As you can imagine, after inspecting thousands of homes we’ve seen some pretty head-scratching issues.  People often ask me why someone would have done something we see.  I routinely say, “As an inspector, I stopped trying to figure out why a long time ago.”  Some things will only make sense to the person who did the work.

One house I inspected installed a bathroom in the basement.  Because it was below the grade of the sewer line they added a grinder pump so that when sewage entered the crock, the pump would engage and push the waste up line to the main line out to move it away.  However, they did not  have any power run to this area and the grinder pump could not be plugged in.  Therefore, when the toilet was flushed the shower backed up.

Another home we inspected had a kitchen renovation that looked very nice.  However, when they changed the footprint of the kitchen and removed the wall there was absolutely no space in the kitchen for a refrigerator.  It looked great.  But, someone forgot a key feature.

Many people do home repairs or remodels themselves for many reasons.  Some people do it because they know what they’re doing.  Some people have a YouTube education and consider themselves adequately trained.  Sometimes these approaches work out and other times they don’t work out at all.  Whether the work was done by the homeowner or a flipper, cheap labor can often end up costing the homeowner more when the work needs to be removed and the project needs to start over.

Ten Common DIY (or Flipper Mistakes):

Here are ten common signs that show amateur work done by DIYers and Flippers:

1. Poor patches. mud, and texture on drywall
2. Surface treatment for cracks in foundation instead of epoxy injections
3. Missing expansion tank on a new water heater
4. Basement bathroom missing fan or window
5. Wrong wall board behind shower – it should be water rated and can sometimes be seen on the unfinished side
6. Basement wall sill plate is not pressure treated
7. Deck installation issues – improper footings, short deck boards, wrong supports, among other issues
8. S-trap on sink drains
9. Double taps in electric panel (do not remove the panel on your own)
10. Basement outlets wired incorrectly (test with outlet tester)

Now that you know, what do you do?

Obviously this isn’t an exhaustive list.  But, it does give you some things to look for as a buyer and to avoid as a homeowner.  What do you do with this info?

Homeowners, if you have a project, hire a reputable professional or do your homework–all of it.  Watching a YouTube video may help, but that may not always be accurate information.  Make sure you understand the project you’re working on.  Pulling permits and having inspections adds cost, but it also holds you accountable to doing things properly.  If you are not able to do competent work, hire a contractor who has experience, a strong reputation, and is licensed in your community.  Make sure they are accountable by requiring them to pull permits and have their work inspected by the municipality.

If you are a potential buyer and you find amateur work on a home, ask more questions of the seller.

• Who did the work?
• Are there any warranties in place?
• Are the warranties transferrable?
• Were permits and municipal inspections completed?
• Be curious and vet the work.

This will help you make sure you don’t run into problems while you own the property that didn’t need to become yours.

Final Thoughts

Trying to save money is important to all homeowners.  But, taking shortcuts can ultimately be more costly in the end.  Make sure home repairs and remodels are done right and avoid the headaches down the road.

Check out other articles on from our blog page.

Also, if you need inspection services in the Kansas City area you can schedule online.