I did an inspection of a brand new, bank owned, 4 unit apartment building recently. The building is three stories tall with a flat roof. The only way to the roof was by a 20 foot ladder from a second story deck. I am trying to give you the sense that this roof was anything but accessible. But WHAT A VIEW of the 
Olympic Peninsula and the Puget Sound----and a bird's eye view of the surrounding area.
This indeed would be a great place to sit and have breakfast and enjoy the view. Facing West and watching the glow of the sunrise on the mountains in the distance is always a treat. It is a treat because a lot of things have to be in place for it to happen. For example it has to be a day with no clouds or fog. Believe it or not that scenario does happen in Seattle every now and then.
A month ago when I first inspected the roof there were issues found that would need to be addressed and hence the reason I was back for a re-inspection at the property.
The first time I inspected the roof I noted that the seagulls were NOT very happy with my being on the roof and they raised quite a ruckus around the building.
When I inspected the roof the second time I found out why.
There is nothing like eggs to make me start thinking about breakfast.
But I think I will pass on these---not knowing what stage of development these eggs are at---I never much cared for feathers in my scrambled eggs. Have you ever stopped to think about the "ingredients" that go into making an egg? I think I will stick to chickens.
Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector
How you handle sticky situations can tell the world a lot about who you are and how you will be in other sticky situations.
People want to get a sense of whether you will gum up the works or not. They want information they can chew on without feeling they have to immediately spit it back out.
If you want to get rid of those unpleasant qualities that you have been carting around for years---how about considering symbolically going down to the Pike Market in Seattle and finding Post Alley and sticking them on the infamous Gum Wall. When you walk by the wall and smell the cornucopia of gum flavors that have come from all around the world you can perhaps leave yours there as well.
I can not think of a more colorful way to deal with a sticky situation.
I think even Jackson Pollock would approve.
Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector
What is so special about Seattle? This is a question I get asked a surprising number of times every year. And it is not just directed at Seattle, but at the entire NW---GIVEN ALL THAT DAMN RAIN! It is asked, almost without exception, by people who have never been here. Everyone knows the old statement about Art and pornography: “I can’t define it but I know it when I see it!” Well Seattle and the NW is kind of like that. The other day I was on a roof in downtown Seattle using my new Fuji S2700 and took this picture of Mt Rainier. Like I said---I know it when I see it.
I went to the doctor the other day for a routine checkup-----actually that is not true. This is what I should do! Now most people might go to the dentist a couple of times a year----and keep things in their mouth tuned up---but when I guess our minds take the possible things that can go wrong at the dentist and multiply it by 100 to arrive at the number of more things that can be found out at the doctor’s office. After all, most people would rather undergo a root canal than a colonoscopy or a mastectomy. There is just so much more to lose going to the doctor. The harsh reality is that if we went to the doctor for more periodic check-ups we might be able to avoid some the very dire consequences we fear----or at least minimize them. The problem with this approach is that if there is a bear in the woods he will bite us regardless of how much we deny its presence. It is the same with our houses. When was the last time you had your house inspected. If you have lived in it for 5, 10, 20, or 40 years I can guarantee that there will be issues that need to be addressed. This is especially true if all those special touches you have had done, that you are so proud of, were done without permits. Like going to the doctor, having your home inspected could save you thousands of dollars by finding things that could cause terminal issues with the home. There are likely plumbing issues you have no clue about. There are likely plumbing issues you have no clue about. There are likely heating & cooling issues you have no clue about. There are likely wood destroying organism issues you have no clue about. What you don’t know about your house can, if not kill your house, drain you wallet way more than the measly cost of a home inspection. When was the last time you were in your crawl space? Are you trained to know what you are not aware of in your crawl space? If you have not had your home inspected in the last 2 years I recommend that you call your favorite home inspector today. If you are in the Seattle area call me-----I will be happy to give you a quote to inspect your home. And I promise----no colonoscopy!
it comes to regular doctors, most people, unless they are hypochondriacally disposed, put off going to the doctor until something is actually wrong.
There are likely electrical issues you have no clue about.
Getting to work can be difficult at times. Traffic can be a bear. The weather can be a problem. I spent a lot of winters in the Syracuse and Oswego, New York areas so I know a lot about driving in the winter. Almost always, the worst part about driving in the winter is dealing with other drivers on the road that have no clue about driving in the winter. It is actually considered a winter sport by some----something that makes winter and going to work during the winter somehow worth it. But that is whole other story for another time. The other day I was driving to work----to an inspection----when I came upon a road sign I had never seen before. It gives us another difficulty to add to the list. Maybe if I was a fisherman I might keep track of the Tide Tables----but driving to a home inspection? 
