Do you know if your house has holes?

You better find out if you want to sell your house in the near future. 

Sounds strange huh?  Well it’s not just going to happen – it already is!  Get familiar with the term “blower door test”.  This test will be performed by a certified company/individual that will analyze the “escape” of cool/hot air – they use this test to rate how well your house is sealed.  The good news is that these tests are being conducted and mainly viewed for training purposes only and will not be marked by either a realtor or building official to have it corrected!   Important to know though – this test applies to any contractors that work on your house or build a new one, as they will be required to show a report for a final inspection related to efficiency.  If it fails, they will have to correct it for you.  For example, a test (for ratings) will be required prior to work being done on an existing home that will be adding an addition, then again after the work is completed to track the difference in escape rates.  On a plus side, since we’re all becoming more efficient, THIS WILL HELP THE REALTOR WITH SALES.  The houses that score higher and use less energy are naturally more appealing.  However, those that fail will be required and submitted for correction and improvement.

Now you’re probably wondering what is this test and how does it work?  A “blower door test” consists of removal of the interior front door then mounting a powerful fan into the frame of the exterior door. When turned on, the fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside. The higher outside air pressure then flows in through all unsealed cracks, holes and openings. The certified auditors may use a smoke pencil to detect air leaks and infrared glasses. These tests determine the air infiltration rate of a building.  If you would like to learn more about what’s coming our way, visit: http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/blower-door-tests

Craig DiPetrillo, President of DiPetrillo Properties & DP Student Rentals, is a FORTIFIED Home™ certified evaluator.   

DiPetrillo Properties offers all clients the same time and effort in pre-determining the return on their project as they do for their own projects.  Whether it is a personal or business claim, their team understands the process from point of concept to design; from business plan to finance; and all the way to construction. They will help you get the money you deserve for the claim so you can move forward with fixing your property and returning to normal life. DiPetrillo Properties also offers full in-house construction services for both residential and commercial projects. They work on both new construction and renovation projects to help clients see any investment become a reality.  

For more information please e-mail or call: info@dipetrilloproperties.com/401.232-7552

www.dipetrilloproperties.com

Do you really trust your contractor? Really? How well do you know him?

Finding the right contractor for the right job task is sometimes difficult. Let me re-phrase the statement – finding the right contractor, one that you can trust when you are not looking over their shoulder or in areas that you can’t see, is sometimes (or often) difficult. It seems everybody is about price these days, “How cheap can I get the work done for?”… Even though the contractor is not registered, has no insurance, only a few complaints filed against him, “ummm, he’ll never do me wrong”.  NOT TRUE, actually this may be the furthest thing from the truth!  Do you know most complaints filed are those against referral contractors or people you ‘just know’ do the type of work that you need done? Why is it that even when people ask you, you advise against it, they often still go ahead and hire these ill equipped contractors? Human nature I guess? Then who gets the call when it goes bad? You guessed it, the first contractor – the one that had proper insurance, a valid license, no comments or violations filed against him, and not your weekend specialty – but has been doing it for many years “the seasoned professional”.

Sometimes cheap, as we all learn in so many different areas in life, is not the best way to choose for your home? Know your contractor. Check them out prior to hiring them. View the RI Contractor’s Registration Board websitehttp://www.crb.state.ri.us/search.php to really research them – you will be surprised what they do not want you to know, the one’s that “cut the corners” anyway!

As a certified Rhode Island State Building Inspector, though not active, I see what my colleagues deal with first hand and hear the stories on a monthly basis. They are YOUR stories, the one’s that end up costing you a lot of money at the end!  Do your research up front. Have everything in writing. Do not give any money until the day they show up for work with ladders ready! If they claim they need a large amount of money up front, to me, they are not established. I suggest anything paid other than material that you have on your site to be used, is called labor and, personally – I get paid at the end of the week after working all week.

I know, some say “…how bad can it be?” Well, as an example let me tell you about a job that I recently inspected for insulation. Talk about missing some areas or having a few gaps! This is a job that involved electrical, including installation of a new bathroom exhaust fan. When I inspected this attic, there was a loose piece of plywood laid over the exhaust box. Upon removing the plywood, not only were the wires not properly installed, within a junction box with the correct wire nut sizes, but the exhaust vent was never installed! This will contribute to moisture and mold in the attic…

   

Sometimes you may think you were successful and drilled the price down but at the end, if the contractor is not honest and unless they are caught – will end up beating you on price! Don’t lack quality for a decent price. Get 3 bids for each job from reputable contractors that you checked out completely. Ask for copies of insurance and license and each person on site should have a license as well. Don’t have the corner pub customers with nothing to do filling in as laborers on your job.

Craig DiPetrillo – DiPetrillo Properties – Planning, Investments, Construction

http://www.dipetrilloproperties.com/

Snow & Home Inspections

Buying a property during a snow storm?

Are you allowed to pause or extend the inspection period?

As I write this, it’s snowing…again…and it got me to thinking about how many people out there might be in the process of the 10 business day inspection of purchasing an investment property or home residence.

Just an FYI here – you do have the right to ask for an extension if you are prohibited from completing the evaluation.

Most people think, since the clock is ticking, that you are not allowed to stop it – this is simply not true. You have the right to know all about the investment/property that you are intending to buy.

33% of the inspection happens outside:

- Roof conditions

-Fireplace/chimney

-Foundation

-Finish grade pitch

-Support system for decks and porches

-Crawlspace

-Drainage

-Driveways/walkway conditions

-Trees, lawn and vegetation

-Swimming pool/hot tub

-Running exterior faucets

-Septic tank and well evaluation

-Condition of an exterior oil tank and filler line

It is not your (the buyer) responsibility to remove the snow to review all these conditions. A smart home owner or bank would insist that you do not do such a thing for simple liability reasons and insurance regulations. Be aware that some brokers may encourage you to go forward, maybe for a reason that the home is new, they saw it prior the snow fall, everything looked great to them and disclosures are clean on the property. The bottom line, once this period expires and you perform the inspection, you are not allowed to revisit it unless there are notations or exceptions – so be smart, think ahead and do not be afraid to list as many areas that need to be revisited prior the closing to be certain that there are no issues or defects. The home inspector that you hire (under contract) is not required to remove the snow or give a valuable opinion on what they simply do not know. They are allowed to write “not assessable” in regards to any items that they simply may not be able to get to. Think ahead! If you are currently in the process of searching for an investment property, whether it be commercial, residential, or a home for your family, discuss these situations up front with your licensed real estate broker and get their opinion on how they would address this phase if a snow storm was to hit or if you are left with an abundance of snow in the way…don’t let the storm cover your knowledge!

Craig DiPetrillo – DiPetrillo Properties – Planning, Investing, Construction

www.dipetrilloproperties.com – info@DiPetrilloProperties.com – 401.232-7552