Inspection Day Post 2 in our 3064 Taylor Way Series

Alright! Here we are at Inspection Day post 2 in our 3064 Taylor Way series. After our update of how we got the offer accepted in our last post in this series, now it’s time for inspection day. There are lots of things to look for in Costa Mesa real estate homes today. There are lots of homes that are now about 50 years old, and this one on Taylor Way was built in 1963, so she is almost approaching her gold anniversary.

So what do you look for? I did a previous post of top ten items that will concern most folks, and it was no different here. We looked mostly for safety hazards, anything that was unsafe, anything that could start a fire (like loose or exposed wiring). and most importantly, anything that was structurally unsound and would cost a lot of money to repair.

Short Sales are different of course- usually in a short sale (which Taylor Way is) the buyers are buying the home on an AS-IS basis, and the sellers and the banks will not perform any repairs. Which is why when you are buying a property in Costa Mesa that is a short sale it is important to watch out for the big money pit items. Here are the big ticket items that I look for:

1. Cracking drywall in the corner of rooms -if you walk diagonally through a room, from the doorway to the outside edge of the room, you will be able to feel if there are any slope changes in a room. What would that indicate? Typically if you have a slope it indicates foundation settling or foundation cracking. This can be one of the most expensive fix-it items you will find in Costa Mesa. Cracking drywall in the corners or fissures in the drywall coming off of the window corners indicate settling. Also, if it is really difficult to slide windows or doors open, it could be foundation settling.

2. Just Put a Little Duct Tape on it – Most Costa Mesa homes have the original copper piping in the slabs of the home. A leak in the slab is very difficult to deal with, and it could lead to re-piping the home, which can be very pricey.

3. I’m So Wired!– Wiring is it – This can be the biggest fire hazard for most homes in our area. Many homeowners will do quick fixes on wiring because many of the Costa Mesa homes have smaller electric panels. Often they will double punch an outlet which can overload a fuse and lead to problems.

4. Attics – When repair people do work in the attic, be sure to poke your head up there and see what they have done. 7 out of 10 times they do a half rate job because they know the homeowner won’t go check what they did. More times (including on Taylor) there are items that appear because the home owner was lazy and did not check the vendor’s work. On Taylor, there were crushed ducts that were clearly crushed by someone walking in the wrong spots in the attic. Not a terribly expensive repair, but one that was easily avoidable.

Watch for our next post on dealing with disclosure and title issues on Taylor Way.

Have a question about Costa Mesa real estate? Give Colin Delaney a call at (714) 743-9882 or Email me. I would be happy to help you!