The Serial Number on Your Furnace Identifies the Manufacture Date

The Serial Number on Your Furnace Identifies the Manufacture Date

Did you know the Serial Number on Your Furnace Identifies the Manufacture Date?  The English Team is representing the buyer of a luxury home in North Fulton / Johns Creek neighborhood.  We made an offer on a corporate re-location listing and after the usual back and forth negotiations the offer was accepted.  So far so good.

I gave the buyers the contact information for several home inspectors who have received good reviews from previous clients.  The homebuyers elected to go with Marion Hodges.  Marion is a former home builder and also a licensed Realtor, but his chief business is home inspections.

Marion did a thorough inspection of the home and came back with a rather glowing report about the condition of the home.  However, he did report one glaring error.

Even though the seller’s disclosure reported the age of the funace as 11 years, in fact the furance was twice as old, 22 years. Because of age of the furnace, my clients (the potential purchasers) could expect to replace the furance within the next couple of years.  The age of the furnace made it obsolete.  

The home is in an area where there are a lot of corporate relocations.  In fact, the sellers are being relocated and are working with a corporate relocation company.  When they purchased they home the disclosure they received had an incorrect manufacture date for the furnace.  The sellers truly beleived the furnace to be 11 years old.  It is only the manufacturer’s serial number that provides evidence the age of the furnace listed on the seller’s disclosure is incorrect.  When the seller’s wrote in the age of the furnace as 11 years old on the sellers disclosure statement, they did so in good faith.  The problem is………..they were wrong.

Had Marion Hodges not made an independent inspection and carefully recorded the serial numbers of the furnaces and other equipment, my home buyers could easily found themselves shelling out an additional $10,000.00 in he next year or two for a new furnace.  I don’t care who you are, that kind of unexpected expense hurts.

Folks, hire a good home inspector.  It is an investment in your financial and emotional security.

Marion Hodges contact info

http://www.atlantahomechecker.com/

770-572-2808

MarionHodges@mindspring.com

From the Marin Hodges Website: