Boston Home Inspectors Are Sharing The Worst Things They’ve Seen On The Job, And Here Are 30 Of The Most Impactful Pics (New Pics)
InterviewYou’d be forgiven for thinking that the life of a home inspector is a boring one, but this fascinating Instagram account says otherwise. By posting some of their most striking discoveries on their IG, Boston Home Inspectors take us along on their most interesting home inspections.
A home inspector’s job is to provide prospective home buyers with an expert report on the state of the home they’re considering. They look for everything from building code violations to water damage, wear-and-tear, dangerously poor repairs, and other hidden risks. You might find their work a lot more interesting when you realize they’re a lot like detectives or, in the worst cases, crime scene analysts.
Some of the photos on BHI’s IG show obvious problems, like decaying shower walls, structurally unsound steps, and other clear dangers. But other photos show issues in places that the average homeowner might have never thought to check. Crawlspaces between walls, above ceilings or under floors can hide tons of problems for unsuspecting buyers.
Bored Panda got in touch with BHI to ask about their fantastic IG, so read on!
This post may include affiliate links.
While You Are Waiting…
Would be tempting to sit on it and greet anyone who came to that floor with an enthusiastic "Well hello come join me."
Extra points if you wear nude colored leggings & have a pair of jeans at your ankles 😈
Load More Replies...Sometimes Life Just Gives You Way Too Many Options!
Why ancient Rome? Other than the sheer number (usually only found in motorway service stations) this is a pretty normal thing.
Load More Replies...If I were a guy I don't think I'd be able to pee in public
Off topic, but seeing this brings up flashbacks of a recent issue in our state. Schools and government building women's restrooms are now providing free women's hygiene supplies. One of the biggest complaints of why they shouldn't be free (so, actually meaning paid by taxes) is from men saying "we don't need them so why am I forced to pay?". To that, I say "men, we've been paying for your urinal cakes (something we don't use), so stfu". (Should I wait for downvotes, or cross my fingers they don't come?)
Still better than the old troughs that they had at Fenway - talk about mano a mano
Looks like how I made sims bathroom. Though mine had a bathtub in the middle of the room.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Make half of them neat freaks and half of them slobs then put something in front of the door to lock them in.
Load More Replies...Peg Leg Deck!
Probably negligent rot - termites usually do a better job! 8-)
Load More Replies...Nothing Can Go Wrong Here!
We were just as surprised as you probably were to discover that a business inspection business was running such a successful Instagram account, but the results (and some of the crazy pictures) speak for themselves.
The owners clearly appreciate the support as well, telling Bored Panda: “I’ve had great responses and success. Most people enjoy the funny items posted. I think people enjoy seeing other peoples problems or misery.”
Lemonade Straight From The Faucet!
This. This is why when you walk into my home, it will look like I've done nothing to it to make it better. I spent all my money on completely replacing the plumbing, the electrical, the windows, balconies, and roof. So sorry my kitchen doesn't have brass hardware and granite countertops - NOT.
This picture looks like it belongs in the urinals in the above picture
Almost There.. Little More To The Right!
Just buy some cable and fixed permanently before the wind throws it away.
at least it's not a danger to life and limb like some of these posts are
My neighbor has a window airconditioner which is fine - the fact that it's on a plastic lawn chair on the roof, not so much - and in winter the a/c goes in storage - the chair, again, not so much still on the roof for this summer.
Railings And Spindles Are Overrated!
I have an old house with a stairway almost exactly like this. You really do need only one railing, and if it had a railing and posts on the open side it would be hard to get on at the bottom, and the railing could not go all the way down. This is actually a fairly common sort of stairway for old houses which might once have had walls on both sides and a door at the bottom. Not ideal, perhaps, but I haven't fallen down mine yet, and it's been about 36 years.
Load More Replies...I rented a house like this and nearly pitched over the edge one day when I slipped. Stairway was all so much longer, higher. Landlord wouldn’t do anything about it. So I gave them and myself a gift hiring a carpenter and correcting that hot mess.
