Inspector Gadget

No, this post is not about cartoons from the 80's, it's actually about the importance of a good home inspector.  And not just any home inspector, the home inspector that does the inspection so that your home can close escrow.  Why am I writing such a boring post?  Because we have come to find out, we had a very s*&#@y inspector.

After we moved in, we were so excited, we just started talking about all the cosmetic things we wanted to fix.  And now, we are over our budget.....but not because of the cosmetic things.  It's because of all the things we found when we were getting ready to do the cosmetic things.  We found holes in the roof, in the stucco, in the garage...holes, holes, everywhere were holes!  When we went back to look at the inspection report, only one small hole in the stucco was mentioned.  So, we ran to the store to get some expandable foam, until we could have our contractor fill the holes.  It was a messy job, but someone had to do it ;)  Oh yeah, that someone was Tige!

When we finally moved in, we were minding our own business, plugging in all our goodies, when we come to find out, we have no electrical to the back of the house.  So, currently, we have a large orange electrical cord running across the whole living room floor to the opposite side of the house, so we can watch television.  1 day later, I go to dry my hair, pop in the little button on the GFI (those plugs you have in your bathroom and kitchen) to get my hairdryer a started, and...pop!  The electrical is working to the back of the house.  So, let's get this straight, the electrical to the back of the house is wired so that when the GFI is working properly in the BATHROOM, then the electrical outlets work.  That's just wrong.  But, when we went to then plug our television into the correct outlets (not the outlets ACROSS THE ROOM), it popped the GFI in the bathroom.  SIGGGGHHHHHH....

So, we have to get an electrician out....oh wait, we are over budget....we'll have an orange cord running through our living room for a while :)

Next on the list, is our pilot light that goes out....every.single.day.  And usually at night, so we get a nice freezing cold shower in the morning.  Although our pilot was not lit when the inspector came, there were other things he could have done to ensure we would have a constant, steady flame.  He could have checked the thermocouple, check our draft hoods (so the wind wouldn't blow it out), etc.  But he didn't, so, we'll probably have to replace the thermocoupler, which isn't expensive, but just another hassle.

For now, we'll end this list there, but unfortunately, I have a feeling we'll find more stuff in the near future.  As much as we are trying to enjoy our home, we are frustrated that we didn't do a more thorough inspection on our own, or hired a second inspector.  You learn something new everyday, and this will be an experience we'll no doubt never forget.