just had an inspection done..

a few days ago i wrote about an exclusive listing that we were not getting any where with the agent. to make a long story short, we add a little bit to our previous offer and they accepted. we did an inspection this afternoon. now we need the house need alot of work...pretty much gut job. since this is our 1st house, beside the usual comestic stuffs, i don't know what to make of this. so please any insights will be great.

1)both plumbing and electrical need to be update.
2)he also found asbestos on tiles that were used in 1 room of the 1st floor and basement.
3) a little bit of mole on 1st floor and some in the basement.

i guess my question is if we are gutting the basement and room where the asbestos..will everything be ok? is plumbing and electrical expensive to update?

Re: just had an inspection done..

Do the plumbing and electric need to be updated or it is just desirable? If it is dangerous, it should be done. If it's just a matter of convenience or it's something you may need to do in the future, you can wait. I believe to upgrade an electric panel to 200 amp is about $2k depending upon what you already have. If there are issues with your wiring and that needs to be replaced, that's a whole different story. You need them to specify what it is that needs to be updated. Same thing with the plumbing - just outdated fixtures or leaky pipes? Or pipes of the wrong material? There is a product most plumbers are using now called PEX (it's flexible tubing used in place of copper). It is less expensive to use the PEX than the copper and easier for the plumbers to work with.

I believe that you can leave the asbestos tiles down and cover them with your new flooring without any issue. If you need to have them removed, an asbestos removal company is usually recommended - not sure what they cost but it's definitely more than you ripping them up yourself.

Depending upon the type of mold you have, it could be dangerous or just annoying. You should have that checked by a mold removal company to determine what type it is, how invasive it is and how best to remove it. Again, the price will vary.

Re: just had an inspection done..

I don't think we have enough information from your post. But as a general matter, I would talk to your home inspector to get clarification. I am sure you just paid him in the range of $400-500 for the inspection, so he should be available to answer your questions and provide a written report that may shed more light (if he hasn't already).

I am not sure what you mean by the plumbing and electrical need to be updated. If there are PROBLEMS with the plumbing and electrical, then they need to be addressed (and that's usually the seller's obligation, because those are major house systems). And if those systems aren't working or are dangerous, you will have a problem getting a regular mortgage.

But the inspector's job is to point out every thing that he recommends be updated/upgraded, even if it is working fine. For example, building codes change over time, so a house built in the 1950s may not be built to the plumbing or electrical codes today, but that doesn't mean that the plumbing and electrical systems are defective (they may still be safe and functioning). Or, as the pp suggested, a house may have 100 amps, which is enough in the existing state, but the inspector may tell you that if you want to put in central air, a pool, a major addition, etc., you will need to upgrade to 200 amps. It's just hard to know what you mean by "needs to be updated." But if you are concerned, I would find out exactly what needs to be done (or what the inspector is recommending be done) and then get estimates. He may have just been recommending optional upgrades or the ideal scenario.

Asbestos and mold seem to be "trendy" items now, because I notice a lot of inspectors pointing them out! I agree that the basement tiles are probably something you can just put flooring over, but ask the inspector what the consequences of the asbestos tiles are if you are unsure!

With the mold, does it seem to be a pervasive issue, or was it only a few visible spots on surface areas that could be cleaned? Did the inspector think that the areas where the mold was found were relatively dry otherwise, or does he think the basement floods, or the windows need to be sealed? Because if the basement is a wet basement, then the mold is something that may be more of a problem than the eye can see (could be in the walls, etc), and likely to reoccur. If it's dry and there's no evidence of water getting in, it may be just an isolated thing and no big deal. But again, I think you need more info!

Re: just had an inspection done..

Re: just had an inspection done..

christine..thank you so much for writing such detailed reply when i don't even know what i'm asking. you're so helpful.

the house is as is. we mentioned CA so i think that's why he said we need 200amp. he also mentioned that the mole is old in the basement. there was probably a water problem before and probably why they put in the french drain. i just spoke with the inspector and he said since we're ripping everything apart anyway it shouldn't be a problem as long as we scrub the walls underneath.