# Oddest home inspection stories **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675 "2016-03-30T22:48:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/21 "2016-04-01T20:59:25Z")
During a refi, the inspector and I were in the finished basement, and my cat crept slowly up behind her, jumped on her back, and attached. With claws. I still got the new mortgage. ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/22 "2016-04-02T12:14:13Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > Half of the basement was finished, DIY-style by the previous owner. It had too many electrical outlets and fixed lights in odd places so we don’t know what he had in mind, but otherwise it was fine. Until my husband was out in the yard and noticed that from the outside he could count four basement windows. On the inside there were only two… Yep, they’d drywalled right over two windows. :smack: One can never have enough or too much of electrical outlets. Try only having a few and we can talk What is the problem with dry-walling off windows? They weren’t big enough to get out of in event of a fire? ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/23 "2016-04-02T13:35:03Z")
> [@WildBlueYonder](#): > > One can never have enough or too much of electrical outlets. Try only having a few and we can talk > > What is the problem with dry-walling off windows? They weren’t big enough to get out of in event of a fire? In principle I agree with your comment about the outlets, but if they’re all placed in barely usable locations then the effort is wasted. In this case they’re all at the typical near the floor height, spaced about four feet apart all around the room. I can’t fathom what he was trying to accomplish. Normally in a work space/lab setting you’d place them at counter height. The windows are big enough to get through but too high unless you stand on furniture. Our issue was that we worried about the possibility of the drywall hiding the fact that the windows were leaking. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/24 "2016-04-02T14:41:49Z")
Bought a house and walked through it with the inspector. He opened up the electrical panel looked all around and closed the door. The inspection passed with a few things, all minor and they got fixed. Nothing electrical on the list. Five years later I am having some work done on the house and the electrician comes in and looks at the box for all of 5 seconds. He says to me……”Are you aware you got a 200 Amp panel but the service cable coming into it is 100 amp ? I’m not working this job unless that is fixed.” $900 problem I had to solve as that was a dangerous situation. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/25 "2016-04-02T16:01:10Z")
I was doing an inspection for mold (on the advice of the general inspector) in a crawl space and found several pieces of women’s underwear and (eeuw) used condoms. creeped me out enough that I stopped the inspection long enough to get the radios out of the truck for continuous contact with my partner on that job. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/26 "2016-04-02T16:20:20Z")
Our inspection went smoothly until our inspector tested the gas fireplace, turned out there was no regulator valve, and he almost ignited us all right there in the living room. We moved in anyway, figuring that was our Garp moment. Months later, we discovered we weren’t hooked up to city sewer, despite city records. That was lovely. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/27 "2016-04-02T16:34:38Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > a few years after they bought it, I was helping my sister & brother-in-law work on their house. We were remodeling a semi-finished basement area that the previous owners’ then 16-year-old son had used as his bedroom. > > Between the ceiling rafters we found a plaster molding of an intimate body part, obviously one he had made from life. But then, that was the time of the famous ‘Plaster Casters’ groupies. > > As he was then in his mid-20s and soon to be engaged, I suggested they save it to give to him as a wedding present. But they didn’t do so. KISS did a song about it; that may also have been his inspiration to do that. 😛 When I sold my house in 2011, the inspector found several dead birds in the attic. They must have mummified because they didn’t look decayed, and I certainly never smelled anything. This was also an attic with a small panel access; the inspector got a bag and removed them. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/28 "2016-04-02T16:35:56Z")
> [@4d3fect](#): > > Our inspection went smoothly until our inspector tested the gas fireplace, turned out there was no regulator valve, and he almost ignited us all right there in the living room. > > We moved in anyway, figuring that was our Garp moment. > > Months later, we discovered we weren’t hooked up to city sewer, despite city records. > > That was lovely. What were you hooked up to??? ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/29 "2016-04-02T16:38:35Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > …the electrician comes in and looks at the box for all of 5 seconds. > > He says to me……”Are you aware you got a 200 Amp panel but the service cable coming into it is 100 amp ? I’m not working this job unless that is fixed.” > > $900 problem I had to solve as that was a dangerous situation. A 200 amp cable cost _$900_? What was it made out of, gold? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/30 "2016-04-02T16:51:41Z")
> [@4d3fect](#): > > Months later, we discovered we weren’t hooked up to city sewer, despite city records. > > That was lovely. On a similar note, last summer our kitchen sink stopped draining. We tried Drano, tried snaking it, nothing worked. Eventually, the landlord’s handyman ended up digging a trench through the front yard and discovered the cause of the problem - about ten years ago the city had replaced the main sewer line running down our street, and even though the rest of the drains in the house had gotten reconnected to the new line, the kitchen sink somehow got missed. It had been draining into the soil for years until it became saturated. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/31 "2016-04-02T16:51:49Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > A 200 amp cable cost _$900_? What was it made out of, gold? Parts: $50 Labor: $850:D * * * I had a bad breaker in my box, plus it was a brand of some sorta notoriety. An electrician gave me an inflated estimate for replacement, plus he suggested replacing the entire set-up. I was selling the house. So, I ordered the part (which cost way more than a typical breaker) and did the job myself. I was sweating through the entire process, sure I was going to fry myself, but it worked. