40 Times Boston Home Inspectors Found Such Surprising Things During Their Work, They Had To Document It (New Pics)
When homeowners try to save money and trust their know-it-all uncle to fix the cracked floors, they're just inviting trouble. Fortunately, structural inspectors are the ones who notice all the little details when they enter other people's houses. From stairs without handrails to faulty foundations and skeletons in the basement, they find every secret that sellers try so hard to hide.
Take it from this Boston area home inspector who created his own Instagram account just to show you some of the funniest and unbelievable things he's come across during check-ups over the past 25 years.
Bored Panda has collected some of the best photos that will make you feel glad that's not your house. So scroll down, upvote your favorite bizarre finds and make sure to check out Part 1 of this post right here.
This post may include affiliate links.
Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong Here!
I lived in a place that caught on fire...that’s probably the most frightened I’ve ever been. Oh, also that time I got lost in the snow in Yosemite. It made me afraid of the outdoors for pretty much the rest of my life.
We reached out to the creator of the account and the founder of Boston Home Inspectors, Inc., James Brock, who has seen pretty much everything in his line of work. As a business, they are proud of their reputation for thoroughness. They believe that a half-hearted inspection serves no one and put all of their focus on identifying the problems and putting them into proper perspective.
When asked about the inspiration behind the account, Brock told us that the idea was suggested by his daughter when they were out for pizza one day in 2016. "She had been on many inspections over the years to earn some spending money," he said.
"She gave the idea that I should post some of the funny things that we find during the inspections." The thought might have sounded strange at the time, but he decided to try it out. Ever since his first post, the account has grown and reached more than 16.4k followers who enjoy seeing bizarre things the inspectors find every day.
No Worries About Covid Washing Your Hands At This House!
When it comes to choosing which images to post on social media, there’s plenty of worthy material out there. The home inspector has captured more than 1500 pictures of questionable scenarios and objects left in plain sight while performing check-ups. Out of those, he has created a library of more than 200 images ready to be shared with the people of the Internet.
If you think that’s quite the number of missteps that owners do in order to improve their homes, that’s not even half of it. "There are many funny, crazy and scary things we find that just do not photograph well so we miss out on those," he said.
Masks Aren’t Saving You From This..yuck!
Mother-In-Law Door!
Brock does not want to overwhelm his followers, so he decided to post only one picture a day. The inspector told us that he did not intend for the account to become a place to lecture people on the things they shouldn’t do but rather "wanted the account to be light and funny for the viewer". It’s the place where people can go and relate to the images as homeowners and feel glad that their homes do not look like that.
The home inspector also enjoys reading the replies of his audience: "Many of the viewers have a great wit and sense of humor. I often find myself saying 'Oh, I wish I would have thought of that comment to write'."
When You Want To Share Your Experiences With Other!
Who Farted? Oh Wrong Gas Smell!
last time I saw that stuff on a pipe I was 65 feet down, in a ship wreck...
The industry experts are interested in the content James Brock shares, too. He mentioned that sometimes he receives emails from other home inspectors or tradesmen saying "you failed to mention this problem in the background". But the creator has a lighthearted view on such remarks and replies that "this Instagram account is not a written full-fledged report" and shares a few laughs with his colleagues.
The New Green Gutter!
No...i Said It Was The Black Wire!
Measure Once!
A new home might be one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make and sometimes you can make some costly mistakes. Especially if you don’t know where to look. Having your house professionally checked by a structural inspector might give you information about certain defects that will save you thousands of dollars.
"Okay Move Along, Move Along People, There's Nothing To See Here!" Only 46 Air Fresheners In The House!
Not What I Was Expecting?
Shower With A View!
The experts not only check the main things like structure and exterior of the house and the basement but also windows, doors, fire hazards, appliances and outlets. They find the areas that cause concern and provide the information to the client. As they state on their website, "At the end of the inspection, the inspector will review the detailed report line-by-line and discuss the findings and recommendations. You will have a better understanding of the investment you are about to make."
Close!
Snap! Crackle! & Crunch!
Riding The Waves To The Bathroom...
The concern is, how did the floor flood because if it happened once, assuming the problem wasn't disclosed, it'll happen again.
