Home Inspections 101: Mama’s UNCUT Interview with Home Boss Master Inspector – Expert Tips Inside!
===
Mama: Tell me, what is the funniest or craziest thing you have ever found in a house during a home inspection?
Home Boss: Okay, I have found a coffin once.
Mama: A coffin?
Home Boss: A coffin in the crawl space.
Mama: Oh no!
Home Boss: I'm convinced I've found human bones under a house before, but
Mama: I'd be out of there. Today, I'm chatting with a certified master inspector who's seen it all, from hidden cash to major home nightmares.
Let's get to it.
(Intro Music)
[00:00:34] Hey there. Welcome to your real estate mama. I'm Jan Scott, and I'm here to help you navigate the ups and downs of buying or selling a home. I've been wrangling the real estate market for over 35 years. And trust me with all this gray hair comes a whole lot of wisdom. I'm excited to share tips, a little humor, and plenty of encouragement to make your journey easier.
Whether you're new. Or a regular. I'm so glad you're here. Follow the show for new episodes every week, and together we'll grow and help even more folks.
Well, welcome, we've got Riaan du Plessis. And did I say that right or am I totally botching it?
Home Boss: No, no, you said that perfectly well. Thank you.
The Importance of Home Inspections for Buyers
[00:01:21] Mama: He's the owner of the home boss inspection service. So I want to know about the home inspection process. And I think all of my listeners really want to know what to ask for because a lot of them never bought a home before. So they really From the start to finish, kind of, what, um, what is important or why is it important for the buyers of new homes to do a home inspection?
[00:01:47] Home Boss: That's a great question. Um, You know, first and foremost, uh, Baldwin County, it is, I don't know if it still is, but at one point was the fastest growing county in the country. So houses, uh, subdivisions are being built at alarming rates. And, um, these builders, they have certain amount of houses they have to close on by.
[00:02:12] At the end of the month, this is the facts. Um, you know, there's not enough help to go around. So a lot of times they're pulling off people off a house that isn't completed yet to get another house finished. And so a lot of things get overlooked. And essentially, home inspectors, we look out for the buyer.
[00:02:30] So I'm going to go there looking for. Something that's wrong with the house. So I'm there only for the buyer, whereas the builder, you know, obviously he's going to be there for himself and of course the, the, the client, but I'm only there for, for the buyer.
What Does a Home Inspection Cover?
[00:02:46] Mama: Okay. Tell me what does a home inspection cover?
[00:02:50] Home Boss: So at Home Boss, you know, we, we typically focus on all the major components of the home, uh, plumbing. Electrical, um, the HVAC system, uh, the roof and attic systems, and then also the structural integrity of the home. And then we'll put a big emphasis on anything that will compromise, um, you, your family's health or safety, or be a high cost repair in the near future.
[00:03:16] So, you know, we basically check every single door, window, outlets, um, So it's a, it's a full comprehensive inspection, attic, the roof, yes, all those, the
[00:03:27] Mama: foundation, for sure.
[00:03:29] Home Boss: Definitely, if it's got a crawl space, um, 100 percent.
Common Issues in Older vs. Newer Homes
[00:03:33] Mama: What are some of the major problems that you find in homes, maybe older homes versus, and then we'll go from, to newer homes?
[00:03:40] Because I know there's a lot of problems in newer homes as well, just because it's brand new and under construction doesn't necessarily mean it's, Correct.
[00:03:48] Home Boss: That is correct. So on older homes, what we found a lot is in this area, we had some recalled plumbing. We had a polybutylene, which is gray, um, and that was recalled in 1995 and they actually started installing houses in this area from 1979 to 1995 and then they recalled it.
[00:04:11] And then we also had Durapex, which is also a bad, uh, Regarded as a bad PEX line, and that was recalled in 2012. So that we see that a lot of older houses, um, some of the electrical panels were recalled. So we still find those a lot. Um, and then on newer houses, I mean, there's a lot of stuff that we find.
[00:04:33] Um, but I can tell you one of the biggest concerns for me, if I was buying the, a newer home that I've seen is. Look, these, they have to clear land to accommodate these, uh, these, these subdivisions. So what I have found quite a lot is that the grading for the house or around the house, um, is not adequate.
[00:04:56] In other words, should there be a lot of rainfall and we do have that in this area, you know, water is either going to accumulate right at the house or it's going to. Accumulate between you, you and your neighbor's house. And it's just going to sit there and instead of that water running into the retention pond, you know, behind it and stuff like that.
