Chic vs. Geek: Home issues you can’t ignore

Some home projects can wait until you have the time – or the energy – but some tune ups need tackling now. Let’s take a look at a few common red flags…

CHIC (PEARL)

Critters

The sounds of scurrying in the rafters or mouse droppings in HVAC grills are signs that you may have four-legged visitors. Check exhaust vents, ducts, utility panels, garage doors, and other access points. Look for gaps, signs of chewing or nesting, or ripped screening. Even a hole the size of a quarter is big enough for a rodent to slip through.

Mold

It’s natural to occasionally find mold in wet spots like kitchen and bathroom tiles, but when you see it seeping into your living room walls, it’s time to call a professional for an inspection and remediation.

Water

Standing water in your yard after a rain is a telltale sign that you have poor drainage. This could be caused by heavy, compacted soils, or improper grading. If water collects near your home’s foundation, it could cause costly problems.

GEEK (KEVIN)

Roofing

It is essential that you inspect your roof on a regular basis – at least once a year. Missing shingles or other signs of damage should be addressed right away, because the costs of neglecting them can escalate very quickly, especially if we finally get some rain.

HVAC

Even in our temperate Silicon Valley climate, heating and air conditioning are key components of our quality of life. And you shouldn’t ignore that noise your A/C unit is making just because we’re entering the colder months. Get it checked out or risk paying through the nose when it breaks down during a summer heat wave.

Plumbing

What’s that smell coming from your kitchen sink? If a plunger isn’t enough for your investigation, call a professional and get it checked. Trust me, you don’t want to wait to deal with that mess!

Chic vs. Geek: Healthy Home, Healthy Living

You never know what’s lurking below the surface, especially when it comes to plumbing and sewer lines in an old home!

CHIC (PEARL)

A client who recently bought a single family home got a rude awakening when they found out the plumbing connecting their house to the sewer line had been impacted by tree roots and sprung a leak. The good news was they caught the leak before it spread into their home. We connected our client with a top-notch plumbing crew to clean up the mess, but it was still an unexpected cost, and the problem could just as easily have gone unnoticed until it was too late and our client was faced with a very stinky situation.

GEEK (KEVIN)

If you’re looking at a house that’s at least 50 years old, it likely has galvanized pipes that are in need of an upgrade. This is something that could easily evade an inspection, and if the plumbing hasn’t been used for a few months, there could be a backup brewing. In a competitive Bay Area market, it’s hard to expect a seller to invest in an expensive upgrade. That’s why it’s a good idea for a homebuyer to put some money aside in your budget to do the upgrade yourself after you acquire the property.

Chic vs. Geek: Are home inspections worth it?

In a hot real estate market, competition forces buyers to bid on homes without having them fully inspected. But can you trust a seller’s inspection report?

CHIC (PEARL)

We see a lot of buyers around the Bay Area waiving a home inspection to make their offer more enticing to the seller. This is a huge risk, not only because the home could have serious problems lurking under the surface, but because the buyer could end up footing the bill for their own pre-inspection to “do the due diligence” – and still not end up winning the bidding war. In my opinion, it’s worth the risk to have some peace of mind and get an inspection done first — even if you miss out on a property.

GEEK (KEVIN)

A home seller’s goal should always be to get the highest price possible as quickly as possible. A buyer’s goal should be to get the lowest price possible and make sure they’re not buying a lemon. In this perpetual tug-of-war, there’s really no way the buyer can 100% trust what the seller says about the home, even if they provide their own inspection report. But it’s important to remember that the same applies for the seller if the buyer comes in with a low offer based on their own pre-inspection.

Chic vs. Geek: Finding a diamond in the rough

Like a good realtor, a reliable contractor can be hard to find, and the wrong choice can lead to wasted time, money, and energy.

CHIC (PEARL)

Word of mouth used to be the best way to find a good contractor. These days, between Nextdoor and Facebook and Angi, it’s hard to know who to trust. That’s why we’re happy to offer our own recommendations for plumbers, electricians, gardeners, and more who do great work. And we won’t suggest anyone we haven’t worked with ourselves!

GEEK (KEVIN)

A bad contractor can blow your budget, but anyone who’s been through a home renovation will tell you it’s an emotional roller coaster as much as a financial one. The more a project drags on, the less patience you’ll have left for the people in your life who matter. If you want a happy home, make sure you check all of the boxes above.

Chic vs. Geek: Water Conserving Fixtures (aka WCF)

I own a single-family residential property. What are my requirements for installing water conserving plumbing fixtures, and when do they take effect?

CHIC (PEARL)

As of 2019, all owners of single family residential properties are required to replace plumbing fixtures with water conserving fixtures (or WCF), regardless of whether or not you’re making any other improvements or selling the property. Additionally, sellers are required to disclose any non-compliant fixtures. So even if you haven’t upgraded your fixtures, you’ll need to get it done if you want to do any other work on your home.

GEEK (KEVIN)

So, what qualifies as a “non-compliant” fixture? A few examples: toilets that use more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush, showerheads with a flow capacity of more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute, and any interior faucet that emits more than 2.2 gallons of water per minute. But don’t worry, this only applies if your property was built on or before January 1, 1994. Here are more tips for saving water at home!