Just remember that your home requires regular maintenance and yearly inspection. So if you wish that pictures of your house do not end up on the Boston Home Inspectors Instagram account, make sure to check the things lurking behind the walls, under decks and in the ceiling. And if you need help, don’t hesitate to contact a professional tradesman who can give you a list of the things you should focus on.
Interesting!
Got A Light?
Remember To Clean Your Shower Drain
Shortcut!
Just A Tad More!
When One Is Not Enough!
Just Hanging Around!
…and It’s Not Even Raining!
We’ll At Least It’s Not A Plumbers Crack!
Who Hide The Heinz?
Now This Is A Skinny House!
Just Cut The Deck Posts To Make Your Patio Bigger!
So Close!
Timber!
What amazes me the most is that the beam was cut at an angle on purpose
Nothing Says Happy Mother’s Day Better Than A Whirlpool Bath!
Gilligan’s Deck!
Good Thing They Have Backup!
Kitchen Sink With A Little Lip!
Painting Over The Termites Makes Them Go Away...
But The City Permits Were Signed Off…
Nap Time!
Live And Still Working Perfectly Fine!
They are actually surprisingly safe. Well, as in they are not the fire hazard you'd expect them to be.
Just Why?
Almost!
You Need A Home Inspection So Your First Load Isn’t All Over The Place!
Our laundry room in the basement has the outlets (electrical) at least four feet off the floor!
Just Not Too High!
This have been posted a lot of times already on BP. And this time it's poorly cropped.
Wait A Minute! Water Is Supposed To Be On The Outside
Who Needs A Railing?
Almost!
Living On The Edge
Caulked And Painted… Looks Fine!
So You Say They Left A Few Items In The Basement Stairs?
Everyone Needs A Moat In Their Basement!
Pour Twice...measure Once!
This Looks About Right!
May Be Hard To See... Look At The Size Of The Skylight vs. The Opening. They Also Just Silicones The Glass To The Framing!
This isn't actually uncommon. If a replacement skylight is larger, and the "tunnel" is in good shape, this works fine - here's mine - IMG_0353-6...612888.jpg
Anyone Home?
Wonder If This Still Works?
"I wonder if this still works?" ... I would suggest you not try it out because you could be looking at a lot of damage from hundreds of gallons of watering spewing out onto the floor. Let sleeping dogs lie.
Trees-1 Fence-0
When Is The Deck Party?
Can’t Wait Until Heating Season!
Rooftop Garden
Did Not Know That I Need This Until I Saw It!
The Grass Is Greener On The Other Roof!
Perfect Bathroom Floor Heat Set To 158°f
Ass Warmer...
Gas Grill-1 Vinyl Siding-0
Bad bad bad. That vinyl is toxic to inhale when melting like that. I gotta say my buddy nearly burned down his best friends multi-million dollar home by forgetting to turn off the bbq grill before putting it next to the house. He remembered while driving away, came back to see the paint on the house behind the grill starting to bubble.
Problem Solved!
When You Peel Back The Layers… You Find Mold!
Rarely Seen...can You Guess What The Circles With The Stars Are?
Nothing Can Go Wrong Here!
Almost!
Un..bee..lievable!
When I was young we lived in what had once been the old wooden farm house for the area, but at that time it was the only old house in the neighborhood. It was situated on a corner and there was a front porch on either side of the outermost corner. On the less-busy side, there were a couple of broken boards in the side just below the kitchen and some wasps had made their nest in there; and on what we considered the main porch there were bees who appeared to be interested in using the rain pipe as a potential hive. My brother Tim stepped on a dying be and was stung, which is how we learned he’s allergic to bees.
Not Sure What The Problem Is, Key Is In Lockbox On The Gate!
Each unit in the building has hit's own lockbox to enter the trash area. What's confusing about that?
Another Warm Day On The Roof!
List Agent Is Right When She Said….but It’s Still Working Right?
Step 1: Screw Brackets Through Rubber Roof...
Ah, now I understand the shiny black roofs I saw higher up this list. Never heard of rubber roofs.
Puzzling...
