People love to see them. They are irresistible, like cat videos and parkour stunts gone bad. We don’t publish them, although we have seen our share of kiddie pools in the attic to catch roof leaks and amazingly ingenious repairs made from coffee cans, duct tape, and wire coat hangers. 

    It’s because they are usually done by people with limited resources just trying to hold their place together. During the housing meltdown a few years ago, the best examples of goofy home repairs were by desperate homeowners that were jobless and on the edge of foreclosure. Why would we find that humorous?

    While it is our job to point out defects in a house, and especially ones that represent a safety hazard, making fun of other people’s houses is not what we do.

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  To learn more strategies for getting the best possible home inspection, here’s a few of our other blog posts:

• How can I make sure I don't get screwed on my home inspection? 

• Should I trust the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement?

• Can I do my own home inspection?

• How can homebuyers protect themselves against buying a house over a sinkhole? 

• What makes a house fail the home inspection?

• The seller gave me a report from a previous home inspection. Should I use it or get my own inspector? 

    To read about issues related to homes of particular type or one built in a specific decade, visit one of these blog posts:

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1950s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1960s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1970s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1980s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1990s house?

• What problems should I look for when buying a country house or rural property? 

• What problems should I look for when buying a house that has been moved?

• What problems should I look for when buying a house that has been vacant or abandoned?

• What are the most common problems with older mobile homes?

    Visit our HOME INSPECTION page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.