Sometimes You Just Need A Set Of Two!
It hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows. The account admin clearly takes steps to anonymize the photos they post, but some home owners or realtors can get upset when their homes’ most serious flaws are outed to the world. Nonetheless, the account’s admin takes it all in stride.
“I did have some millennials trying to force me to take down a picture of sagging front steps. They got a bunch of their friends and wrote negative reviews on Google after I refused to take the picture down. The picture is still on Instagram. And their attempt to harass me actually drove more people to my account.”
Little Twist Here… Little Twist There
Solves the problem of each line needing a water trap quite nicely. It's actually nice work, believe it or not.
Interesting. It looks like the pipe coming from the left side of the picture has multiple P traps. Why is that necessary? Just curious as I've never seen this before. Thanks
Load More Replies...This is clearly a Dorchester (or maybe Charlestown) 3-decker that has had its plumbing brought "up-to-code".
Nothing To See Here… Move Along!
I was gonna suggest a little touch up!
Load More Replies...Just A Little Tight!
Looks like my downstairs powder room in my house in the Netherlands, minus the bathtub!
My bathroom in NL is literally smaller than this even. When you step in you're right in front of the sink and the shower tub is to your left and that's it :') Only toilet is downstairs, also small af.
Load More Replies...This so when you are really sick you can throw up while sitting on the toilet taking care of other business.
Kinda reminds me of our first house. The bathroom was so small that you could sit on the toilet and soak your feet in the tub at the same time.
That's cool! I could do business A and/or B while I'm puking my brain out.
Listing Agent Says It Has A Closet!
The house i bought has two of these 'closets' in the bedrooms and no real places to put clothes TAT
You may have already encountered your favorite pic of the bunch, or it might be waiting for you further down. As for the inspectors at BHI, here are some of their craziest finds:
“The two funniest items that I found [were] the sex swing, hanging in the bedroom that the realtor kept calling a TRX workout band and the shower that still had the [sex toy] on the floor.”
“The most outrageous or disgusting violation was an illegal apartment built in a basement and they had the toilet draining into the sump pump.” Yuck!
Bathroom Wall Is Growing Boobs!
And just like with puberty, one's bigger than the other
Load More Replies...It’s accualy most likely water seeping in from another room. (Sorry for the bad spelling I’m only 11 years old )
Kinda Close!
cardboard? no....that is either romex or plastic conduit. I dont know what sleeve you mean.
Load More Replies...This actually isnt a big deal. The outlet is an older style without the ground and they used a proper 2 prong adapter. The ground tab is screwed to the plate. As far as hacky electrical goes, this isnt all that terrible. That said, running romex in conduit is not a good thing to do.
just ignore the supply wire going into the box with no conduit
Load More Replies...its grounded to the box. but we dont know if the box is grounded. Those adapters have a tab that you put the plate screw through.
Load More Replies...Not Sure Where To Begin, But Yes, They Technically Do Have A Roof Deck!
Actually, that might be a design feature - the sloping roof allows rain and snow to roll off. If flat, you'd have to have drainage added. So long as it really stable, no issues.
the overall flow/design isn't the problem... it's the improperly sized framing members that are a big issue! and if they can't size the joists properly, there's a good chance the construction/craftsmanship is lacking as well.
Load More Replies...Right? It almost seems like you’re looking at some sort of optical illusion, or MC Escher drawing.
Load More Replies...I like the catwalk where you sidestep from a window to take in the view. I'd pay extra for that.
Heh. The roof was there first. The deck over it was built recently.
Load More Replies...This is a fire egress for a third-floor apartment. The duplexes and triple-deckers in Boston are required to have two separate staircases to upper-level units. This does look extra spindly, though.