Sometimes Almost Is Just Good Enough!
if it’s in the usa and behind them are toilets, I’d say the door’s too big
What Is Greenish, Slimy And Furry At The Same Time And Is Growing At The Sewer Clean Out? I Don’t Know But It Sure Looks Shitty!
Darn The Bungee Cord Fell!
Why Not The Center Of The Room?
Our bedroom light fitting was similarly placed and after investigating it became apparent. The lights were placed so as not to cast a shadow over the window dressings (curtains etc.) and preserve a lady's (and a chap's) privacy when dressing. I would be delighted if anyone could confirm or correct please pandas.
Thanks Neighbor For The Solar Distortion!
Found The Origin Of Covid!
Old Timers Talent…make It Work!
Greasy Grease Filter!
Close Enough!
Cotten Lint…cotten Candy
Ok but I’ve been trying to figure out how to not get lint all over everything in the carport cause that’s where my vent lets out for my dryer!
Speed Bumps
Yuck!
Water Daily!
Nailed It!
Refrigerator Wedgie!
How else are you going to hold up the cabinet? Actually secure it to the wall? Come on!
Plumbers Life!
Well At Least The Dishes Are Clean!
For Washing Between The Glass!
Not Sure Why You Didn’t Test All The Outlets?
Nothing Can Go Wrong With This Gas Pipe!
Nothing Can Go Wrong Here!
Is it the open steps that are the problem here? I personally hate them, but they're everwhere here in Europe!
So Much Wrong In Such A Little Space
But Of Course Permits Were Pulled For This Renovation…
Well Now This Looks Safe!
2 Out Of 3 (Cracks) Ain’t Bad!
Just Flex Seal It!
Everyone Needs A Little Support Once In A While!
My old mobile home settled a lot and the kitchen drain pushed up thru the sink. Had to wash dishes in the tub, til the tub drain rotted thru and collapsed. Better house now, different problems. I hate being my own landlord.
Drains Clear!
Just Like Lay’s Potato Chips…when One Is Just Not Enough!
Lol my basement looks similar. I have a 9 foot goldfish tank above the supports.
Crushing It!
Ouch!
Water Daily! Growing A Gas Meter!
That meter is a proper antique too! I don't think it's going to grow any more.
Guess Who Is Going In?
No Dancing Here!
Love Inspecting Attics…
That’s Nuts!
Tug Of War...and The Telephone Pole Is Winning!
Almost!
Well Now!
I recognize those little white "pellets" - they are ant or termite pupae!!! Either one is serious problem.
I Found A Pig In The Electric Panel!
Old vs. Young…both Still Working!
Got Skylights!
Somewhere To Hang Your Plants!
Who Has Been Doing What On This Couch?
My floor looks like this because we are continually fetching the dog’s toy out from under the sofa🙄 (yeah, we put pads on the feet of the couch, but it’s so often we move it that it has worn marks into the hardwood.)
Ugh! Where Do I Begin?
Bee
Careful Of The Ones Living In 10b..they’re Nuts
As an european, I really cant understand the concept of "american house" made of cardboard & some kind of wood.
Watch videos of the aftermath of hurricanes and tornadoes. No matter what you make the house out of, its going down. If it was brick it's a lot harder to cleanup and rebuild.
Load More Replies...I see poorly designed houses, poorly maintained houses, and a temperature scale no one else in the world understands/ cares about. Not the funny post I was hoping for alas
"Boston" is in the title of the post, that probably gives away which temperature scale is going to be used. Many Americans free the same way about the other temperature scale.
Load More Replies...I say it more "holy crap this needs to be done in three days"
Load More Replies...As an european, I really cant understand the concept of "american house" made of cardboard & some kind of wood.
Watch videos of the aftermath of hurricanes and tornadoes. No matter what you make the house out of, its going down. If it was brick it's a lot harder to cleanup and rebuild.
Load More Replies...I see poorly designed houses, poorly maintained houses, and a temperature scale no one else in the world understands/ cares about. Not the funny post I was hoping for alas
"Boston" is in the title of the post, that probably gives away which temperature scale is going to be used. Many Americans free the same way about the other temperature scale.
Load More Replies...I say it more "holy crap this needs to be done in three days"
Load More Replies...