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/32 "2016-04-02T17:57:55Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > More of an appraiser story, he showed up and just asked the current owner how much he needed, then wrote down the $89,000 price and drove off. I can’t honestly say the appraiser looked at the house from the street. > > I’ve had building inspectors sign off without even stopping their car, and then sign off the next inspection though we’d not started that part. Sounds like this RE appraiser was a “Number Hitter”, the root of a lot of financial institution failures in the early 2000’s. I was an ethical RE appraiser and this, along with mortgage broker “collusion” is why I do not appraise anymore. One on my oddest home inspections was a “typical” 1960’s ranch house on a slab in Southern Illinois. It was a 6/3/1 (six rooms/three bedrooms/one bathroom) with an attached one car garage that had, from the exterior, obviously been converted to living space. I did my exterior inspection, noting that there was a sliding glass door off the rear of what had been the garage. I then did the interior walkthrough with the homeowner. When we got it the door that connected the kitchen to the converted garage the homeowner volunteered that it was simply a “family room” and a bit messy. He was not even concerned whether I included it in SqFootage. I informed him that it was my duty to the lender to accurately observe and reflect my findings in the appraisal. He then started explaining his wife had a small issue and if it could be overlooked he would appreciate my understanding. When he opened the door to the Family room" I noted at LEAST 90 to 100 cats…the conversion reeked of cat piss and tuna. internally I debated what I should do…in the end I placed an anonymous call to the Humane Society and wrote the report for the lender. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/33 "2016-04-02T18:15:10Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > What were you hooked up to??? Septic tank. No records indicated we weren’t hooked up to sewer. Our noses (and eventually plumbers, &C) figured it out. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/34 "2016-04-02T20:33:33Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > In principle I agree with your comment about the outlets, but if they’re all placed in barely usable locations then the effort is wasted. In this case they’re all at the typical near the floor height, spaced about four feet apart all around the room. I can’t fathom what he was trying to accomplish. For some reason, the first thing that came to my mind on reading this was that he had a collection of arcade games. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/35 "2016-04-02T20:34:42Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > I went outside and was speaking with the inspector when she came out a few minutes later. We chatted briefly and pleasantly. I made no mention of finding anything and she didn’t ask. They never picked up the box of junk in the garage. Did the box go to Goodwill? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/36 "2016-04-02T22:25:45Z")
One of my friends who is terrified of anything remotely mechanical asked me to be there when she was getting a house she was considering inspected. The inspector was really very positive as he looked around the house, I didn’t see anything too bad, not like I’m an expert. But he never really brought up anything, or I would have asked. But when the prepared inspection came back it was very negative, ripping on all kinds of things. Things I had certainly never noticed. I kind of wondered if he got the notes for two houses confused, or if he was just very against saying anything negative in person. She had deciding against the place before the report came anyway so it didn’t matter, but I was a bit confused. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/37 "2016-04-02T23:34:54Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > For some reason, the first thing that came to my mind on reading this was that he had a collection of arcade games. I had guessed a woodworking shop; that came to mind because the garage to the aforementioned house probably had more electrical outlets than the house itself. The previous owner and his father had a small business where they did custom furniture construction and other woodworking. Pulykamell, I assume you are not going to buy the house insulated with Wendy’s wrappers? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/38 "2016-04-02T23:36:40Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Parts: $50 > Labor: $850:D I was going to say $5 for the cable and $895 for knowing how to install it correctly. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/39 "2016-04-02T23:39:39Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > Sounds like this RE appraiser was a “Number Hitter”, the root of a lot of financial institution failures in the early 2000’s. I was an ethical RE appraiser and this, along with mortgage broker “collusion” is why I do not appraise anymore. > > One on my oddest home inspections was a “typical” 1960’s ranch house on a slab in Southern Illinois. It was a 6/3/1 (six rooms/three bedrooms/one bathroom) with an attached one car garage that had, from the exterior, obviously been converted to living space. I did my exterior inspection, noting that there was a sliding glass door off the rear of what had been the garage. I then did the interior walkthrough with the homeowner. When we got it the door that connected the kitchen to the converted garage the homeowner volunteered that it was simply a “family room” and a bit messy. He was not even concerned whether I included it in SqFootage. I informed him that it was my duty to the lender to accurately observe and reflect my findings in the appraisal. He then started explaining his wife had a small issue and if it could be overlooked he would appreciate my understanding. When he opened the door to the Family room" I noted at LEAST 90 to 100 cats…the conversion reeked of cat piss and tuna. > > internally I debated what I should do…in the end I placed an anonymous call to the Humane Society and wrote the report for the lender. You couldn’t smell that beforehand? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675/40 "2016-04-03T00:06:42Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I had guessed a woodworking shop; that came to mind because the garage to the aforementioned house probably had more electrical outlets than the house itself. The previous owner and his father had a small business where they did custom furniture construction and other woodworking. > > Pulykamell, I assume you are not going to buy the house insulated with Wendy’s wrappers? No, actually, we’re going through with it. Everything else checked out pretty much okay. The insulation is no big deal, just funny. Main stuff is replacing furnace, water boiler, AC. Structurally, everything is sound. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddest-home-inspection-stories/750675.md?page=3)