I love the look and feel of the older Atlanta bungalows, especially after someone renovated it with the help of an architect. These houses have been changed from their very simple pre-war design to an elaborate, open floor plan that allows for entertaining and flows better than you think it possibly could. When using a professional architect, designer, and general contractor, the “renovated” house is essentially a new home with most everything updated or replaced.  Then there are the homes that people, especially investors purchase just to renovate. Performing inspections on these homes is something completely different from any other home. My inner detective really must come out so that the inspection will reveal where the renovation went wrong or what corners were cut and for what reason. Here are a few of the many things I see on homes that did not get a complete or proper “renovation”: 1) The main electrical panel had been replaced, but only a very limited number of the branch circuits had been replaced. Many contractors will mask the older wiring with the additional of three-prong, grounded electrical outlets in older 2-wire systems. Oh yeah, this is not legal as per the NEC. Two wire branch circuits are acceptable as long as the outlets are of the un-grounded, 2-prong style. 2) I often see where the air-conditioning compressor had been replaced, but the hard to get to, crawlspace installed furnace and air-conditioning coils had not. 3) The water supply and sewage discharge piping is replaced only where it is easily accessible and not where it is going to eventually fail. Be very careful when purchasing an older, renovated home. Be prepared to spend a lot of time with your inspector. Many things will be uncovered. |
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