RenovationFAQ

Top 10 Home Inspection Nightmares

February 14th, 2008 | by argikon |

 

Here’s an interesting collection of some shocking and humorous photos taken by home inspectors in various homes.  Courtesy of THIS OLD HOUSE.

  

10. Window Crack Painting

A home seller creatively painted a branch on a bathroom windowpane that included a crack.

Richard Petzold
Assured Home Inspections
Knoxville, Tenn.

  

  

9. Duct Tape Sewer

During an inspection, this was found behind an access panel in a basement. Duct tape and a terry cloth towel really didn’t stop the smell of the sewer gas.

Charlie Rice
Pillar to Post
Sykesville, Md.

  

  

8. Medusa’s Junction Box

Why even install a junction box if all the junctions are on the outside? What’s worse is that this was the handiwork of a licensed contractor, with a permit, and had been signed-off by the local municipal inspector.

Garet Denise
Cornerstone Inspection, LLC
Littleton, Colo.

  

7. Shower and wipe or wipe and shower?

This is photo of a freshly remodeled bathroom that was found on a recent inspection. Finding a window in a shower stall is fairly common in old homes around here. The outlet in the shower is not so common but it might come in handy if the in-laws overstay their welcome. What was completely unacceptable is the toilet paper dispenser in the shower. This gives wet wipe a whole new meaning! 

Matt Fisher
Sherlock Homes Inspection Service Inc.
Bloomington, Ind.

6. Sprinkler Spaghetti

This was actually advertised as a sprinkler system on the real estate brokers’ site.

Brandon Dyles
Picture Perfect Inspections
Bartlett, Tenn.

  

5. Full Exposure

Here is the latest in electrical wiring techniques for dryer hookups. He probably ran out of electrical tape in the middle of this project. It is interesting to note that this had been this way for some time, and that the recent inspection by the municipal inspector failed to mention it as a problem. Our guess is that the homeowner turned off the breaker before connecting this, or he never would have survived the 240-volt jolt.

Charles H. Nance
P.E., CHN Inspections, LLC
Wildwood, Mo.

4. Eeewww!

When the toilet was flushed, water and whatever spurted out around this old water bottle.

Daniel Dunham
Englewood Home Inspections

 3.  No support

Another I-beam fiasco. The beam is too short, the pocket cut into the foundation is too deep, and that pile of shims is a dicey quick fix. Let’s hope there is never an earthquake near this house!!

Stephen Giesen
Home Survey, Inc.

 

 

2. What a Trip

This bathroom outlet is not a GFCI. Thank providence, this homeowner had the presence of mind to leave all of the tags on, advising of potential shock hazard.

Charles A. Gabriels
InspectionsRus

 

 

1. I Smell a Rat

This is a photograph of a rat that entered an electrical panel through an open knockout. When it came in contact with the grounded box, it got fried!

Luciano Marquez
Mr. Home Inspector
Union City, N.J.