Well hopefully you never need to use it and if you do you only need it to get down once. Hopefully
Load More Replies...Is this not just apicture taken from the wrong angle? I see stairs going up to the first floor and a roof above it, with a little snow on it. Above that they seem to have made a balcony for the second floor. Don't see a door, but that might be just out of sight - does not mean it is not there further in the back.. As from this angle, you cant see the the yellow fencing go aroud the corner - but, that does not mean it is not there either...
Now I Need One!
There are turntables like this for pallets. You put the pallet with boxes on the turntable. Then you shrink wrap it while turning it. Much better than you going around and around the pallet. Faster and you don’t get dizzy.
Load More Replies...I worked in a place once that had one of those for trucks. Delivery truck enters the garage, but can't turn around to get out, so the turntable let's that happen.
Actually, this is a "turntable" for cars. ••• If you drove forward into the garage and also want to drive forward out, but there is not enough space in the garage to maneuver, then just turn this thing
Looks like these colums that rise up and crush you against the ceiling in Skyrim.
Not Sure Where To Begin On This One?
Watch it be that one Jenga that looks alright to pull... but ends up crippling the entire tower 😖
Load More Replies...Where to begin? I'd begin with a concrete plate on the ground and a solid pillar.
hey, at least they broke out the hi-viz spray paint! safety first!
Fuzzy Little Thing!
But where did the idea for a building inspector to launch an Instagram account come from in the first place? BHI explains: “A few years back, I picked my kids up from school and took them for pizza. While we were sitting at the pizza place, they were playing with this new app Instagram. My daughter suggested I start posting some of the crazy stuff that we see and she helped me set up the account.”
Given that their work helps people buy safe homes and avoid very unpleasant financial “surprises”, we wish them the best of luck!
No Safety Issues Here!!
It's just a new drain that they haven't been bothered to dig a trench for - from the age of the stairs, probably the first ever....
yes!!! was thinking i can smell mildew, just like the old days!
Load More Replies...I once looked at a house for sale, went into the basement to look around, and I saw that a 4-inch diameter cut tree trunk was the sole "beam" supporting the entire house aboveground. Noped right outta there.
Perfect place to install a game room and carry all that expensive equipment down the stairs!
Quick Exit For The Falling Kids!
Well, they DID add the fall-stopping finials at the bottom of the bannister. /s
Stupid question but is that what they are actually for?
Load More Replies...What about those spindles? They look.... wrong. Too many, too close together?
Yes! There's 3 to a step when there is usually 2. I couldn't figure out what looked so off !
Load More Replies...They may not have kids. Surely they would put on a child lock on it otherwise. See no problem here.
Noooo I'd have to be careful when I get the zoomies and that is not ok!
Nothing Can Go Wrong Here??
UK and Ireland don't allow plug sockets in the bathroom, only shaver sockets usually incorporated into the over-mirror light.
Proper Way To Inspect A Fireplace!
Sometimes I wonder how we got around at all before floo powder
Load More Replies...Scale does look peculiar. Maybe it's a portal to another dimension.
Load More Replies...The inspector is checking to see if the chimney is properly sealed against the elements, or if it can be restored to full function, since this is not a working fireplace at the moment.
This is perplexing me... the proportions and the perspectives are throwing me off
Found A Bug In The Garage!
My very first car after college was an orange Beetle! A guy I knew who had been stationed in Germany had it shipped back to the U.S. At that time the color - Clementine Orange - WAS NOT available for purchase in the United States. I had the very first one!
That’s a beetle ain’t it? I write stories on wattpad and I had to have an old time car so I searched some up and I saw something called a beetle that looks like this.
Yes, that is a Volkswagen Beetle. I will guess somewhere from the 1960's to 1970's.
Load More Replies...Tight Fit!
Are there two mice trying to come in at the same time? So impatient
Did the mice cut the perfect little circular doors, or is someone hoping that eventually, Stuart Little will move in?
Ordered The Wrong Size…no Problem The Little Blocks Will Fix It!