[00:05:14] So, I mean, there's so many variables. Um, but at the end of the day, remember that people build houses, people, um, make mistakes. Um, they take, uh, they get lazy, they cut corners. So, you know, we are there to find those mistakes.
[00:05:31] Mama: Exactly. So we're out looking at homes. We've just started the looking process and we're kind of looking maybe at an older home, you know Then what are some of the things that we need to look for that would be like a red black?
[00:05:44] Okay, they'll crack, you know, I've always heard about cracks in the wall the foundation problems Maybe with doors not closing right completely. What are some of the things that we need to look for when we're walking through that house?
Red Flags to Watch for During Home Walk-throughs
[00:05:57] Home Boss: That's a, that's a great question also, um, you know, look, inspectors, we have a trained eye, so I cannot, um, you know, expect, uh, your buyers or buyers to have the, or our clients to see what we see, but obvious things would be for, of course, any cracks that you notice on the outside of the house, but more importantly, um, Cracks on the inside and the outside of the house, because a lot of times you'll see cracks on the outside and then you go inside and you don't see any cracks on the inside and all the windows are fine.
[00:06:31] And so it might not be that as, you know, that, um, severe as when you have cracks inside of the house also. So definitely cracks. Look, if you see any gray plumbing pecks line in your house. Anywhere it's polybutylene, it's been recalled. So that's a flag right there. Um, because I, I know that some insurance companies are now frowning upon polybutylene, even though it was recalled back in, in 95.
[00:06:59] So any gray plumbing that you see just from walking around. Um, you know, that's probably going to be polybutylene, you know, running a faucet, looking under the sink and see if there was any leaks. Um, you know, just stuff like that.
[00:07:13] Mama: Just the general thing. So if they find a home that they love and there's a few questions about it, of course, we always make it subject to a home inspection, a satisfactory home inspection.
Advanced Inspection Tools and Technology
[00:07:23] That's where we would call you in, the expert, of course, to come in and take a look at it. And, uh, then you'll give us a written report about. what you find, your findings with pictures and stuff, which brings me, I noticed that you, when you did my last home inspection, you had the most wonderful tools that I've never seen.
[00:07:44] You know, I've been doing this a long time and they didn't have the tools that you had. 15, 20 years ago to see behind the walls or to see what's going on. Tell us about all your fun tools that you've got.
[00:07:57] Home Boss: Yes. I mean, you know, I really wanted to be the, how can I say the one stop shop home inspection business?
[00:08:05] In other words, you come to me, I can do it all. So some of the, uh, Additional services that we do or provide, uh, in addition to a home inspection would be, we do a mold testing. So in other words, uh, you move into a house or you, you doing your first walk through the house and you smell this odor and you're a little bit concerned about the breathable air, maybe your children have compromised immune systems.
[00:08:32] So what we can do is we can take a sample of the air by running a machine inside the house and, um, we typically. Collect two samples inside the house and one outside, which is your control sample, which is what the lab uses to control, uh, sorry, to compare the inside samples too. And we can send that off to the lab and they'll tell us exactly what's in the breathable air.
[00:08:55] In other words, if there's mold and what types of mold and what levels, um, we can also, um, send a camera down your sewer line. So we send a camera down your sewer line and make sure that. You know, there's no blockages in your sewer line, so we can scope your sewer line essentially. Um, and then of course we have infrared cameras, so we can basically see behind walls, um, you know, see if there's insulation behind the walls, possibly detect electrical fires, um, you know, um, Possibly detect leaks that haven't come to the surface yet.
[00:09:29] Um, yeah, I mean, pretty much whatever there is related to a house, um, you know, we're going to be able to, to provide.
[00:09:38] Mama: That is great. And mold is such an important issue with so many people with so many allergies. So that's, that is number one thing to check out, especially here along the beautiful Alabama Gulf coast.
Mold and Termite Concerns in Humid Climates
[00:09:51] We have a lot of moisture, of course, and, um, So it's very easy to form. So
[00:09:56] Home Boss: it's. Yeah, I mean, we live in the South. It comes with the territory. There's mold everywhere. Um, and people are concerned and rightly so. Not only do we test for it, I have a very good understanding of, of mold also. So I'm also be able, you know, I can.
