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Ask anyone, and they will tell you that house flipping can be a great way for you to make money. Not only that, but many people find it very rewarding to be able to restore a home back to a livable status. However, many experienced house flippers will also tell you that it isn’t worth doing unless it’s done right. Many individuals who have adopted this attitude have been through a difficult home inspection. Of course, they will also tell you that it doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Here are three tricks you can consider to make this process like a walk in the park:

Know Your Inspector

The key to a successful house flipping is to have a good working relationship with your inspector. Ideally, according to Massachusetts Real Estate Exposure, you want someone that you not only trust but an individual that is not afraid to level with you regarding the house in question. You want to be able to feel comfortable asking him or her questions. You will also want a home inspector that has integrity and is willing to educate you on the more complicated aspects of restoring a home. They will also be able to help you stay up-to-date on all of the latest home construction and remodeling practices.

Schedule Two Inspections

Having a property to flip doesn’t have to be a nightmare. The key is a little advance planning. One great suggestion would be to get two inspections—one before purchasing the property and one before selling it. You get the inspection prior to buying the property in order to identify any deal-breakers, and you get the inspection prior to selling it to make sure nothing else has gone wrong on the home since you have purchased it. Moreover, you should strongly consider the winter months for your home flipping improvements. According to Do Hard Money, winter is the best time to do home improvements for house flippers because there is less competition, enabling you to focus on doing a better job remodeling the home.

Remember That Honesty Is Always the Best Policy

You need an inspector that will give it to you straight. There is nothing more disheartening than a sale that falls through because of some issue that should have been caught. Thus, according to Money Crashers, you need an inspector that will tell you about such things as a damaged foundation, electrical wiring problems, sewer line problems, gas line issues, hazardous building materials, and neighboring structures that were built beyond your property line.

Clearly, it is invaluable for you to have a good home inspection for all of your flipping endeavors. Don’t hate the process. It’s there to help you. Instead, do everything in your power to be as professional as possible. Your home inspections will go much more smoothly.

Here at Chicagoland Home Inspectors, we have some of the best, top-rated home inspectors in the area. If you’re looking to get your home inspected, we are here to help! Schedule an appointment with us today!

Charles Bellefontaine

Selling a home might not seem like the biggest challenge. You just need to advertise, find a good realtor, and negotiate on the price, right? However, your home’s salability could be affected by some major unwelcome surprises. These four issues are things that need to be addressed before your home has any chance of being sold for a decent price.

Sinking Foundation

Your home needs a good foundation to rest on, but, over time, a foundation can lose its integrity. When this happens, your home’s condition can deteriorate to the point that it’s practically uninhabitable. You could have trouble opening and closing doors, start to notice how unbalanced your floors have become, and even have your walls collapse. Any signs of foundation problems need to be handled by a certified foundation repairperson.

Weird Plumbing Noises

If you’ve heard a strange sound emanating from your pipes, you might be dealing with plumbing problems. Vibrating pipes in your home often occur when your pipes are loose or the water pressure is too high. You could end up with significant leaks and further problems caused by water damage. Call a plumber to take a look at your pipes as soon as possible. They may need to tighten them up or take measures to lower the water pressure.

Mold

Mold is like an infection in your house, and it can lead to health problems for your family. In a warm, humid environment, such as a basement, mold can start to spread and quickly take over. If heavy rains lead to water getting into your house, you need to dry things up right away to keep mold from forming and spreading. If mold has already taken hold, you should call a remediation service. Before you put your home on the market, have another inspection performed a few weeks after remediation to guarantee that mold is no longer an issue.

Termites

Termites feast on wood because it’s rich in cellulose. As they feed on your home, they can ruin its integrity by hollowing out the walls and ruining your floors. You can detect termites by keeping an eye out for scattered wings. Try knocking on your wall and listen closely to hear termites moving around inside the walls. Call an extermination service to inspect your home for termites and ultimately get rid of them.

Real estate is competitive enough without a home seller having to deal with faulty plumbing, infestations, or other domestic nightmares. Take action to fix these problems right away so that you can make your home as attractive as possible to buyers. Let us help you in the process with a sellers/listing inspection.

Charles Bellefontaine

The roof of your home is meant to last for several decades. However, it’s pretty much unavoidable that problems will develop over time due to everyday exposure to environmental elements and harsh weather conditions. If you want to maintain the quality of your roof, look out for the three common problems listed below.

Poor Installation

If a roof isn’t installed correctly, problems can develop right away as well as in the future. Some signs of a bad roof installation are gaps between shingles, missing drip edges, stained shingles and an absence of the underlayment. If your roof wasn’t installed right, it’s important to contact an experienced professional roofing company to make the necessary repairs. You can also consider a complete reinstallation of the roof if there are too many problems. Before going with a new company, always check to see if the warranty is still valid on your roof if you had the work done by a contractor.

