40 Times Boston Home Inspectors Discovered Such Interesting Things, They Just Had To Take A Photo
Just like Alpha Alpha Structural, Inc. (previously here, here, and here), Boston Home Inspectors also rain on people's parades. Well, kinda. In a nice way.
"We are hired by the buyer of a property to inspect the exterior of the house, basement, and structure along with all of the home systems," James Brock of Boston Home Inspectors told Bored Panda. "We test all the outlets, appliances, windows, doors, and bathroom fixtures. We, both, look for items not installed properly or that may be deteriorated, defective, or have an item of concern. For example, a leak or unsafe conditions."
Besides looking for problems or issues, the company educates the buyer about the investment that they will be making. "We teach them how the various components in their new home work and what to expect for life expectancy and what to plan for future maintenance."
During the past 24 years, Boston Home Inspectors have seen quite a bit in their job. From crazy DIY solutions to years of neglect, they share pictures of their most interesting finds on social media. Here are some of the most popular ones.
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Found The Cool House In The Neighborhood!
When talking about common problems, Brock said their Instagram is a pretty good representation of the big picture.
"As you can see, decks seem to have the most issues. Many are not built right or inspected annually for issues. Wood and metal deteriorate and corrode. Too many times people have a deck built and never give it a second thought for 15-20 years, meanwhile, the wood is starting to rot and the metal components rust."
"Also the famous uncle who knows just a little about everything, but is master of nothing, has now built your dream deck wrong! The deck is now potentially dangerous. I understand homeowners are trying to save money, but most times these items will cost them more in the long run," Brock explained.
Well, Hello Now!
When You Need Privacy!
There are a lot of things that could make a home dangerous: it could be the hot water temperature (140F), stairs without handrails, loose toilets, uneven front steps, leaning basement stairs, non-GFI outlets next to a bathtub, window seats in a child's room, clogged fireplace flues, large icicles hanging from the gutters, uneven basement floors for tripping, fire hazards like clogged dryer vents or wiring not to code. The list is long. Apparently, there are many items in a home that can become unsafe if installed incorrectly or have started to age/deteriorate.
Another Room With A View!
Just A Cool Set Of Stairs
"I love to use the analogy with home buyers, do you take your car in for regular maintenance and yearly inspection? Your home is no different than your car," Brock said. "Your home needs the heating and air conditioning system serviced and maintained annually. Same with the roof, dryer vent, foundation, decks, water heater, fireplace, etc."
Kids, Please Grab The Oven Glove For Me
Mother-In-Law Door
Interesting
If you want to prolong your home's lifespan, Brock advises having a professional tradesman, who you can build a long-term relationship with. "[Your home] is your investment and it needs to be protected (inspected, serviced, and maintained). There are several dozen homeowners who have Boston Home Inspectors at their home every 3 years to inspect the major items and components and give them a list of the next few things they should focus on.
For example, Brock said that in the next 3 years, some of these people will have the chimney pointed, repair some deteriorated wood and paint the weathered side of the house, fix the loose deck handrails and repair the leaning fence. "[Regular annual maintenance of the home and its items] gives the direction and what to focus on next."
Seriously?? I Know You Said It Wasn’t Finished Yet
That's impressive. It takes years of work to teach a house how to use stilts.
All Right, Put Back The Other Half Of The House
With This Design You Can Multitask. Wash Dishes While You're On The Crapper
This Was Sent To Me From Masong187!
While creating the Instagram page, Brock wanted it not to be a science book or manual, lecturing people on what they should or not should do, we get enough of that all day long, he said.
"I wanted a spot where people could go, relate to a picture as a homeowner, laugh, and say 'I'm glad that's not my house.' And at the end of the day, they can look at their own home ... and they can say 'At least my deck post is not sitting on a bolder.' Or 'At least my home doesn't look like that.'"
Almost!
Found At Work Today!
Now This Is A Basement We Can Party In!
Hmmmm
Wavy Deck! Imagine A Couple Of Cocktails
Children And Drunks Are On Their Own!
Would Love To Chat With Who Came Second!!
Sometimes You Just Need A Little Edge!