[00:10:12] I wouldn't say I can look at mold and tell you if it's dangerous or not. I'm not, I don't think anybody can do that. But what I'm saying is, you know, there's, there's surface mold and then there's, uh, you know, your more toxic molds. And sometimes it's, you know, when you see it on a daily basis, it's just easier to differentiate between those.
[00:10:30] Mama: Great. Well, it's amazing that you've got all those tools now to be able to see that. It is really good. Now talk to me too about termites. They love this Alabama soil. They love this Alabama weather. So tell me what to look for too, when we're kind of walking through. Yeah.
[00:10:48] Home Boss: So look, I mean, I tell you, we, we have done a lot of inspections in Midtown Mobile, you know, those older houses that they now trying to bring back, um, which I love to see, but you know, a lot of those crawl spaces, um, you'll crawl along.
[00:11:06] Cause you literally are crawling in those and you'll see a choice that looks 100 percent intact and you put your hand on it and it'll just disintegrate. Cause you know, they eat it from the inside out. What I see a lot is unfortunately is people are trying to hide the damage. So what they do is they, they fill it in with.
[00:11:30] Uh, filler or a cock, they cock it, and then they paint over it. And that's where your trained eye comes in. And so, because I'll tell you, I, I'll give an example. I've done a house recently where I just from walking around the house. One time I called the home, uh, the, the buyer and I said, you are aware about the, of the wood rot.
[00:11:52] And she said she had been there several times and didn't see any of the wood rot. And it was all over the house. Just from walking around. So, because I was able to hide it so well. So it's difficult with termites for, for, uh, for untrained eye to identify it because people will try and hide it.
[00:12:09] Mama: So it's so important.
[00:12:10] And in your inspection, you will look for these things and then we'll know to get the termite company out to do a more thorough exam of it. Tell me what is the funniest or craziest thing you have ever found in a house doing a home inspection.
Unexpected Finds: Coffins, Cash, and Critters
[00:12:23] Home Boss: I have found a coffin once in a coffin, a coffin in the crawl space.
[00:12:29] I promptly crawled past it. I, I don't want to open it. I did not. Um, I once found, uh, uh, envelope full of, uh, cash. Um, so pedestal sink, right? When you, when you run the sink, the faucet on a pedestal sink, you cannot see the pipe behind it. So what I always do is I run my hand behind it so I can feel if it's leaking.
[00:12:53] And I went all the way down and I felt this. Something and I pulled it out and it was just hundreds. Uh, I looked at it, I put it down. I took a photo of it. I put it in my reports and I documented it and I put it back and I don't know what happened after that. But, um, your job was
[00:13:13] Mama: to report it. That was,
[00:13:15] Home Boss: I felt like I needed to, I did it because I was like, what happens if somebody put it there and they forgot about it, at least this way it'll be out in the open and then it will be discussed and then.
[00:13:25] But, and then, I mean, I've, I've had run ins with animals. I've, I've crawled in a crawl space before and looked up and I've had a raccoon looking down on me because, you know, they found a little hole and they crawled in. And yeah, I mean, you know, I've, I'm convinced I've found human bones under the house before, but, you know, that's
[00:13:46] Mama: just
[00:13:47] Home Boss: me in my mind, probably.
[00:13:49] Mama: I don't think I would ever crawl under there to begin with, but oh my goodness, that's too funny. It's
[00:13:53] Home Boss: good times. It's good times.
[00:13:55] Mama: You've got a whole lot of credentials behind your name. Can you share with me what the difference is between you and just, let's say, Uncle Larry's Home Inspection Service?
Why Credentials Matter: Certified Master Inspector vs. Others
[00:14:05] Home Boss: So right off the bat, I want to say that there, as far as I know, and the last time I checked, there are only three.
[00:14:15] Licensed commercial building inspectors in this area. I'm one of them. And I'm not talking about Florida. I'm licensed in Florida also. But so what I'm saying is a lot of home inspectors will say, yeah, I can inspect a commercial building. Yeah, maybe they can, but they don't have the credentials. So. That's one thing.
[00:14:34] And like I said, there's only three of us in this area. Um, and then as a home inspector, um, I'm a certified master inspector. So that's as bad as far as you can go. Um, they are quote unquote supposed to be the best inspectors in the world. Quote unquote. And I did my training through an organization called InterNACHI, which is the biggest, um, home inspection.
[00:14:58] Industry in the world with over 30, 000 inspectors worldwide, not just in this country. And if they have education for days, I mean, if I do a course on, if I do a course every day, I would do one for the rest of my life.
