buyer that the inside of the dishwasher was soaked with water droplets, and therefore, it must have just been run. They were annoyed that I may be wasting their time. Upon my inspection, I found that the dishwasher was not connected to the water or the electricity. The seller was naturally “puzzled” about how that could be. I injected a more interesting question when I asked him, “Where did the water drops come from?”
A more serious situation was one in which the backyard looked nice and green with a level yard for the buyer’s children to play. Upon closer inspection, however, I discovered the yard was only level because the caretaker must have used a “weed-whacker” to make it level. While I walked around as I have learned to do, I noticed some ground area lower than the rest of the yard. The lawn was cut at different lengths to look level. We found that the septic tank and drain field had collapsed. The bank replaced it at no cost to the buyer.
There are countless stories about similar findings by “pesky” Home Inspectors. Home Inspectors are professionally licensed and regulated. They are for your benefit, and they work for your protection. Hire a licensed professional. Enjoy peace of mind.
David Mullane is a member of the Affiliate South Broward Board of Realtors, the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, the Florida Association of Building Inspectors (candidate) and the Indoor Environmental Air Quality Council. He is licensed with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the City of Hollywood Inspection Service. David Mullane is the owner and operator of Hollywood Home Inspectors. For more information, call 954-224-8361 or e-mail inspcprof@bellsouth.net.