Almost!
Kinda Close....for New Construction!
Dryer Lint. The Cremated Remains Of Missing Socks
Remember When???
Timber!
Seen Something Cool At An Inspection
Day 3 Of 7! Mold Week
Stairway To Nowhere
Looks Like I’m Going To Have A ‘Fun-Gi’ Day! Ok I’ll Stick To Home Inspections And Leave The Comedy Alone
First fix leaks (roof/wall/pipes), then consider ventilation and insulation (as condensation can do same; not this given standing water, but can be additional problem), then remove plaster/drywall & redo. Not a big deal, really, except that "fix leaks" may cost you more than a whole roof and trusses etc (or just a bit of pipework).
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Black mold is a species of fungus. And this looks like it has grown deeply. Extreme health hazard, this house is uninhabitable.
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I have a new build house and discovered almost the same behind my bed. What happened is, i like to sleep in cold (16-17 celsius) so i dont heat my bedroom. As i was breathing overnight, moisture was condesing on the walls and giving perfect home for mold. Sprayed salty water, sanded down, repaint and heating and drying out the room solved it within one week.
I've had the same prob in my bedroom. I too like to sleep in cold. Never had any probs for 10 years, but now some mold builds up around the window. I've tried specific products and repainted.. . Comes up again. I think it's because my bf moved in and now theres two of us breathing at night lol
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I lived like this for 2 years. It was an under dwelling (international readers please Google it!). Had a wardrobe that was placed near the wall, not right up against it, and all my clothes grew mould, shoes, boots and trainers in a cupboard were so mouldy some had to be thrown away. It was so cold in the bedroom even in summer that I had an electric blanket that I used to switch on half an hour before I went to bed so that I wouldn’t have to shiver myself to sleep. Ah, fun times.
omfg so we moved into our new house 2 years ago and needed a new dishwasher. you can guess what happens next.
we pull it out, and theres a f**k ton of black mold on the whole wall. led to 2 months of fixing it by rebuilding all the cabinets and not having a kitchen sink.
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Dafuq? I’m sure there’s a right way to get rid of this but I’d spray some bleach around and call a pro. Damn
Probably England. The houses there are always damp and moldy due to age, the fact that they don't have clothes dryers & hang wet clothes all over the house, little to no insulation so drywall is installed directly into the brick or stone that's the outside wall and no air conditioning.
In the plain drywall where there is no sheetrock I see a fat angel giving a pint of Samuel Adams to a fox standing on the shoulders of another Fox while wearing a trench coat.) I also see a moth on the right wall. What do you see?
Mold is very dangerous and if you live in a moldy place, it can grow in your lungs. I knew a woman it happened to, she had medical proof and she couldn't walk because of the mold in her lungs.
I see figures of a mouse and rat standing upright shaking hands. I hadn't even noticed the mold spots! Wow, I need a vacation and maybe a brain scan!
We had an upstairs toile with a slow leak. By the time we discovered it, the space between floors was covered in mold. Had to tear out the bathroom, and the ceiling below for mold remediation. They sealed off the bathroom and built a plastic sheeting box in our living room, scrubbed everything down, and ran (really loud) industrial blowers that vented outside, 24 hours a day for about 10 days to dry everything out. then we had to rebuild the bathroom and fix the ceiling. It was a fun time that only cost about $8000!
You could prime it with Kilz, which kills mold but it wouldn’t be sanitary or safe.
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I Bet The Tree Will Win!
I Have No Idea???
Somebody Forgot To Change The Water Filter
Hope The Rock Doesn’t Move!
Who Left The Trx Out During The Home Inspection??
More Water Is Going Up Than Down!
Found The Dryer Vent!
Why Bother??
Damn I Missed The Roof Party!
Holy Duct! You Can’t Make This Stuff Up! Fire Waiting To Happen!
When You Run Out Of Shims!
When You Don’t Fit On Your Bike, Just Cut The Floor Joists!
Well Now, This Is Not Good!
Duct Tape Fixes Everything!
This Listing Agent Said They Have The Furnace Serviced Every Year!
