Settling of the soil next to the house, poor initial grading and landscaping when the house was built, and poor management of rain water run off are the main causes of drainage problems. Poor drainage allows the water to sit next to the slab and that water goes into the soil surrounding the clay we just talked about. Not good. Remedies include such things as splash blocks, gutters, downspouts, re-grading the areas adjacent to the house, french drains and in some cases, cutting roots that have grown up to form a dam that blocks the natural drainage of water. Rain water is supposed to be directed away from the house and to the street, where it can flow into the storm drainage sewer system.

If the roof has leaks, the most common places for them to occur are at the chimney flashing, structural flashing, and roof penetrations. Roof penetrations are where anything goes through the roof itself, such as a plumbing vent, water heater vent, chimney and so on. Missing or damaged shingles or a roof that has reached the end of its life expectancy are other causes for leaks. Remember, a roof can be worn completely out and not be leaking at the time of inspection. You have to know what to look for when you evaluate a roof.

Air conditioning systems tend to either run or not. They will work hard and long in DFW’s summers before they give up the ghost and just flat won’t perform. Lot of times the problem is as simple as a freon recharge or the replacement of a electrical contactor. Other repairs, such as condensor replacement, are more costly, and need to be considered when figuring up your offering price for the property.
Furnaces come in either gas or electric. Older electric furnaces sometimes need to have their little elements re-wired, They look like the wires inside your toaster, only they are 220 volt and rather substantial. Gas furnaces have a thing called a heat exchanger, and this heat exchanger can be a source of problems. It is metal, it rusts out, and can become dangerous. I recommend replacement of the whole furnace when the heat exchanger goes out, because the cost of the heat exchanger replacement is not that much less than replacing the whole furnace, and you will have a warranty on parts and labor if you go for the whole unit.

Probably the most common item on the list of Recommendations for Repairs in the electrical category is Ground Fault Interrupters. They are required within 6′ of sinks in kitchens and bathrooms, as well as all exterior locations, garages and whirlpool, spa or swimming pool installation. Another area where repairs have to be made is when the circuit breakers are the wrong size for the wire that is attached to them. Your inspector or a licensed electrician will be able to make the evaluation.
Another common problem is what I call «Stunt wiring». This is where the well meaning home owner decides that he knows enough about electricity to add lights to the corner of the house so that he can keep the Huns at bay at night. The usual scenario is miles and miles of Romex wire and connections that are no more than wires twisted together and a little piece of black plastic tape on them. Big No-No. Fire hazard.

Leaky faucets, leaky drains. Most home buyers would sooner throw a new faucet on a sink than to mess around with spending 2 – 3 hours fixing the old one (hunting parts, going to Depot etc.) Commodes that are not mounted securely on the floor, commodes that leak and pipes that leak in the attic or under pier and beam houses are also problems to look for.

This is Houston. It rains a lot. If you do not keep the house caulked and painted the water comes in and rots out the wood. Fascia, soffits, siding and window and door trim are all candidates for this type of deterioration.

Interior and exterior doors can stick, be damaged, become de-laminated (the thin covering of wood veneer begins to peel off because moisture has gotten behind it) or the house has been lived in rough. By that I mean that people use their shoulder or their foot to open the door, or a loose doorknob has been left unattended and using it has caused damage to the surrounding door surface. Windows get broken or the screens go missing. If you are considering the property as a rental, make sure that you know about the laws in the State of Texas that deal with securing rental property doors and windows. The windows must lock securely, and the exterior doors must have a locking mechanism that can only be operated from the inside of the house.

If it is in the garage or in a room that opens directly into the garage it must be elevated 18″ above the finished floor. The idea here is to protect the burner or igniter in the water heater from coming into contact with gasoline or other volatile vapors that can cause fire or explosion. Other considerations when looking at the water heater are obviously water standing under the unit rust anywhere on the tank or single walled exhaust vent pipe.

This could be anything from a cooktop that doesn’t work to rotten fencing. It would also include such things a damaged decking, holes in the yard, repairs to attic framing and repairing non-functioning door bells. Pay attention to these odds and ends because they can add up on you and punch a hole in your budget.

The items that we have listed above certainly do not exhaust the list of things that can break or wear out on a house, but it does give you a basis of what to look for when doing your analysis. Remember to pay attention to all of the details that you will need to take care of to bring the house to a good condition before you make your purchase offer. After you buy it, any additional work that you had not planned on in your rehab budget will come as an unpleasant surprise.