Need a Richardson TX home inspection?
Call (972) 342-9183 for Advanced Inspection Services, TREC-certified real estate inspectors for houses, condos and multi-family dwellings.
- Ensure sound home and peace of mind
- TREC-certified real estate inspectors
- Enables buyer to negotiate better price
- Cost-effective professional home inspection
- Houses – Condos – Townhomes
- Fast scheduling, inspection completion and detailed report with photos
Here’s one of the older (but well-maintained) home inspections in Richardson we performed recently. With all the new construction going on in North Texas, many home buyers are persuaded by the appeal of a bright shiny new house. This is certainly a great way to ensure that you get modern materials and systems and peace of mind. And (hypothetically) everything works perfectly on Day One. But in our years of experience, new construction residences aren’t always perfect. That’s why we recommend new homes be inspected prior to acceptance. And there are usually a lot of small things the new owners need to add to the completed structure to make it livable – and these can run into quite a bit of money.
Old vs New Richardson Home Inspection Issues
With an older dwelling, you at least know that things worked well enough for the previous occupants to live there. And – unlike a brand new house – if a problem arose with the structure or systems, it will have created observable symptoms that will be picked up during the home inspection. Richardson TX boasts many vintage dwellings like this one. And a fairly high percentage of these are well-built and well-maintained. Most of these older places have replaced or upgraded their original HVAC systems, plumbing fixtures and electrical installations to meet current building codes. A professional inspector will readily identify any deficiencies or potential issues in their detailed report. The home buyer can use this easy to understand information to decide whether to buy and/or how much to offer.
Notes from Older Home in Richardson RX
The first thing we noticed when inspecting this property was the drainage situation. The homesite is in a rather flat section of town (very common in Texas homes). So there’s not much help from the terrain in carrying away rain water. There are two swales running through the yard; but there isn’t much slope between the house and the swale. And the soil level comes right up to the top of the slab (vs. the recommended 4″ of visible foundation).
Drainage issues are best dealt with at initial construction and are more difficult to remedy after-the-fact. In this case we recommended that the swales be deepened and the soil level next to the foundation be lowered. This will have the additional advantage of reducing the likelihood of pest infestations from termites or other wood destroying insects.
Common Home Foundation Issues
The slab foundation also showed signs of age. This is fairly common in our many years of experience as Richardson home inspectors. In several places the concrete had crumbled and the rebar was exposed. We judged that the slab was still structurally sound. But to prevent future issues, we recommended that it be patched to repair the crumbling and completely cover the rebars. Another drainage-related issue we noted – the lack of slope in the roof gutters. This is a surprisingly common (original construction) installation error, not unique to homes inspected in Richardson. Insufficient gutter slope can lead to clogging and potential water infiltration into the home.
Those were the main items we wanted to call to the attention of the home buyer so they could make an informed decision. The HVAC system, water heater and plumbing fixtures were dated, but in serviceable condition. We noted that the attic floor insulation varied between 0-3″, well below the 10+” recommended for Richardson homes. The nail pops in the roofing could be easily repaired, and we found that some of the flashing had rusted — prompt replacement recommended.
But, all things considered, we ruled the building structure to be sound and the major systems operational. The buyer elected to purchase the home, and three months later remains happy with his decision. Another satisfied client with peace of mind following a positive detailed report.
Many Richardson TX Houses and Condos Inspected
As one of the leading North Texas real estate inspecting companies, AIS has done dozens of Richardson home inspections. These range from new construction “McMansions” to 10 year old duplexes to 50 year old ranch style houses like this one. We also preform quite a few pre-listing property inspections for sellers. It may be counterintuitive; but new homes or expensive mansions in planned communities often exhibit more deficiencies than old bungalows built in the 60s.
If you’re looking to buy a house in Richardson TX – a home inspection by TREC-certified inspectors is a great investment. We can discover major issues and potential problems, enabling you to avoid expensive repairs. And we document each complete home inspection with a detailed report of any discrepancies or potential problems. With easy-to-understand explanations and plenty of photos.
Call us today to discuss the property you’re buying (or selling) and schedule an inspection. We have a very active real estate market now. And home buyers who get this done promptly have a competitive advantage.