Inspector Can Save Condo Buyers Cash

Condo buyers have their own set of special concerns wheninspecting a unit.

Many buyers of apartment and town-house condominiums are notaware of exactly what they are buying, experts say. Some might notbe buying the outside of their own unit, but a percentage of theentire building and a percentage of all the problems that go with it,according to Stephen A. James, of American Building InspectionService.

"They might look at a condo that looks good," James said. "It'sgot four walls and a toilet, the appliances seem to work. But if inthe next five years, you've got 10 grand worth of new roofing, and$40,000 in porch work, and a 30 grand tuckpointing job; there's goingto be some rude knocks for the new owner.

"An inspector will check to see if boilers and the heating plantare well maintained," he said. "The condition and life span issomething that eludes the average person. The lifespan of most ofthe boilers is about 15 to 30 years for steel and 30 to 50 for castiron."

"The roof is an area that should be checked," he said. "Makesure that the roof will not have to be changed soon. The lifespan is8 to 12 years on conventional built-up roof and greater than 10 to 15on some. On most pitched roofs, its 12 to 18 or more with some ofthese fiber glass shingles."

"Tuckpointing and rebuilding of parapet walls and chimneys isvery expensive," James said.

"When you are getting into these vintage buildings, theenvironmental concerns are more than if you are getting into, say, a3-year-old building on Southport," he said.

"You want to see what kind of insulation is on your pipes,"James added. "See if the main water line is a suspected lead color,a dull gray. You want radon testing. We always do a carbon monoxideinspection."

"You should look for sloping floors or out-of-level interiorstairwells. Does the electrical service have circuit breakers or isit the older fuse type?" he said. "There are a lot of things tolook for that the average person won't see."

The cost varies with the size and age of the building, he said.

Jeff Nathan's Amerispec Home Inspections does a lot of work intown-house condominiums in the northern half of Chicago and LakeCounty.

"In a town home, generally they have their own heating, airconditioning and electrical. We will check those systems," he said."A town home is almost like a house in that respect. We will checkto the roof. There are inspectors who won't, because it's a commonelement."

"Basically, our inspections take almost as long as a house,"Nathan said. "We're missing one or two exterior walls, but otherthan that we check everything we would in a house."

Even a savy buyer misses some important spots like the roof, heexplained.

"Frequently, there are problems with flashing on roof betweenunits," Nathan said. "In basements in many units, you want to seehow sump pumps are ejecting water out of the town home. Generally,the average person isn't going to inspect the electrical panel. Weput carbon monoxide meters on the heating units.

"We do a lot of inspections for general contractors. You wouldthink that they know the house," Nathan said. "But they are savvyenough to know that they want another point of view."

Town-house inspections cost from $200 to about $250, he said.

The inspection pros offer some other tips:

Electrical system. Look for exposed wiring. Check servicepanel for tripped circuit breakers, scorching or exposed splices.

Heating-cooling. Determine the age and condition of thefurnace, boiler or air-conditioning equipment. Check the thermostat. Check vents for hot and cold air flow. If hot-water or steamradiators are present, check around valves for signs of leakage.Make certain a hot shower and the dishwasher can be runsimultaneously.

Plumbing. Turn on three fixtures simultaneously to check foradequate pressure. Examine floor areas around tubs and showers.Check for corrosion on pipes, especially at the water heater.