5 (actually 6) Expensive Home Repairs

When it comes to owning a home, unexpected repairs can be a major source of stress and financial strain. While some repairs may be relatively inexpensive, others can be incredibly costly. In this blog post, we will discuss 6 common expensive home repairs that homeowners should be aware of.

1. Foundation repairs: Foundation issues can be some of the most costly repairs a homeowner will face. If the foundation is severely damaged and requires underpinning or other structural repairs, the costs can easily reach tens of thousands of dollars. In some cases, the foundation may even need to be completely replaced, which can be a very expensive endeavor.

2. Roof replacement: Replacing a damaged or worn-out roof can be a very costly repair. The cost will depend on the size of the roof, the type of materials used, and the complexity of the job. A typical roof replacement can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $25,000 and complicated or large roofs can cost way more.

3. HVAC replacement: Replacing an old or inefficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can be a significant expense. The cost will depend on the size of the home, the type of system, and the complexity of the installation. A new HVAC system for an average home normally costs between $5,000 and $15,000.

4. Plumbing repairs: Major plumbing repairs such as replacing or repairing a sewer line or water main can be very costly. These types of repairs can easily reach $10,000 or more, depending on the extent of the damage and the materials and labor required to fix it.

5. Electrical repairs: Updating or upgrading an electrical system can also be a significant expense. Replacing outdated knob and tube wiring, repairing or replacing electrical panels, and other electrical work can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 or more depending on the scope of the work.

6. Mold Remediation: The presence of mold can often lead to very expensive repairs. The mold remediation itself is often thousands of dollars and usually the issue causing it is expensive to repair (leaky roof, bad ventilation, basement flooding, broken pipes, etc.)

It's important to note that these are just estimates and the actual cost of repairs can vary depending on the specific situation. As a homeowner, it's important to be prepared for unexpected repairs by setting aside money in a savings account for home maintenance. It's also a good idea to have a professional inspect your home before you purchase it and semi regularly once you are living in the home to identify any potential issues before they become major problems.

In conclusion, owning a home can be a wonderful investment, but it also comes with its fair share of unexpected expenses. Being aware of the most expensive home repairs and being prepared for them can help ease the financial burden and allow you to focus on enjoying your home.

How Long Does A Home Inspection Take?

On one hand I have hear of inspectors that are in and out in 45 minutes, I have also heard of inspections taking 5+ hours. Almost every home inspector has a slightly unique process so although the following timeline is usually true for my inspections it may not be true for another inspector.

The short answer is that I am usually at the house for approximately 3-3.5 hours for your average house. If the house is significantly bigger, older or in rough shape that time will obviously increase.

Over the last few years, I have learned that one of the keys to being a great home inspector is a process. I inspect every house in the same order. It takes me about 2-2.5 hours to go through all my checklists and to inspect all the systems in the home. I normally ask the buyers and their agent to come for the last hour of the inspection. Once the buyers arrive, I am usually getting close to wrapping up, so it gives them 15-30 minutes to walk through the home again, take some measurements, etc. Once I am wrapped up, I do a full walkthrough with the buyers and their agent. The walkthrough serves a couple important purposes. First of all it allows me to show the buyer any findings that are significant. It also allows me to educate the buyers on the homes systems. Finally, it allows me to double check my work, every once in a while I will catch something I missed on the walkthrough with the client that I did not see originally. The final walkthrough takes about 25-45 minutes.

So, although the home inspection lasts about 3.5 hours total most of my clients are only there for the last hour of the inspection.

If you have a house in mind you can plug in the address to my online scheduler and it will give you an estimated time on how long the inspection will take for your specific home, as well as pricing and additional services available.

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector

Inspecting Newly Constructed Homes - Wise or Waste?

Iron ochre (iron bacteria) slowly filling up the drain tile and sump pit rendering the system useless and making the basement succeptable to water problems.

I’d like to start out by stating the obvious. I am biased. As a home inspector I am going to always recommend a home inspection. That being said every time I perform a home inspection on a new home i’m reminded that they are not exempt from problems and issues.

A common reason for skipping inspections is that the home “passed code inspections.” Most code inspectors have a large territory and are often understaffed. Although they hopefully will catch the obvious code violations there are a lot of things that can get missed.

In approximately the last year I have found the following issues in newly constructed homes that passed code:

1. Presence of iron ochre in sump pump.

2. Severely damaged shingles that were installed anyways instead of discarded.

3. Range hood that was never vented to the exterior.

4. Significant structural settling of footers/foundation.

5. Gas leak at exterior meter.

6. High radon levels.

7. Damaged breakers from a previous arc flash in the electrical panel.

8. Severe condensation on the interior of the furnace.

9. Structural damage to about 1/3 of the structural joists done by a careless sub-contractor.

Interior of furnace with sever condensation. If issues is not repaired it will damage the electronics and corrode the interior of the furnace.

And the list goes on… A lot of these issues were promptly fixed by the builder avoiding headaches down the road for my clients however a few of them caused the potential buyers to back out of the deal.

If you are going to spend $300,000.00 on your brand new home it is cheap insurance (less than half of your first months mortgage!) to hire a Certified Master Inspector to come in and make sure there are no long term nightmares hidden in the closet (or sump pit) of your dream home.

Danny Geurink, Certified Master Inspector

Your Grand Rapids Home Inspector