[00:15:14] Mama: So it's amazing to look for those credentials. And, um, for those that don't live along this beautiful Alabama Gulf coast, like we do, um, What do they look for?
[00:15:24] Like if they're in other parts of the country to make sure that they are as qualified as you are, is there a certain website they can go to, or to look them up, say left there up in Tennessee or other parts of the country, California. I
[00:15:38] Home Boss: mean, also, you know, um, you can go. Uh, to internachi. com, which is again, the, you know, international association of, uh, home inspectors and you can enter any area or zip code in there and they will pull up all the inspectors from there.
[00:15:56] So you can verify somebody that way. You can also go on to certified master inspector and, uh, put in the zip code. You can also go to, if you're buying a commercial building, you can also go to, uh, their commercial website and, um, You can put in a zip code and that'll pull up.
[00:16:15] Mama: Pull up what? It'll pull up.
[00:16:16] They'll have the same qualifications that you do. They will have
[00:16:19] Home Boss: the certified, um, they'll have all the inspectors on there. So that's the way you can verify that they are indeed certified.
[00:16:26] Mama: Okay. Rion, tell me, um, if you, when you're doing a home inspection, do you prefer that the buyer be present when you're doing the home inspection or not?
Should Buyers Be Present During a Home Inspection?
[00:16:37] Home Boss: I wish there was like a rule, you know, because I feel like the buyer should be present, but I feel you should be present towards the end because it's going to, he's going to get the most bang for his buck, so to speak, because at the end I'm finished with the inspection. I can show you what I found.
[00:16:55] Not just, can I, you know, I can show you, you know, physically, I can go instead of just showing you on the report, I can go, Hey, look, this, that piece of wood, it is rotted, you know, I can show him, you can actually
[00:17:07] Mama: show him what you're talking about, instead of him just seeing the picture on the report
[00:17:11] Home Boss: and it's a lot more and people visually, when people see things visually, they get a better understanding of things.
[00:17:17] So I think, uh, a buyer will gain tremendous. Uh, knowledge about the house he's about to purchase if he does attend the inspection, but it has to be towards the end because that inspector is working for him. He needs that time to focus on his inspection and to make sure that he, you know, gets all the areas.
[00:17:37] Most, most of my buyers get bored.
[00:17:39] Mama: Right. So the best thing for a buyer to do is to come toward the end, like your typical home inspection, let's say, um, on a 2000 square foot house takes what, an hour and a half, two hours, maybe?
[00:17:53] Home Boss: Yeah, it'll take, it'll take us more because, um, you know, we do our reports on site and we send our reports when we're done.
[00:18:00] But, um, yeah, it just depends on the size of the square footage or the year built, uh, the foundation. Cause if you have to go into the crawl space, it takes longer. And then the condition of the home, you know, you know, on paper, I can tell you how long it's going to take based on the experience, but sometimes we get to a house that maybe is only 10 years old, but
[00:18:21] Mama: it's
[00:18:21] Home Boss: got issues, you know, they had a storm and they never fixed things.
[00:18:24] And now this is, so you have to document all that stuff and it takes time.
[00:18:28] Mama: Right. So the buyer should come toward the end of the time that you tell them. So you've had your time to just do and focus on, On the house and then you can give them a report and show them at the end of your, uh, inspection time there.
The Importance of a Home Inspection for All Buyers
[00:18:42] And I know a liability, I do not attend inspections. Um, I'm totally useless. I would be a body sitting on the corner because I'm not an engineer. I'm not a home inspector. A realtor does not know these things. And so it's more important that that is your time to shine. You go through because you're the expert and you can point out the things that need to be further attention.
[00:19:03] Let's say if you do. Question a foundation problem, then at that point, you would recommend a certified structural engineer to come in and say, we need even, uh, additional attention to this spot.
[00:19:18] Home Boss: Exactly. Yeah. I mean, again. They will get great, uh, information if they come towards the end of the inspection.
[00:19:26] And like I said, I really wish that was a standard because it will be so beneficial for all parties involved. Look, in the ideal world, I would love to send my report. Wait a couple of hours and then call that client and Hey, did you have any questions? But we cannot because everybody's busy. If I call that client, he's busy.
[00:19:45] He can't talk. Then he calls me later. I've been at another inspection. You know, we do a hundred inspections a month. It's, it becomes crazy.