New Construction Full Of Mold. See The Date On The Sheetrock 4/20
Guess What’s Holding This Deck To The House...scary
We Need To Start An Almost So Close Deck Building Club
Osha Approved!
If three threads are fine, four as well. If four are fine, five must also be OK. If five... etc.
Much Easier Than A 3 Point Turn
This is the kind of feature I'd expect to see in a Bond villain's lair
May I Have A Scoop Of What’s In Attic Rafter Bay 1 And Bay 2 And Bay 3
Help Wash Off The Electric Panel!
Not As Worried About The Duct Taped Sewer Pipe As I Am About The Amount Of Beer Someone Drinks!
Maybe Just Fill The Holes!
Who Needs Handrails??
Awful Lot Of Stairs For A Small Deck!
Shocking!
Measure Twice
Someone's going to have fun picking their winter clothes out of the rubble when the house collapses
Looking Up An Unlined Chimney Flue
I Guess That Works!
Not A Great Place To Hang Around!
Good Thing They Only Live On The 1st Floor!
Random...why???
At Least This One Didn’t Come Running Out When I Opened The Door
We Know Who’s Boss!
Moon Landing In The Attic!
Wonder Who’s Living In The Range Hood?
It’s Not The Hole In The Roof That Bothers Me..it’s Who Shot The Arrow?
Listing Sheet Did Say ‘Has A Deck’
Why?
Got My Cousin To Wire The Garage Lights!
And The Homeowner Is Breathing This!!!
Still Live And Still Working!
Buss fuses like these were never the problem, people being too cheap to replace a blown one and putting a penny under it to bypass a blown fuse were the problem.
Wtf?
When One Is Just Not Enough!
Ok. Is it just me, or do the things on the bottom look like those Lego pieces you put down for the Lego building foundation?!?!?!
Yes Zip Ties Fix Everything!
Missing Something?
Not Sure What Was Going On Up Here??
Short On Bricks??
Clean Or Dirty Snacks?
Wedges Under The Floor Joists Work
Ceiling Fan???
What A Cool Pic
Well Shit! He Wins
“I Made It Through The Rain”....well, Not Really!
Let’s Make A Sweater!
How Many Young Kids Know What This Is For?
Nailed It!
Oh, I’m Sure That Is Safe!
Thank God For Home Depot!
Found On Yesterday’s Inspection And Still Working!
Well That Works!
Ugh! Somebody’s Gotta Go In!
Newly Renovated Laundry Room!
Not Good
Sometimes You Just Wonder Why?
Easily accessible from the window. Over the front door... I feel like the only time you would be able to use it would be an April 1st
Now That’s Hot!
Adjustable Drain!
I once moved into a house to discover the kitchen plumbing was all new PVC pipe which was nice. Not one single piece had been glued together... some genius had pushed the pipes together and called it good enough, which was NOT nice. I reached for a bottle of cleanser, tapped against the U joint, and three pieces fell off. I had to use an overturned bucket to keep everything together while I looked into contacting the seller... who had vanished. Many other issues came to light very soon after.
You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
Well This Did Not Work Out Too Well!
I see a cute little robot sticking its head through the wall and peering through the handrail
Dangerously Close!
Crushing It!
So Sad
Everybody Needs One Of These In Their Basement!
Is that one of those pipes where you pump it to draw water from the ground?
The Key Is In The Lockbox!
So Many Things Wrong! Should We Start With The ‘State Of Art’ Non Code Compliant Flue Pipe Or The Fact That The Expansion Tank Is Not A Water Heater?
The only problem is the flue vent. Those look like the kind of silly notes realtors put on things, and they can't be expected to understand that the heating boiler also provides domestic hot water.
...and You Said A Permit Was Issued?
Scary!
Left in place for character. Notice retro-added support from the posts on either side
Can’t Wait Till The 3rd Cocktail!
Yep, That Should Keep The Kids And Drunk Friends From Falling!
Job Done!
There was an attempt to secure it with a nail on the right hand side, but probably proved way too much work.
Only In Southie! A South Boston Fire Escape
It’s Frost Proof, Not Freeze Proof!
I'm pretty sure someone ran something into it. When they freeze, they split the stem tube inside, not the outer casting. Ask me how I know...