164°f…a Cup Of Tea With Your Toothpaste!
Very true. It's why I have my water heater set to the max temperature
Load More Replies...I'LL TAKE COFFEE OVER TEA ANY DAY (I'm joking, just pinching some nerves 😜)
I Guess The Outlet Cover Couldn’t Fit!
I have one just like it in a lower. Some ding dong cobbled one in for a dishwasher. The dishwasher left, but the "outlet" remains.
Load More Replies...Furry Deck Joists Need A Shave!
I THINK it's just super old wood, left out in the elements.. humidity, dust, dirt and time eating away at it.
Load More Replies...Nailed It!
Space Age!
I don't quite get what's wrong in this one. I guess it's pipe's silver color?
More that they way they routed it/etc is just stupid. They could have bought the proper pvc pipe, fittings and trap and not have to have done all that. It's a total mess.
Load More Replies...THIS is why you want a real plumber, not some idiot who "saw it in a book"
Also - in many states - waste pipes must be "self scouring" - and that flexi pipe is not.
I don't even want to think about what's growing in those corrugations.
Nothing wrong with using corrugated pipe for waste - perfectly normal and acceptable. It's just a mess which could easily be tidied up by using a new fitting. Whoever did this was just using what s/he had to hand instead of getting the proper stuff.
Load More Replies...Speed Bump Floor
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh WHYYYYY *breath* ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHhh *breath* ARGHHHHHHH
It also doesn't appear to have been sanded and finished after install. Installed incorrectly as well. You never place multiple short pieces that close together and never over any irregularities such as a hump. Just had 2 floors done where there's a hump. One they ran the boards perpendicular to the hump and made sure to only use long boards over the hump. The other they ran them parallel to the hump due to it being a wide gradual hump.
Load More Replies...Found The Delta Variant!
Jiffy Pop Camper
Younger And Older Bonding!
State Of The Art…high Tech…new And Improved Window Lock! No Tools Needed To Use
But, Is It Still Under Warranty The Agent Asked!
Duct Tape Fixes Everything!
Might be disgusting to you, but for some of the less fortunate people, its all they have. Bathrooms are an expensive fix, and when you live in poverty, its not on your list of things you can afford to do. This is better than noting.
Load More Replies...They Have A Fanny Washer!
* agressive pleasure instrument * is the correct term, i believe
Recommend Adding A Dehumidifier In The Basement
it kind of looks like this is built over some water. I see what looks like an opening in the back.
Load More Replies...Ok 1 More… Day 8 Of Deck Week Just A Tap Or Two To The Right
Good News! Snow Melted In Boston!
i totally read that in Professor Farnsworths voice "Good news everyone"
So, don't the architecs ever think about roof drainage? Flat roofs are fine....when drained.
There We Go…that Oughta Work!
Listing Agent Corrected Me…its Just Cosmetic!
Cosmetic my donkey! Do NOT sing Jericho, lest the wall come tumbling down.
Aren’t Doors Supposed To Be Fuzzy?
Gutters Need Cleaning!
It will cause the gutters to block, the roof tiles to separate and roof leaks...pretty, but destructive
Load More Replies...Looks like English ivy. Doesn’t take much to make that grow rampant.
Spa Night!
See Through Or Drive Through Garage?
Smart Man…he Didn’t Finish The Last Line!
Should we ignore the hole with the x on it right after Robert's name? Ominous
Drooling Vent Cover!
Here A Spot…there A Spot!
High In Fiber!
Couldn't even buy the right size filter? Seriously change the filter at least every two months.
Uhmmm!
Who Wants To Take A Ride?
If the alternative is carrying huge sacks of whatever, you would be very happy to use this gizmo. I remember there were still a few of these in use in Detroit when I was young. There was an iron (or perhaps steel) plate over it at sidewalk level. Without warning they would pop open and this elevator contraption open up so trucks could unload and go directly into the basement without having to go up and down the stairs.
