Home Inspection Nightmares 10

Be careful when opening the attic pull-down stairs. This 12-inch roof rat—connected to a heavy mouse trap—came tumbling down when I opened the attic door.

Brandon Dyles
Picture Perfect Inspections
Bartlett, Tenn.

Watch that first step—it's a doozy.

Ron Passaro
Bethel, Conn.

This is what can happen when you fail to turn off the valves for your hose bibs. Yes, there was leakage in the basement.

Kevin Hawes
Assured Home Inspections
Calgary, Alberta

It's important to winterize your sill cocks here in New England, too.

Ron Cook
Close-up Home Inspection
Hopedale, Maine

The tin measuring cup wired to the water line must be to keep track of how much water is leaking.

Dave Stoffer
Stoffer Inspections
Lawrence, Kan.

Never tick off or get in the way of a plumber! He may undercut you.

Lon Grossman
Technihouse Inspections, Inc.
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Here's a piece of luggage and a brick supporting an HVAC duct in a crawlspace. Defect: Empty luggage not structurally sound to support weight of brick or duct. Recommendation: Add sufficient clothing to restore luggage to a structurally sound condition! Also, note the “clever” use of sprayfoam insulation in the background.

Joe Randazzo
Craftsman Home Inspection Service Inc.
Broomall, Pa

This elaborate drainage setup was found in an upscale kitchen with
cherry cabinets, granite counters and top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. Not enough money left for a plumber?

Vince Clingenpeel
Clingenpeel Properties Inc.
Falls Church, Va.

If one trap is a good thing, then two must be better, right?

Rich Madore
Pillar To Post Home Inspections
Newington, Conn.

Here's a swamp cooler mounted on a chimney. I guess that makes it a chimney cooler.

Cliff Sims
All City Inspections
El Cajon, Calif.

This 8-foot boa constrictor and his tank were blocking a sub panel at a condominium unit I was inspecting. I wonder what the owner didn't want me to see.

Rick Hall
US Inspect, LLC
Enfield, Conn.

Duct tape is a miracle product. Do you think they could have used a little more in this tub?

Timothy Hemm
Eagle Home Inspections
Yucaipa, Calif.

This toilet tissue holder is mounted onto an electrical box. I hope the screws used were very short.

Jerry Woods
A-1 Home Inspections
Urbandale, Iowa

It just needs a little caulking to finish the job!

Tom Kaminski
Cross Island Home Inspection
Sayville, N.Y.

Mud daubers have taken over the attic in this house.

Chris Nelson
Accurate Home Inspection, Inc.
Georgetown, Ind.

Poor man's bidet?

Brion Grant
Northland home Inspections, Inc.
Flagstaff, Ariz.

During a home inspection within an older neighbor hood you always see
strange things. I would hate to be the landscaper.

Rick Koehler
HomeSure Inspectors, Inc.
Northern New Jersey & North East Pennsylvania