That Washing Machine Drain Pipe Almost Made It Into The Pan
Uh almost or "close" only counts with horse shoes and hand grenades people!!!
Found The Mouse Hole!
Service Technicians Nightmare! Wait Until The Furnace Needs To Be Replaced
Where Do You Store Your Chairs, Ladder, Extra Bricks And Of Course Your Canoes?
The Ice Maker That Keeps Giving!
The Parties Will Have To Wait!
... this actually looks exactly like my parents house. Every little detail. Before we tore it down because it dropped from one of the support columns.
When The Listing Agent Says The Seller Is A Contractor So You Shouldn’t Find Any Problems...
Inspectors don't always look at work done by contractors because, well, they're supposed to be pros. I'm renovating a 1920 bungalow and the inspector actually inspects everything I do and if anything is off he tells me why and makes sure it's up to code or better. So far a couple extra nail guards has been the only issue.
Mold Week. Day 1 Of 7
Nothing Can Go Wrong With This!?!
Well Now!
Will Give You An “A” For Almost!
Just Blowing Off A Little Steam!
Somebody needs to check that the expansion tank has any air in it. That's a common root-cause of pressure-relief leakage.
Well Now!
Hmmm..mistake Or Intentional?
Shouldn’t The Microwave Hood Be Installed Over The Stove?
Set At A Height To Prevent Children And Pets From Interfering With The Door Closing!
It’s A Nice They Are Using An Energy Saving Lightbulb
K**b and tube! If it's any consolation, the fabric electrical tape suggests that splice was added-on 60 years ago.
Well Now... I Thought I Was In The City!
Turkeys are everywhere year-round in Massachusetts, but usually in flocks. The ones in my city seem to know about crosswalks, too, oddly enough.
When One Just Isn’t Enough!
That whole panel is a house fire waiting to happen. I see a number of issues besides the main one that would give me the heebie-jeebies....
What Could Go Wrong?
Where Are You Going With This One??
Well, At Least They Used A Gfi
Deck Building -101
Can You Guess What This Is?
Wonder What The Code Is?
Guess What Somebody Forgot?
The shower pipe is probably built into the wall. I have seen that done many times. The shower head is obviously above, and not in the picture.
Ready For The Riding Lawn Mower!
Ugh!
This isn't scary. This is a truss system used by roofers for repairs.
Now That’s Not Supposed To Happen!
Boston, USA is an older town, with housing stock that is also old and predates modern building standards, hence the state of decay as well as ridiculousness of some of the upgrades. Honestly though, the situation is the same across Europe where the stock is old/ survived the wars.
There are still building codes and laws in Europe, you know. I lived 30 years in a flat in the attic of a house from the 1880's. Everything was up to code and safer than the s**t in these photos.
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Rough calculation, your 11.50pm is my 9.50pm Lol, it's perfect for evening scrolling!
Load More Replies... "not sitting on a bolder" - I lived on the side of a mountain in an area that had experienced glacial activity eons before. The house across the street had one back corner that sat on a boulder that took up the entire back of the yard (what yard?) And then disappeared into the side of a hill behind the home. Ice vs rock? Ice wins every time. Geology 101 The mountain also had a fault line that ran across the top of it and unfortunately the only road going over the mountain ran right over it. In the winter the road actually raised up about 2 inches on one side of the fault. It was very disconcerting to drive over it going to work. Come Springtime, it leveled out. But hey, on a clear cloudless pollution free day, you could see Manhattan 35 miles away and the twin towers slowly being built. That was cool...
So much mould. I doubt this is just a Boston problem tho this is just where these inspectors work. I've seen and lived in some real shockers in my day and I'm not american. Mould is the worst though it stinks it makes u sick and it generally grows in the cold and damp. I learned quick to look at the backs of the curtains when checking out a rental
Also, give the bottoms of the walls under windows a quick push. If it has any give whatsoever, it's moisture compromised and definitely has mold (at the very least.)
