new property inspection before contract signing

Hi all, I’m new to brownstones. Have agreed on a price for a property. Now need to do an inspection. From my lay persons view, the property looks in great condition. But I want to uncover any bodies… What should I look for in an inspector? What should I pay? Besides structural, roof & boiler, what else? Electrical, plumbing? Make sure appliances working, bath tiles solid, etc? Can I request repair history besides the inspection I do? Is there a full list of due diligence steps I should or can follow? Thx for any advice from the experts on the list.

hullsean

in General Discussion 11 years and 10 months ago

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hullsean | 11 years and 10 months ago

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heh, good point steam_man. Thank you. Any recommendation of an inspector? How much should it cost?

est | 11 years and 10 months ago

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We paid about $600 for an inspection on a brick rowhouse, three stories, about 2,300 square feet. Not sure how much it would be/or if it would be more for a bigger building. That said, you want someone who looks at EVERYTHING. Structural stuff, foundation. If there’s been a previous renovation, how was it done? Plumbing, electrics. Issues with zoning/ c of o stuff. The roof. Our closing was almost held up because the entire roof wasn’t painted, which seemed ridiculous, but there you have it. If there’s a basement, full or english, you want to see if there were any past flooding issues, i.e. is there any evidence of mold. And then there’s mundane issues, like have the person walk through the place and open and close all the windows to make sure they work. Test the water pressure etc. Look for leaks under the sinks. And be there when they do the walk through. I’m sure I’m missing stuff here since I’m not an expert, but you’ll probably hear from others more skilled in the field. Good luck.

steam_man | 11 years and 10 months ago

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First thing you need to know is that in Brooklyn, especially certain areas in “Brownstone” Brooklyn, you should never use the term “…I want to uncover any bodies…”