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Home Inspector (7yrs) WA State Licensed. General Contractor 33yrs. Adjunct faculty: Bellingham Technical College's Home Inspection Course. Licensed Structural Pest Inspector. Certified ASHI Member.
I had been designing and building homes for 33 years when I decided to become a Seattle Home Inspector.
With all of my years of building experience and taking the 160 hour Residential Home Inspection Course at Bellingham Technical College, it is difficult to imagine what kinds of inspections the buying public was getting before the State of Washington started requiring Home Inspectors to be Licensed. (Thanks to the efforts of Senator Spanel, and many others there is now licensing of Home Inspectors in Washington State.)
I have a dream of seeing home inspections taken to a higher level. While setting "minimum" standards is important, providing something of lasting value to the home buyer is what I am interested in, and over the coming years I expect to see increased education of home inspectors---perhaps even including 2 to 4 year college degree programs.
Providing the kind of information necessary to aid in the decision making process is not difficult, and adding the kind of information that turns the home inspection report into the beginnings of an "owner's manual" creates something of lasting value. Because I use a lot of pictures in my reports, people have often commented on how easy it is to communicate the issues to the seller, and as a result I very rarely ever get calls from sellers looking for clarification----or to refute my findings. The whole process is about communication and information----"too much" is never enough.
206 478-7371
I am a Certified Member of ASHI and I see membership in at least one of the major associations as a "minimum" requirement when choosing an inspector in Washington State----in addition to the State's requirement to be a Licensed Home Inspector. I would also expect to see Home Inspectors also be Licensed Structural Pest Inspectors in order to provide the highest level of service to the home buyer.
While members of the major Associations (and other associations for that matter) will argue the merits of their Association over the others, I find that they all have their good points. Buyers need to understand that membership requirements in all of these associations set "minimum" standards for the profession and that most inspectors exceed those standards. The important thing is what kind of report does the inspector provide and how clearly is it written, how well does it describe the issues, and how clearly does the report define the course of action regarding those issues.
I provide my client with a very detailed and thorough report on the condition of the home---some have commented on the report being like an "Owners Manual." I consider it the beginning of one. Along with all the major concerns, the buyer will also find useful information as to the age of appliances and Model and Serial Numbers.
Click here to see a Sample Report.
One area of concern for many home buyers today is MOLD. It has almost become a "four letter word" (wait a minute----it is a four letter word). No buyer's education and information about Mold is going to be complete without the information provided by Caoimhin Connell. For some great information please see his links below:
Caoimhín P. Connell http://www.forensic-applications.com/
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
What Will the Inspection Cost?
Since this is one of the first questions the inspector hears when he or she picks up the phone, I figure this is as good a place to start as any.
It often seems that for the caller it may just be a conversation starter---not knowing any better place to start the conversation. It seems like a simple enough question but behind this question is a mountain of unasked questions. Even before I attempt to answer this question I want to see how much of that mountain I can explain before getting to that burning initial question.
My favorite lead in question is something like, “Do you have any current concerns or particular interests regarding the house?” This leads to answers of, “Well we are really concerned about the roof,” or “The seller reported that there was flooding in the basement,” or “There is this crack big enough to drive a truck through that we are concerned about.” All of these questions start to build a connection with the buyer and help me get a sense of what the house is about as well as their level of comfort with “the language” of houses. Do they know what a furnace is, or the difference between drywall from plaster, or what a crawl space is----as opposed to an attic?
I will usually ask them for the MLS number or the house address so I can get a look at it while I am talking to them. In this way I know the age, the square footage, number of bathrooms etc----all things that go into helping calculate the cost of the inspection.
Some inspectors have fixed fees (no ifs, ands or buts), some have fixed fees (unless the house is really big or really small), and some have sliding fees depending on how old the house is, where the house is, the square footage, number of bathrooms, number of kitchens, number of attics, number of crawl spaces and so on. I fall in this later group.
So the conversation with the buyer is about gathering enough information to give an accurate price. Most inspectors have rough minimum fees and typically the cost goes up as new information is gathered.
