Climate Change

I know this is a controversial topic, but as a home inspector, I have to say that the most popular question I get during home inspections is: “Is my basement going to flood?” I never got this question when I first got started as a home inspector 11 years ago. But now, it comes up […]

The “Practiced Eye”

If someone were to ask me what the most important trait is for a home inspector, I would say he or she needs a “Practiced Eye.” So what exactly does that phrase mean? I found several definitions online. The definitions usually revolved around the following: Having a Practiced Eye is referred to as having a […]

Blue Jays Chipping Paint Off My House

So I witnessed an odd phenomenon last  year during the winter months. And of course the phenomenon has something to do with your house, or I wouldn’t be writing about it here. I kept hearing what sounded like woodpeckers knocking on the exterior of our house. To my recollection, I couldn’t remember ever seeing woodpeckers […]

Asbestos Tiles

So with the crazy real estate market, and dwindling inventory levels, it’s no surprise that people are turning toward old homes as starter homes. Older homes often come with charm, intricate workmanship, interesting architectural features, and unfortunately the occasional hazardous item. We have been inspecting a lot of older homes lately. And we have been […]

Plastic Electrical Panels

On occasion, I come across the Unicorn of electrical panels – the Trilliant model plastic electrical panel. I have talked to numerous master electricians in New Hampshire that have never even seen one of these panels, yet I’ve come across 4 – 5 now in my time as a home inspector. Now, even if you’re […]

Dawn Comes Over Marblehead

I often times will use some odd euphemisms that I have picked up over the years while living in New England. I recently rattled off the expression “Dawn Came Over Marblehead” in front of some clients the other day, before I realized that they were from another part of the country, and had no idea […]

Indian Shutters

A few years back, I had the distinct pleasure of inspecting a 240 year old home located in Webster, NH. The home was a foreclosure and had been shut down and left abandoned and neglected for about 8 years. As I was inspecting the home, I was marveling at the wonderful craftsmanship that went into […]

What is a Canadian Dormer?

We have a lot of French Canadian architectural features located here in New Hampshire – specifically in Manchester. I’ve always been fascinated by unique or odd architectural features. I tend to ponder whether the feature has a deliberate function, or was it just for “show?” So I noticed a feature that I kept seeing on […]

What Is a Beverly Jog on a home?

Often times, while we are conducting home inspections here in New Hampshire, we encounter peculiar features on the homes we inspect. So the other day we came across an old home – almost 250 years old. In fact, this particular home is said to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest home in […]

The Purpose of Curtains

Recently, I’ve had some conversations / arguments with my wife about the purpose of curtains, and it occurred to me that this subject might be an interesting blog topic. My wife was convinced that the only function of a curtain was for decoration. And as far as modern standards are concerned, she’s not mistaken. But […]