If you're skipping a home inspection it could be an expensive choice. In 2021 many home buyers in Wisconsin are skipping a home inspection due to the hot housing market and competitive market. There are very few home inspections don't find at least one or multiple expensive repair issues that will need to be repaired or dealt with after you purchase a home. Some problems are much more expensive than others.  Don't rely on the sellers disclosure. They only have to disclose what they know and often even when they are not honest it is difficult to prove they knew of a problem prior to selling the home. 

Homes are currently selling for record prices meaning that buyers need to put quite a lot of money down to buy the house. Often there isn't a lot of wiggle room left over for major surprise repairs to deal with after becoming a new homeowner. I listed the four most common and probably expensive problems to look for during the home buying process.

​1. Foundation problems are one of a home buyers biggest worries and rightly so. They are expensive to fix and significant issues can cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix. If you're not trained or experienced in what to look for you can miss some major structural issues or potential problems. Combined with sellers who paint the foundation walls or have finished basements, this can be a very easy problem to overlook and not be seen by a buyer. 

2. Roof problems can consist of several areas. Whether its roof material damage or poor installation to old roofing material that will need to be replaced shortly after purchase these issues can cost a lot of money.  Depending not he size and complexity of your roof it can cost tens of thousands of dollars.  If you're on a budget spending $15,000 to replace a roof two years after you move into your home could be disastrous.

3.  Chimney problems on homes with chimneys are one of the most common problems seen during inspections. Whether it's the outside of  the chimney where brick is deteriorating, chimney chase covers or chimney caps that are deteriorated, or damaged flue pipes these repairs can cost thousands of dollars and are not something most sellers are even aware of. Most sellers may have no clue there are significant issue with their chimney and thus won't list it on a sellers condition report.

4. Fireplace problems especially wood burning fireplaces are common finds. Many people do not regularly maintain their chimney by having it inspected and cleaned. If a flue pipe is older than 25 years there may be a good chance that the flue is damaged and needs repair. This is another repair that will cost thousand of dollars to fix. Other issues like cracked refractory brick and damper doors that don't function are another common issue that need repair.

While these four issues are some common expensive issues that are found during a home inspection, it is only a small list of issues that are found during a home inspection. While skipping a home inspection may make you a more competitive offer when purchasing a home, it may cost you a significant amount of money and put you in financial stress if you buy a home that has major issues. 

In a sellers market, especially one that where a house can get as many as 15 or more offers, scam artists are out to make a quick buck. Homes are often selling for over asking price and there are plenty of buyers willing to skip a home inspection to get a house. It's the perfect market for dishonest home flippers to take advantage of buyers.

The goal of most flippers is simple. Buy a home that needs work and sell it for as much money as possible all while putting as little time and/or money into it. The goal is profit. Often this goal can result in a supposedly "updated or renovated" home with many problems. In some cases it can be like putting lipstick on a pig. New paint, newer flooring, appliances, and quick fixes to give the home a good appearance, but hiding what are often obvious problems. Many times the workmanship of flippers is poor because their goal isn't to do a good job so much as it is to make it look good for a good price.

As a home inspector I often see flipped homes that have serious issues and very poor workmanship. Even in homes done relatively well there are always some issues that seem to pop up.  Things like leaking pipes, roof issues, foundation issues, poorly done flooring, sub standard electrical work are just some of the common issues found in flipped homes. Some of these could result in buyers having to spend thousands of dollars to repair these "newly renovated or updated" homes in order to fix problems the flipper covered up or didn't fix correctly.

When buying a home do your due diligence. Make sure you are buying a home that is free of major problems and is safe. Buying a home over asking price and then having to spend money to fix problems after moving in could result in many home buyers being in financial ruin. 

Dairyland Home Inspection performs home inspections in Burlington, Wisconsin. It's just one of the many cities in southeastern Wisconsin we serve. Burlington is a great place to live and is located in western Racine County.  Part of Burlington is also located in Walworth County.

Burlington has great parks, lake recreation activities, and great places to eat. It's home to Chocolate Fest and home to many large and small businesses. Burlington is a sought at location to live and buy a home. Home prices like other areas of the State of Wisconsin have increased significantly. 

Burlington has a great mix of older homes and newer homes making it an interesting place to perform home inspections. Homes older than 100 years and homes that are brand new make for a diverse mix of home styles and neighborhoods. Performing inspections in Burlington is always interesting due to the variety of home styes and construction based on the age of the home and location. 

If you're looking for a home inspector, radon testing, termite inspection or mold testing in Burlington or anywhere else in Racine or Walworth County give us a call.

When hiring a home inspector to perform a radon test make sure they are certified and using calibrated and certified radon testing equipment.  Very few home inspectors in Wisconsin are nationally certified in radon testing.  The National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) is a national certification for radon testing, which requires testing and calibration for radon equipment. This ensures that anyone that is NRPP certified and performs radon testing is conducting valid and reliable tests. Wisconsin does not require certification for radon testing, which means anyone can place and interpret radon test results. Without the proper training and certification these results can be questionable. 

Dairyland Home Inspection uses state of the art Sun Nuclear continuous radon monitors. The monitors are set for 48 hours and provide hourly results of the radon present, providing a final average of the radon found in a building. The monitors are calibrated yearly by the manufacturer to ensure reliable tests are conducted each and every time. The monitors are certified for use by the NRPP.

A report showing the hourly sample results and overall average is provided when the test result is obtained. These test results are considered highly reliable due to the high standards of certification and equipment that are used for testing. 

