somebuckeye
Franklinton
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Thinking about buying a house with some known (and perhaps unknown) damage. Can anyone recommend a good home inspector?
Specifically, I need somebody than can give an estimate for possible structural problems, and maybe plumbing as well. Maybe someone with a background in structural engineering, or a contractor with an engineer on staff? Not just a general purpose contractor or home inspector.
Feel free to pm me if you don't want to post in here. Thanks!!
Chris Sherman
East Franklinton
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you looking here in the hood?
somebuckeye
Franklinton
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We've been looking mostly in the near-east and near-west sides of town.
Antonio
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Best to contact a contractor, some one with atleast 5 years experience. No experience in contracting or building is worthless to you. They don't have a clue of what they are doing.
Demand pictures of the structure, and the problems.
Every house is going to have problems unless it's brand new, don't accept that there are none.
NitaW
GV
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We used Dina Ketz at Pro-Check Engineering to inspect the last two homes that we bought. Both homes were over 100 years old. She is meticulous and explains every problem, detailing how bad the problem is and how easy/difficult/expensive it may be to repair. She also provides good maintenance tips. I cannot say enough about our positive experiences. She actually spotted one problem in each of those houses that the sellers repaired at significant expense, so our money was well spent.
Cardiff
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It's worth it to get your inspection to include radon too, Ohio is in the "red zone" for radon and it's better to get the seller to pay the $2,000 - $4,000 for the mitigation system installation. In the state of Ohio radon testing is voluntary, however sellers are legally required to disclose once a home has tested high levels. Therefore most sellers don't "volunteer" to test since they don't want to have to disclose to buyers. Some even open windows and air out the house to skew the results, making it even more important to have a good home inspector. http://www.epa.gov/radon/
UrbanAgent
Victorian Village
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A knowledgeable and experienced home inspector goes a long way. When dealing with older/historical homes (German Village, Victorian Village, etc) I ALWAYS recommend an inspector who is a structural engineer. Structural issues can be costly and it's good to know exactly what you're working with. Radon is a different topic and generally Radon mitigation is anywhere from $800-$1,500 depending on the size of the home. I'd be happy to share contacts our clients have used in the past and consistently received positive feedback across the board. Please feel free to consider me a resource. We are keeping BUSY in the office and buyers have already started pounding the pavement in their home search - Good to see the market so active at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb. Please let me know if I can help in any way.
My best,
Mike McCoy
Vutech | Ruff
Real Living HER
177 E. Beck St., Columbus, OH 43206
Direct - 614.255.0609
Cell - 614.395.4987
Fax - 614.474.8448
Marketing exceptional homes throughout Central Ohio!
Snarf
Dystopia
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A large portion of the general population is under the misconception that the frequently published risks associated with radon are well accepted scientific facts. In reality, the vast majority of well designed studies do not support policy or positions that exposures to indoor radon pose a significant threat to health, and indeed, the majority of those studies indicate that, at concentrations typically seen in homes, as the level of radon increases, the risk of lung cancer goes down, not up. We have reviewed some of the more recent studies cited in popular literature and you can read those reviews by clicking, here. The following section is a brief discussion of how radon occurs and the science-based risks associated with radon exposure.
From here: http://www.forensic-applications.com/radon/radon.html
ohiojimmie
Westgate
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Snarf wrote >>
Several of my friends have used Chris Heldman at Brick Kicker, 834-1177. I'm not sure about the structural specialist but I'm sure he could advise you on who to talk to. Good luck, that structural work can be incredibly expensive.
I used Brick Kicker, it was supposed to cost more for an engineer but I compared prices with another company and he came out with the engineer for the matching price. Things were good, we did the radon test (i think insurance or loaners require it get done. dont quote me on that) and things went well. He showed me some things about the house that I would not have know otherwise.
Cardiff
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My view is that Ohio has radon, lots of homes in central Ohio test at high levels, and mitigation systems can be installed to deal with it - why take the risk? Over decades in a house, the exposure adds up. People cut back on risks in their homes in so many areas - baby-proofing, using low-VOC paints, testing for lead paint and asbestos, installing water filtration systems - why not test for radon and take care of it?
Since Ohio has high levels of radon, residents qualify for discounted tests ($7, they are around $12 at a hardware store) here: http://www.radon.com/sub/oh/
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