Unique Home Inspection!

[wsiegel]

Originally Posted by alarsen1

I know! My report's already half-done!

I realize that you are excited and having fun wtih this, but you need to remember that this home was built in 1910 and not 2007, although there are many upgrade over the years. IMHO this will be a much more difficult inspection than you may anticipate. While it may be easy to tear it apart because it does not meet most current codes, you need to remember that it was not built to most current codes, and there will be a lot of peculiarites to this home. I wish you luck and good fortune on this inspection.

[alarsen1]

Originally Posted by wsiegel

IMHO this will be a much more difficult inspection than you may anticipate.

Nope... I'm starting early and expect to be there the better part of the day! I could fit 5 or 6 average sized homes INSIDE of this one... never did I think it was going to be an easy day.

Originally Posted by wsiegel

While it may be easy to tear it apart because it does not meet most current codes, you need to remember that it was not built to most current codes, and there will be a lot of peculiarites to this home.

Good thing because I'm not a code inspector. I look at new homes with new eyes and old homes with old eyes... goes without saying. As far as peculiar... absolutely! For me, it's all about (a) what is it designed to do? (b) does it work? (c) and if so, safely?

Originally Posted by wsiegel

I wish you luck and good fortune on this inspection.

Thanks for your comments... appreciate them. And don't worry about me being able to laugh... I take my work much more seriously than I take myself.

[lewens]

I hate dial up
Larry

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by alarsen1

I'm looking forward to this job, which I have lined up for Monday morning. It's a BC Electric Rail Sub Station, converted into a home. Built in 1910. The MLS listing is below...

http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=5406356

And here's a virtual tour...

www.inthehouse.com/richardandray

Should be fun! Solid walls with all the plumbing and mechanical exposed! What could be easier!

Well Arne, how fun was it?

[wforsyth]

Originally Posted by alarsen1

The receptacles will be interesting! If they used a box that's supposed to be installed IN a wall, but mounted it on the outside, so long as it is totally enclosed would you call this out?

In Canada, while GFCI's are manditory in bathrooms, they aren't in kitchens... although I usually comment on that as a "recommended upgrade".

It's listed for $800k, which - for 12,000 square feet - is a pretty good price per square!

You want a tour? Hop in your car and come on up! I'm only about three hours north of Seattle!

I might just take a drive one of these days.

[alarsen1]

Originally Posted by bkelly2

Well Arne, how fun was it?

It WAS haunted!!!

I normally take quite a few photographs as my camera is my memory when I inspect. As a throw-back to my cop days I started out with a notebook, but that was too cumbersome. Anyways... with a job like this there were a mixture of "inspection-type deficiency" photos... plus a bunch of "wow, that's cool! CLICK" photos... and I ended up taking 270 pictures! Not bad for one set of rechargable batteries, hey?

I'll probably upload this report to my website as a sample inspection - you know... for all those other 100 year old converted hydro-elec sub-stations out there! I'll post the link here when I do.

I also think it's important to carry vaseline with you to create that Hollywood-effect, fogged-lens look!

[alarsen1]

Originally Posted by wforsyth

I might just take a drive one of these days.

You would have enjoyed this one for sure! With all the corridors and passage ways and ladders, and roof-tops and multiple suites - which had me walk a couple miles I'm sure, I parked the lap top and simply carried my camera and flashlight plus a few tools to test things. I wrote my whole report off site in the comfort of my sweats and a t-shirt with a coffee (okay, a few) in hand. Writing the report actually took me longer than the physical inspection! Haha!