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I know I am late to the party, but having bought half a duplex, learned how stupid that was the hard way, then bought a condo in a larger complex (and looked at a whole slew of places each time) in Boston, absolutely none of this surprises me and in fact I have seen worse first hand (we took down an unused chimney in that first duplex just lifting bricks off with our hands). I'm not saying Boston is the worst, but it lets developers get away with keeping some amazingly bad stuff if they "don't alter the frame or foundation". Add that to most houses being over a hundred years old with some older than the USA, and there is definitely some cringe worthy building.
I did a remodel on an old mobile office once. During demo we found a rotten hunk of moldy metal that used to be a water heater completely sealed up in the corner behind the base cabinets. Literally the only way to get to it would be take out the countertop or destroy outside floors or walls.
The house I live in used to have a car jack holding up part of the ground floor. That's fixed now but my floor still has several dips. I am lucky that my roof is still good. House was cheaply built in 1927.
Since some of these defects (or incompetence) are at the very foundation, how on earth these houses pass safe occupancy inspections? Or is that not a thing in the that town?
Safety is a thing, but the cost of retrofitting or repairing is often more than the house might be worth. So people mask it as best they can and there we go. Alas.
Load More Replies... DIY is fine... But keep in mind that there is a REASON things are done a certain way (even if you don't know what the reason is).
Load More Replies... Boston, USA is an older town, with housing stock that is also old and predates modern building standards, hence the state of decay as well as ridiculousness of some of the upgrades. Honestly though, the situation is the same across Europe where the stock is old/ survived the wars.
There are still building codes and laws in Europe, you know. I lived 30 years in a flat in the attic of a house from the 1880's. Everything was up to code and safer than the s**t in these photos.
Load More Replies... Rough calculation, your 11.50pm is my 9.50pm Lol, it's perfect for evening scrolling!
Load More Replies... "not sitting on a bolder" - I lived on the side of a mountain in an area that had experienced glacial activity eons before. The house across the street had one back corner that sat on a boulder that took up the entire back of the yard (what yard?) And then disappeared into the side of a hill behind the home. Ice vs rock? Ice wins every time. Geology 101 The mountain also had a fault line that ran across the top of it and unfortunately the only road going over the mountain ran right over it. In the winter the road actually raised up about 2 inches on one side of the fault. It was very disconcerting to drive over it going to work. Come Springtime, it leveled out. But hey, on a clear cloudless pollution free day, you could see Manhattan 35 miles away and the twin towers slowly being built. That was cool...
So much mould. I doubt this is just a Boston problem tho this is just where these inspectors work. I've seen and lived in some real shockers in my day and I'm not american. Mould is the worst though it stinks it makes u sick and it generally grows in the cold and damp. I learned quick to look at the backs of the curtains when checking out a rental
Also, give the bottoms of the walls under windows a quick push. If it has any give whatsoever, it's moisture compromised and definitely has mold (at the very least.)
Load More Replies... I know I am late to the party, but having bought half a duplex, learned how stupid that was the hard way, then bought a condo in a larger complex (and looked at a whole slew of places each time) in Boston, absolutely none of this surprises me and in fact I have seen worse first hand (we took down an unused chimney in that first duplex just lifting bricks off with our hands). I'm not saying Boston is the worst, but it lets developers get away with keeping some amazingly bad stuff if they "don't alter the frame or foundation". Add that to most houses being over a hundred years old with some older than the USA, and there is definitely some cringe worthy building.
I did a remodel on an old mobile office once. During demo we found a rotten hunk of moldy metal that used to be a water heater completely sealed up in the corner behind the base cabinets. Literally the only way to get to it would be take out the countertop or destroy outside floors or walls.
The house I live in used to have a car jack holding up part of the ground floor. That's fixed now but my floor still has several dips. I am lucky that my roof is still good. House was cheaply built in 1927.
Since some of these defects (or incompetence) are at the very foundation, how on earth these houses pass safe occupancy inspections? Or is that not a thing in the that town?
Safety is a thing, but the cost of retrofitting or repairing is often more than the house might be worth. So people mask it as best they can and there we go. Alas.
Load More Replies... DIY is fine... But keep in mind that there is a REASON things are done a certain way (even if you don't know what the reason is).
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