At the end of all of this is the idea that people will start to see the price as secondary to what is actually being provided---information. People want “value” for what they are getting---often more than price. They still want to know what the inspection is going to cost but agreeing to the price has a way of making sense in relation to the conversation had about their particular future home.
There will always be people that all that matters is the price---but that is likely to cost them a lot more in the long run.
While it is OK for agents to give prospective buyers a rough idea of what an inspection is going to cost, it is best, in my opinion, if they give a “range” as opposed to a specific number as there are so many factors that must looked at in determining the cost. It can be very awkward when a buyer says something like, “But the agent said it would only cost $350.00 and you are telling me $475.00----what gives?” Well, what gives is that the agent may be giving the buyer a price based on other inspector’s prices, or based on houses with fewer contingencies etc. Maybe there was no crawl space in the $350.00 one and this one has three.
Usually by the time I talk to them and they see my sample report on my website, Charles Buell Inspections Inc I end up booking the inspection. I don’t try to be the cheapest inspector in town. I attempt to give them as much information about the home as I can in the short time I am there. Putting all that information into a report with pictures can take another 6-10 hours of work in the office. This office time is something that few people factor in when they hear the price of the home inspection.
Giving a price for the inspection can be very difficult because of things discovered at the site that would have affected the price had they been known. I have gotten to many inspections expecting one crawl space and found 3 or 4 distinct spaces. I have recently started letting the buyer know ahead of time that if there are “significant” extenuating circumstances the price may have to be re-negotiated. This rarely happens and I would have to say that, more often than not, to foster good will, I don't change the price.
So now---what is the cost of the inspection?
Much of my home construction has been involved with Super Insulated, Energy Efficient Homes. I have been a dealer of composting toilets, installer of wood foundation systems, and installer of air and water solar heating systems.
I won a New York State Energy Reserch & Developement Award ($10,000) in 1979 for a super-insulated duplex house built in Oswego, NY. My interest in energy efficient housing continues today and, because of my years of experience, I am able to assist my buyers with their questions about how efficient the home they are buying is or help them with their questions of how to improve the energy efficiency of the home. I was into "Green" before it had been given a name. Now I can help people sort through the various approaches to building homes (and even assist with some of the confusion surrounding what it means to be "Green").
Because my entire carrier as a builder was "Design-Build," I am able to also assist buyers with questions they might have regarding remodeling. For example questions about whether walls are bearing walls or not, or the feasibility of adding a second story, are all questions I routinely hear from buyers, and am able to assist them with. It is all I did for 33 years. I designed and built dozens of homes, and additions to homes, over those years----including designing and building most of the cabinet work in those projects----so I am very familiar with the processes and requirements of all of these areas. In the early years of my career I was building in areas where I was allowed to do electrical and plumbing as well (they still had to be inspected of course). So I able to give much more in-depth information regarding these areas as well.
As a builder of energy efficient homes in the 70's, the Syracuse University, School of Architecture would routinely tour my homes and even monitored some of them for documentation purposes for periods of time. One of my more curious areas of interest was the use of wood foundations in the overall design of super-insulated homes. These systems designed by Weyerhaeuser for use in the perma-frost of Alaska were well suited to creating very energy efficient homes.
I curretly teach part of the (160hr) Residential Home Inspection Course at Bellingham Technical College in Bellingham, WA. Link to the course: Residential Home Inspection Course
I LOVE teaching. It is such a great opportunity to give back all the stuff I have learned over the years. It fits with my general life philosophy of "giving everything away---to make room for more." Blogging for me is an extension of this philosophy, another way to give back to the community.
How Long Will the Inspection Take?
This is perhaps the most common “second” question a prospective buyer will ask when they call for an inspection.
“How long will the inspection take?”
It is a totally fair question. After all, we all have busy lives and scheduling our time is important.
I do one inspection per day. In this way I am never rushed to get to another inspection should things come up on the inspection that might make the inspection take longer than planned.
Some buyers have more questions than others. Some buyers have a bigger learning curve than others and it takes considerably more time to explain the house to them. All of this is fine, and most inspectors will take the time necessary to meet the needs of the buyer. Each inspector will manage their time on site to fit the client’s expectations as well as getting the job done in a timely manner. Some inspectors will ask that the buyer hold questions to the end---or until the inspector gets to that part of the home etc. For me it is a mix---every inspection is different and every client is different.