Told My Wife That I Am Going To Install A Set Of These In Our House For Her… I’m Now Sleeping In The Garage!
Possibly the wife of the idiot who installed them, lol.
Load More Replies...We had one of these in my childhood home. Not an old house, built in the 70s by my grandad, and we didn't have servants. Just wanted them in case one of my grandparents or my mum (uncle didn't get one) were sick in bed and needed something. Completely ridiculous for the time, though I think I did use it for that purpose once lol.
Lean On Me
Day 7 Of Deck Week!
Oh Boy!
You think the code enforcement inspector will even notice? Nah we're good. Time for a beer.
I like the way the electrical line sags, so rainwater drips off rather than flowing in through the shingles.
Plumbing Art!
You May Need To Rethink This One!
Should Have Used Duct Tape!
Found The Hidden Treasure And Also Why No Heat!
Always On The Cutting Edge!
A Bungee Cord Is Duct Tape’s Best Friend!
The Beam Has Whiskers!
Yes. And there are termite 'tubed' or also called 'tunnels' on the dryrot wood. Formosa termites.
Load More Replies...Deck Week Day 1
2 Lines Still Working!
this is telecom wiring. Those are punchdown blocks for POTS lines. electricians don't touch these.
Load More Replies...Hmmmm, Now What To Do?
Perhaps a very old home. Wiring of the houses that were originally lit by gas jets often were wired through the baseboards to avoid doing a lot of damage to plaster walls. I commented on a post earlier about living in a period home for a time, the walls were FULL of iron pipes that were originally gas jets for lighting. The wiring was added many years later and the outlets were in the (10") baseboards. The woodwork was all very dark and of course the outlets were brown. It really made for a treasure hunt to find the outlets when one was needed.
This is silly - the wires can stretch a bit so that the socket *could* have been put into the right place. If the electricians didn't leave enough wire - complain....
Crushing It!
Now That Works!
Still Working Fine!
Those old type of switches seem to last forever. Better than the junk we have now.
A Little Hip Check! Something Is Not Quite Right!
Does anyone besides me notice the padlock on the fence??? Reply yes or no if you saw it on the first look
I’m guessing that it’s a temporary keysafe. Normally they’re screwed into the wall to allow carers etc to let themselves into a house to save the disabled person from getting up. We had some like this for when we put in emergency care. You unlock it (put in a code) to access the keys and can also then unlock/lock the metal loop to clip it to a railing or pipe.
Load More Replies...No Photoshop Needed! Yes, It Was That Far Off.
Day 3 Of Deck Week! No Dancing On This One!
Nothing Can Go Wrong Here!
Amazes me how many contractors refuse to just install a large panel. The price difference is pocket change and when it comes time to yank out the inadequate one and put in a bigger one the cost is enormous. Just finished a reno and countless people kept telling me I didn't need 2 48 space panels. Oh yeah? Then why is one full and the other more than 1/2 full? Those same people kept telling me one wasn't needed on the second floor that the one in the basement was enough. So yeah, they will spend hundreds running all those lines from the attic to the basement but won't spend $100 on a separate panel.
Load More Replies...Be Sure To Lock The Gate!
Does anyone else hear Hyacinth Bucket saying leave it Richard Leave it. in their head?
So Close…
The Sponge Is To Clean Up This Mess!
It’s Telling Us Something!
Faux Painted Wall!
So Many Questions… So Little Time!
Backwash That Smells Like C**p
If it looks like a duck, smells like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck .....
What’s Up With The Sink In The Attic??
There Are Handrails At The Bottom And The Building Inspector Already Signed Off… The Listing Agent Said
How Did That Get There?
Trust me, Ivy will get everywhere, once it's in your brickwork, you are f****d.
Life Is Like The Stairs! Some Go Up And Some Go Down
Turn On…or…not To Turn On??
Oh Boy! Where Do We Start?