[00:19:52] Mama: Exactly.
[00:19:53] Home Boss: So yeah, I would love for, and if the buyer cannot be there, then. Because he's out of town. Cause we do get a lot of out of town buyers. Don't you agree? Um,
[00:20:01] Mama: exactly.
[00:20:01] They're not able to attend the inspection.
[00:20:04] Home Boss: I mean, we can, I've done FaceTime with, with them before I've done phone calls. So again, towards the end would be the best.
A South African Journey to Home Inspections
[00:20:12] Mama: That'd be great. Um, I love your accent.
[00:20:14] Home Boss: Thank you.
[00:20:15] Mama: Tell me a little bit about where you're from.
[00:20:17] Home Boss: So I was born and raised in sunny South Africa.
[00:20:21] It's not so sunny now. There's snow everywhere, apparently.
[00:20:24] Mama: Snow in Africa.
[00:20:26] Home Boss: And it's like in the cities, normally it's in the mountains. So anyway, uh, yeah, so I was born there, um, lived there for, uh, the first 30 years of my life, um, I was very fortunate. Grew up, uh, Um, near the main game reserve. So my childhood was filled with wildlife and, um, yeah.
[00:20:47] And then my, I met a young lady from Mobile, Alabama.
[00:20:52] Mama: Wow. A Southern girl.
[00:20:53] Home Boss: Yes. And you know, they.
[00:20:55] Mama: The rest is history. Yes. Miss Courtney.
[00:20:57] Home Boss: Yes. We got married.
[00:20:59] Mama: That's great. Okay. I think I've got all the questions on my list. Is there anything you want to just share? I mean, anything that you think we missed?
[00:21:07] Home Boss: There's anything I could say to anybody that has any doubts in having a home inspection, because believe it or not. People are, there's 85 percent of people that buy houses are opting not to have a home inspection, 85%. That means 15, 15 percent of people that are spending probably the most money they're ever going to spend in their lives.
[00:21:31] That's only going to increase in value. They opting not to inspect it for a mere 400, you know, every 450. So I, I just. You know, if there's anything I can tell people today is that's a mistake. I mean, you'd never buy a car, not take it for a test drive. You know, we'll take that house for a test drive for you, you know, and it's important.
[00:21:53] Mama: There's nothing more disheartening than moving into a new house and two weeks later having to replace plumbing pipes or, um, septic tank issues if toilets won't flush.
[00:22:05] Home Boss: I'll give you an example. Like I remember the one day I was inspecting a house and it was just small things, but I remember when into the kitchen.
[00:22:11] Turn the light on, light didn't turn on, turn on the, turn on the faucet, water didn't come out. And then I turn on the oven and then oven turned on, but one burner didn't work. And I thought to myself, imagine this is my first night in my house and I chose not to get a home inspection. And this is what you're dealing with.
[00:22:29] And then your kids are hungry. Uh, there's, you know what I mean? This is how you starting off your, your home, your
[00:22:35] Mama: dream home. And
[00:22:36] Home Boss: it's not starting off so well, it can turn into a
[00:22:38] Mama: nightmare in a hurry if without that home inspection. So it's definitely important
[00:22:42] Home Boss: that 85 percent has to become a hundred percent.
How to Contact Home Boss Inspections
[00:22:45] Mama: Brianne, thank you so much for joining me today. What great information you've given us. And, um, how can the people get a hold of you if they want to contact you? Give us some good, uh, contact information.
[00:22:58] Home Boss: So, uh, our direct number would be 251 230 9595. And, uh, we are open seven days a week and you can also go to our websites and www.
[00:23:14] homebossal.com. And on that you can, um, There's a link there that you can, you know, book an inspection also.
[00:23:22] Mama: Very impressive website too. I've been on your website. Great. Thank you. Great job. Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you
[00:23:29] Home Boss: so much for having me.
(Music Bed)
Episode Close
[00:23:33] Mama: Well, that's a wrap. Follow the show for new episodes every week. Don't forget to leave a review, rating, or comment on your favorite podcast platform. Feel free to send me an email to jan@yourrealestatemama.com. I love hearing your questions and comments, and I'd be happy to help you find a great real estate agent anywhere you live.
[00:23:57] Be sure to follow me on Facebook @YourRealEstateMamaPodcast. Until next time, y'all take care, happy house hunting, and remember, you should always listen to your mama.