Water Leaks

Water leaks are one of the most common roofing problems that you may encounter as a homeowner. Water leaks can be caused by missing roofing materials that have come loose or fallen off the building. Water getting into the building may also be due to flashing that is not secure or installed properly. Because gutters work to move water away from the home, you may also experience leak troubles when your gutters are clogged or damaged. Leaks might seem like a minor issue, but they can lead to significant damage to a structure and cause mold to develop, which can be hazardous for residents.

Detecting where a leak is coming from is tricky, but there are some signs you can look for that can suggest where to start. When performing leak detection, look for water stains on the ceiling in the inside of the home. You can also use a flashlight to examine the roof boards in the attic. It’s important to use roofing cement to seal the water leaks on the roof deck before reinstalling the shingle or tile.

Lack of Ventilation

Improper ventilation can lead to moisture issues that encourage the growth of mold. Damage to rafters, insulation, shingles and sheathing can occur if too much moisture is present in the air. Make a point to install new vents and fans, specifically in the attic, to prevent mildew or mold from forming.

Many different roof problems can occur due to weather damage, exposure to the elements or poor installation. Knowing what to look for and the necessary repairs to perform can help you increase the lifespan of your roof and avoid further issues.

One of the best ways to catch problems before they become too serious is to have home inspections every so often.

Charles Bellefontaine

Whether you recently moved into a new house or you have been living in your home for a while, it’s important to be aware of some of the dangers that can be lurking in plain sight. Even in the best-kept house, there are a number of potential safety hazards that you may encounter. Below we explore four things to keep in mind.

Install and Maintain Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Low levels of carbon monoxide in the home can cause dizziness and headaches, while higher levels can leave you feeling nauseous, impair your vision, and even potentially kill you. This toxic gas is odorless, tasteless, and invisible. Protect yourself against exposure by having fully functioning CO detectors and performing yearly maintenance of your HVAC system. These are a few of the common household items that can produce carbon monoxide:

• Cars

• Fireplaces

• Wood and gas stoves

• Gas water heaters

Test for Mold

Molds love to grow in dark and humid areas of your home, like under sinks, in bathrooms and near plumbing. They’re often discovered when they’re making someone sick or causing a foul smell in your home. By then, it’s often too late to fix the problem without having to spend tens of thousands of dollars.

Mold exposure can make your family sick, weaken the structural integrity of your home, and in extreme cases, it can make your home unlivable. What’s worse, a 2013 study found that 100% of all the homes that were tested had a variety of mold living in it. Thankfully it wasn’t always the dangerous kind.

It’s a good practice to be mindful of mold and keep an eye out around humid areas that might be susceptible to mold growth. It can also be beneficial to have a home professionally tested for mold every few years, ensuring you’ll catch any a potentially serious problem before it’s out of hand.

Replace Broken Electrical Outlet Panels

Outlets are such an important part of modern living that it can be easy to forget they carry a current of 120 volts of potentially deadly electricity. While most of the time this dangerous current is insulated behind the outlet cover, this flimsy piece of plastic can easily break and give you a nasty shock.

As outlet covers crack, they can expose the metal contact points underneath. A broken outlet cover is a serious fire and safety hazard that should be replaced right away. Not only can electrical outlets start fires, but they can also result in an arc flash, which can be equally deadly.

Inspect Your Home for Hazardous Material

Equally dangerous and much harder to detect are hazardous materials that can hide in the most unexpected places. Lead, asbestos, and radon can host of health problems, like brain damage, mesothelioma, and other cancers. Worse, they are virtually impossible to identify without specialized equipment and can be found in many houses around the country. The only way to know if your home has any of these toxins is to have it professionally inspected.

The good news is that most of the side effects attributed to these dangers can be avoided with the proper precautions, and it’s never too late to have your home checked.

Charles Bellefontaine

Another construction gone bad.  The opening was enlarged to fit this window in this photo.  The studs that supported the head on the left side was removed.  The header was not replaced.  Heck it wasn’t even removed so it could be replace.

I removed some of the duct tape to expose above the window.  As you can see the header and support studs are missing.

Charles Bellefontaine

Charles is a home inspector and a home inspector trainer. He started as a professional home inspector in 1993. He works for Chicagoland Home Inspectors, Inc. and Bellman Group, Inc. He has earned the title of Certified Master Inspector (CMI) from the Master Inspector Certification Board. He earned the title Certified Property Inspector (CPI) from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. He earned the title ASHI Certified Inspector (ACI) from the American Society of Home Inspectors. He served as a Director and Officer of the American Society of Home Inspectors. He hs a tremendous passion about the home inspection profession and prides himself on helping his clients with the biggest purchase of their lives.

https://www.thehomeinspectors.com/