If you need radon testing and/or a home inspection in southeastern Wisconsin contact us we are here to help. 

When purchasing a home in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, or Waukesha, Wisconsin one of the biggest potential problem areas is the foundation. If you don't have a home inspection you may miss some of these potential problems. Water has a significant negative effect on a foundation. Keeping water away from the foundation is critical to prevent foundation problems. It can be related to cracked foundation walls, bowed foundation walls, water intrusion, and basement moisture issues. Home inspectors look for several clues on the exterior and interior of a house to locate current and potential foundation related issues. ​Often these issues can be mitigated with some simple solutions and prevention by homeowners. 

Negative grading refers to the yard around the house grading towards the foundation meaning that water is not moving away from the foundation. Water should flow away from the foundation. The first ten feet near the foundation is the most important area to keep water from the foundation. The photo shows negative grading towards the house.

Downspouts should drain a minimum 6 feet from the foundation. During a home inspection one of the most common causes of moisture problems at a foundation are downspouts that empty at or too close to the foundation. Often downspouts drain right at the corner of the foundation. Over time they can lead to significant moisture problems.

Sump pump problems causing the drainage system not to move water from the foundation properly can cause moisture related issues. A house without a sump pump can often have more moisture related foundation issues than a house with a sump pump. 

Foundation materials such as brick, stone, and certain masonry blocks are more prone to allow moisture to penetrate through the foundation. Materials that have more joints or have more porous materials can allow moisture to pass through the wall. These foundations need regular maintenance to keep moisture out. Older foundations do not have the same waterproofing that modern foundation walls do. 

Foundation cracks can allow moisture through the foundation. Some foundation cracks can cause significant moisture intrusion. Cracks can sometimes cause structural problems. Foundation cracks can often be repaired by being properly sealed. 

During a home inspection using the best technology helps to locate more problems that can be seen visually with the eyes only. At Dairyland Home Inspection we use specialized tools like a thermal imager and moisture meter. A thermal imager uses temperature differentials to show possible anomalies that could show a potential issue. The thermal imager located a dark spot in the ceiling consistent with possible a possible moisture leak at the ceiling. The moisture meter confirmed a high level of moisture at the ceiling.  The ceiling area was under a second story master bathroom. In the master bathroom the floor at the toilet showed a high level of moisture consistent with a possible leak at the drain seal. 

Using the best technology helps Dairyland Home Inspection find more potential problems which saves our clients money and future problems. The ceiling leak in this home will have to be repaired prior to our client purchasing the home. That may involve opening up the ceiling and checking out the plumbing pipes. While we don't always inspect homes that have leaks in walls and ceilings it helps us find those that do. 

We inspect homes in Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Walworth, and Ozaukee Counties. 

Roofs are one of the most important areas inspected during a home inspection. Roofs are an area that home owners rarely see or pay attention to unless a problem occurs like a leak or obvious damage is present. Home buyers often don't notice or observe the roof when looking at homes and when they do they can only see a small portion of the roof. Replacing or repairing a roof is very expensive so when looking for a home it is critical to make sure there aren't any significant roof problems. 

Roof problems can often be caused by poor installation. In the below photos are some good examples of poor roof shingle installation. Shingles hanging down over the edge of the roof are a pretty obvious sign that the roof was not professionally done. This should never occur when shingles are installed. On newer roofs when shingles come off easily or there are areas of missing shingles it can often be a sign of poor installation resulting in missing and loose shingles leaving areas exposed to moisture intrusion due to missing roofing material. 
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Often roof repairs are poorly done, which can result in problems not being repaired properly and resulting in additional damage. The roofing repair int he below picture shows an area of the roof repaired using shingles on top of shingles and allowing fasteners to be exposed. These issue can result in moisture intrusion and no solution to the original roof problem repaired. 

Older roofs that need replacement are another common roof problem observed during a home inspection. Roofs that age often show problems like delamination where the shingles begin to fall apart to missing shingles from aged shingles breaking off the roof due to their poor condition. In these cases roofs need replacement quickly to prevent moisture intrusion and damage to the inside of the home from potential water problems. 

When buying a home make sure that you get the total picture of the roof. Many of these roof issues could not be observed from the ground. So make sure if you hire a home inspector they see the total roof so that you don't buy a home with expensive home problems. At Dairyland Home Inspection we serve Racine, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Waukesha, Walworth, and Ozaukee Counties. 

If you're buying a home in Kenosha or the surrounding area we are here to help you. Kenosha is a great city and an area that is growing. Many people that live in Illinois moving to the Kenosha area for a better cost of living and lower taxes. It's a great option for people who work in Illinois but don't want to pay more to live in Illinois.

We provide home inspections, radon testing, termite (WDO) inspections, and mold testing. Our goal when performing a home inspection is to protect our clients interests when they purchase a home and ensure they know as much information about their home as possible. 

We often find expensive home problems when conducting a home inspection and save clients thousand of dollars purchasing a home and then having to make expensive repairs. Some common problems we find are roof defects, chimney problems, foundation and structural problems, HVAC issues, electrical safety issues, and exterior problems. 

We provide same day reports that include the areas of the home that were inspected and any problems found. Photos and video of the problems found are provided in the report. If clients attend the inspection we do a walkthrough of the home and point out any problems located.

Fair pricing and working hard for our clients best interest are our goals when doing every home inspection. We provide fair and upfront pricing for every service. We work seven days a week and have flexible scheduling. Let us know if we can help you.