Those folks must be afraid of their own shadows. I'm counting 3 lights, and there's probably another on the end of that drop cord. To be fair, the garage door probably broke the one mounted on the opener so they would be down a light there, but still...
Well… Technically The Condenser Is Supported!
Oldie But Goodie. Still Working Fine
Who Remembers One Of These???
At Least The Package Of Instructions Is There…
Here A Plate. There A Plate. Everywhere….
Those plates help hold the building together in old masonry structures but there's a excessive amount
There sure is! Almost looks like someone was trying to use them for decorative purposes, lol.
Load More Replies...Day 6 Of Deck Week. Just About There!
Day 5 Of Deck Week And The List For This One Is Way Too Long!
Day 4 Of Deck Week. 1-2-3 Bad Footings And Your Out!
Day 2 Of Deck Week!
I See The Light!
Looks Just About Right!
Roof Deck Permits Signed Off By The City Building Inspector!!
Hvac Return Air Duct New Construction. Yuck!
When The Light Is More Important Than The Floor Joists!
Song…just A Little More Time
Long Way Down!
Hello Mr George…how Much Did You Pay For The New Guys
This Is Why Are You Always Check The Undercarriage!
Just One More Piece Of Wood…
#4 Wants To Be Left Alone!
Nailed It…and Not The Side!
No Leveling Needed!
Sometimes You Just Need A Little More!
Good Try! That’s Not 200a
Joist Hangers Are So Overrated!
Blast From The Unknown Past!
Good Thing It’s Not A Gas Stove!
The Listing Sheet Did Say Matching Appliances…
you gotta be kidding me. they look like s**t. all of them
Load More Replies...I actually don't hate it. This is when they made appliances the last two or three lifetimes before they started making them like c**p on purpose so you have to buy a new one in five to 10 years
except the fridge will cost 3x the cost of a new fridge in energy consumption in one year. Same with the dish washer. the stove is okay.
Load More Replies...I feel like those appliances could actually look good if the rest of your kitchen was designed to compliment them, but those cabinets and counters definitely aren't doing them any favors.
So Many Things Wrong. The Boiler That Keeps Giving!
When I built in '93 we installed a Polaris gas water heater that also supplied hot water to the air handler for heat. So when house needed heat it was 140 degree hot water supplying it. Great system. Too bad the idiot that installed it had no idea what he was doing so his crappy venting caused the water heater to burn up after just a few years. We have since spray foam insulated the roof and upgraded the windows. Now the gas furnace hardly ever runs. In fact if it's above 40 outside, the AC is likely running.
When You Don’t Turn Off Your Outdoor Faucet…
Actually, you are less likely to get an burst pipe if the tap's not completely off...
They probably forgot to drain what was left in the pipe after they shut off the tap.
Crushing It!
A Little Of This… A Little Of That!
This is the most diverse sink plumbing I've ever seen. It's the Mambo #5 of sink plumbing...a little bit of everything.
Sometimes You Just Gotta Keep Climbing…
That Looks Just About Right!
#1. Am I the only one who commented on this? And #2. At first I thought the pink foam in the top right was a dead body. And if u have seen my other comments then yes I am 11 and very smart.
Can You Guess.. Found In A Garage Secured To The Floor! Vintage Fuel Or Water Pump?
Hey… That’s Not Right!
Can you really plug 4 non-ground plugs into one outlet or is this for some other purpose?
Boy do I remember those. Lamp cord plugs were very narrow (think like 3/8" x 1 1/4") those things would stack them nicely.
Load More Replies...Now Where Did I Park My Bike?
Well, It’s Not Frost Free!
Global Cooling On The 8:00 Am Inspection!
Huge Upgrade…from Rotary To Push Button
Most houses in New England, and other parts of the US, are wood framed. You have to maintain them and have proper water and rain management.
Load More Replies...Most houses in New England, and other parts of the US, are wood framed. You have to maintain them and have proper water and rain management.
Load More Replies...