It is important for the inspector to balance the need for getting the inspection done while at the same time meeting the needs of the buyer---to make sure they are left feeling as if they have been taken care of.
On most occasions, I think all parties end up happy. There will always be those fortunately very rare but difficult situations where nobody ends up happy. But isn’t that just like life?
So, back to how long the inspection will take.
I would say that generally speaking most of my inspections fall in the 2-1/2 to 4-1/2 hour range. Condos will sometimes (usually) take less time to inspect while large homes or complicated homes will sometimes take more time to inspect---and 5 to 6 hours is not uncommon.
Other factors that can affect the amount of time the inspection will take are: the age of the house, the number of crawl spaces, number of outbuildings to be included, the number of attics, the number of bathrooms, the number of floor levels, the number of HVAC units, the number of garage doors that have to be tested, and whether the house is occupied or vacant. Pets are another. If the critter gets out of the house and everyone spends an hour corralling it back into the house, the inspection will take longer.
In the end---they take as long as they take---so it is best that all parties have a “rough” idea of how long to expect while still being prepared for additional time as needed. If you know that you have to get to the dentist right after the inspection or have to pick the kids up from soccer practice, it would be a good idea to let the inspector know. They might just recommend an earlier start time----or possibly even another day---depending on the house.
A final note:
Always bring snacks to the inspection. Low blood sugar is not conducive to a good inspection.
Founder of Sparky's Plumbing, the ActiveRain Group where everything is shocking and all wet!
Founder of
AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group,for those AHA! moments we all have from time to time.
Founder of the group 
WeBlog Anything, a place for all those posts that need a place.
Below are some of my posts that ActiveRain has "featured" ----please enjoy. I promise, that if you tour through the archives, that I will entertain and hopefully educate you about the homes we all live in. Sometimes, no doubt, you will see things similiar to your own homes---sometimes things you will be fortunate to never see.
Doggone it!-----Bet I’ll be in the “Dog House” over this dog!
Instead of providing dozens of references from past buyers, I have selected just a few testimonials that typify the kinds of things that I hear back from buyers.
Charlie,
I would like to once again thank you very much for your outstanding work on the inspection of the xxxxx Street house on our behalf.
Our expectations of the inspection you performed were exceeded. The detail and quality of your report will be used by us as a goal for other inspectors we have the chance to do business with in the future. I can not imagine that there was a single thing you didn't cover! We will use your report as guidelines on what we need to do immediately to the house, over the course of the next 6 monts as well as ongoing maintenance. Your added background information and photos not only illustrated the issue but educated us as to the correction. Your willingness to share your impressions and knowledge via phone was greatly appreciated. We both feel this was the best money we could have spent!
Please feel free to use my name and have any potential customeers contact me for a reference. I am more than happy to tell them what a professional, knowledgeable, thorough inspector your are!
Thank you for your outstanding work!
Zan Murzello
Hi Charles,
Thank you so much for this great and very professional inspection. I have reviewd the information aen will be using this to negotiate our terms with the seller. Your discovery of the issues on this place has shined a new light to this property:)
Thanks again for your help,
Andres
Thank you so much Charlie--- I am so glad I had you to do this inspection-- you did an excellent job and discovered things I would never have thought of and I so appreciate your expertise. I feel so much more confident going into this purchase knowing exactly what's going on.
Thanks so much,
Mary Lee
After finding a house that we loved, we had to finalize the details for the sale. For the inspection process we chose Charles Buell Inspections since our friends spoke highly of him. Dealing with the stress of making the biggest purchase of our lives, Charles' calm demeanor and thorough examination of the house and lot put our minds at ease. We felt confident that all of the negative and positive aspects of the home were brought to our attention on sight. Twenty-four hours later we received a detailed 84 page summary of his findings which included pictures to clarify the issues being discussed. We were impressed! In fact this inspection report has been almost like a homeowner's manual, which we've used while updating our home. We have now used Charles for both our home and business inspections, and would definitely use him again in the future!
Glenn Soja
Leah Mitchell
Thank you Charlie! I am amazed at the thorough and high quality work that you do. It's a bargain for what you charge. I'll be using your services again when I find a house that will work for me. The other home inspection reports that I've seen are no comparison to your work. They had one-tenth of the information that your report supplied me for the home I was thinking about purchasing. The other reports pointed out problems, but said little more than "you should have a professional evaluate this." Isn't that why you hire an inspector? I got a professional the first time around with your inspection!
Eric
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