ATLANTA HOME BUYER MISTAKES: AVOID THE DIRTY DOZEN PART THREE

Atlanta Homebuyer Mistakes

 We are looking at ATLANTA HOME BUYER MISTAKES with emphasis on AVOIDING  THE DIRTY DOZEN home buyer mistakes. 

ROOFING FAILURES ARE an Achilles heel of the home buying process.  Most of us are not going to climb up on a ladder and inspect a roof ourselves.  Some of the more adventurous among us may take a flashlight up in to an attic, looking for evidence of roof leaks along the decking and rafters.  And few in any of us are actually qualified to evaluate the roofing and flashing of a home.

The roofing system is the first essential line of defense against moisture entering the home, so it’s important to have someone inspect it.  A qualified inspector or a roofing company representative can tell you how to estimate the remaining life expectancy of the roof. Even home inspectors shy away from giving specific information about a roof.  If you are considering a home that has a roof that looks like it may need some attention, an inspection by a qualified roofing company is one of the few ways to know the roofing and flashing is sound.  Contractually, this should be done before an offer is made on a property.  Talk to your  licensed Realtor about why this is best.

CRACKS IN THE HEAT EXCHANGER OF YOUR FURNACE can allow toxic carbon monoxide to build up in the home.  People die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning, in large part because detecting leaks using just the human senses is virtually impossible.

We keep a carbon monoxide sensor and alarm in our home as a contingency, which we purchased for just a few dollars.  A qualified technician should examine the heat exchanger in your furnace, looking for cracks that allow toxic fumes to escape in to the home. 

If you see a technician with a handheld dental-type mirror peering into your furnace, you are being protected from a crack that might allow these gases to escape from the furnace.

LEAD-BASED PAINT was commonly used in homes built before 1978 and lead in paint can pose a great danger to your family, particularly children who can ingest paint flakes from walls.  According to the EPA’s website, “Lead is a highly toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children 6 years old and under are most at risk, because their bodies are growing quickly.”Fortunately, today’s paints do not include a lead component.  However, homes built prior to 1978 may have lead-based paint on the walls and ceilings.  There is a process for mitigating the presence of lead-based paint, which is particularly important for parents of small children to investigate.

DEFECTIVE SIDING – Some poorly-designed siding, manufactured prior to 1996 and composed of wood particles, wax, and resins glued together was found to fail on a regular basis. A national lawsuit against several major manufacturers, including Georgia-Pacific and Louisiana-Pacific resulted in reimbursements to thousands of homeowners for the removal and replacement of this defective siding product. Unfortunately, not all homeowners used the payout from the settlement to actually replace the defective siding on their home.  We do occasionally see this defective siding product on homes in the Atlanta area. Look for siding that has incurred water damage, is rotting, swelled, or may be buckling away from the wall.  Additionally, alert your inspector to check the home for potentially defective siding. 

Astute buyers should know the telltale signs of the presence of a “dirty dozen” threat in the home and raise a red flag when tracks are spotted.  Some of the “dirty dozen” are easy to eliminate and are really no more than a nuisance.  Others are downright obstinate, and may be near impossible to completely eradicate from the home.  Remember, you will find a wealth of information and assistance if you start by alerting your home inspector to these threats.

SALLY ENGLISH AND THE ENGLISH TEAM ASSIST ATLANTA HOME BUYERS in the search for homes of high emotional and financial value.  We also coach our Atlanta home buyers on how to avoid the dirty dozen home buyer mistakes.  We also know how to fix the dirty dozen house defects if you find a home you can’t live with out that has a dirty dozen problem.

CALL SALLY ENGLISH AND THE ENGLISH TEAM for great advice on buying or selling an Atlanta Georgia home: 404-229-2995. We look forward to hearing from you.