Tell Me You Know what You are Doing Mr. Home Inspector
The Innards do Count of a Septic
It is one of those things when you are the listing agent
and you hear the name of the company that the buyers are using and you just groan to yourself. They are horrible – is what goes through my mind from past experiences from other agents that have shared their experiences with this company. Okay, suck it up and be ready for battle. I come prepared to be right there and see what goes down in my clients home.
Actually I was pleasantly impressed on this day with the home inspector – up to a point. This one from “Scare Me Company” seemed to know what he was talking about heating, electrical and structural wise. A good RI real estate house he says and yes I of course am nodding my head in unison. Well it is- some houses I might have a lump in my stomach about what might happen but not this one.
Home inspectors are like good apples and bad apples…some just belong in the compost bin. Okay, I don’t want my favorite home
inspectors Jay Markovich, Michael Thornton or Clint McKie at all calling me on the carpet on this one. This is my call. I expect a home inspector to do a thorough home evaluation and give the pluses and minuses. Have no issue with real deficient conditions being shown- that is what they are there for but I do have issues with home inspectors who have been in the business a number of years and do not know the somewhat basics of a heating, electrical or septic system. So I am getting to the issue…the septic system.
The home inspector is testing the ISDS septic system put in as of 2003. It has been maintained properly as
Cleaning the zabel filter is important!
required by the town of record. The home inspector says the water is not going down but it is rising and something he is tapping on in the middle of the tank…probably an internal cover gone astray maybe blocking the septic system. I am scratching my head because this does not sound like a typical tank and not like one I have experienced many times. Who put the system in? A very reputable firm and I called him right up and he said he knows just what the issue is, he’ll meet me there in the morning. Now the buyer is a bit unnerved and I am thinking this needs to be salvaged and there has to be a reasonable explanation for a newer system to be ‘improperly working’.
The next morning during the monsoon downpour here, Paul, the septic installer, meets me and the buyer’s agent at the septic and pulls the zabel filter up from the middle of the septic hole and like a cork unplugged from a fine wine, the water wonderfully drained down more than a foot in less than 5 seconds…no kidding! See he says some of these home inspectors don’t have a clue the filter is in the middle. This is one sorely clogged filter and should have been cleaned every 6 months but they haven’t had it cleaned in nearly 2 years- that is what the problem is, he says. The buyers agent is shaking her head but the home inspector has been doing this for 30 years how could he not know? You hired him, I did not.
So the battle of the septic guy with the home inspector never came to be. The home inspector came back out almost swallowed his teeth and gave a clean bill of health to the septic. That is why I like a fine glass of great cabernet wine in the evening after a day like this and some rain drenched pants it was actually worth getting it right for the sellers and the buyers.
Buyers do make sure your home inspector knows his stuff, check Angie’s list and don’t always listen to your real estate agent…it is your home and you are going to be living in it for awhile. Make sure the home inspector knows how to inspect a septic system!
Tell Me You Know what You are Doing Mr. Home Inspector.
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Ginny Lacey Gorman is your go to North Kingstown Real Estate agent for homes in North Kingstown RI and beyond…knowing the geographic area, schools, happenings,important tidbits of information and businesses well.
As North Kingstown short sale agents, if you are having trouble paying your mortgage contact Ginny to help you through the short sale process successfully.
Waterfront, oceanfront, luxury and coastal RI real estate are her specialty but all of RI is her backyard. When you are in need of a good professional for your buying and selling needs and an internet savvy marketer who sells RI houses in this real estate market – call Ginny at 401.529.7849.
