People say home ownership is part of the American dream. But without proper maintenance, your house can become an expensive nightmare of repairs and restoration. At Boggs Inspection Services, they’ve seen it all in their 20+ year history. Thankfully, their unflappable inspectors have plenty of experience so no job is too big, too small or too haunted.
Whether you’re looking for a pre-listing or post-purchase inspection, annual maintenance checklist, walk & talk review or some help tackling leaks, cold spots, mold and pests, Boggs Inspection Services is always happy to help.
Things That Go Bump in the Night are No Problem for Boggs Inspection Services
Boggs’ inspectors can often be found in crawlspaces, attics, behind bushes, peering into HVAC systems and plenty of other odd spots. Owner Dwayne Boggs recalls a job where he needed to collect a water sample for testing. On arriving at the home that was supposed to be vacant, Boggs was surprised to be greeted by an erratic, energetic, unknown man. Their interaction, which involved everything from loud, hot-headed interactions to an impromptu hatchet-throwing competition behind the house, turned a quick visit into quite a stressful afternoon.
Manager George Green toured a property where the former owner’s children had painted handprints across the basement walls. “The buyer’s agent was not comfortable with the area thinking it was cursed,” he recalls. “She refused to go down there during the inspection and later asked me at the end to go down and turn off all of the lights.”
Green also toured a home where the power had been turned off. On activating his flashlight to inspect the property, he says he, “Opened a door in the basement only to find about 100 porcelain dolls staring back at me.”
Proper Home Maintenance Can Prevent Your Home from Becoming a Nightmare
Not all the scary stories from Boggs’ inspectors are due to odd situations. Sometimes they’re caused by neglected maintenance and repairs. Residential consultant Perry Shapiro toured a home where the floors “were extremely uneven and warped, like a roller coaster walking through the house,” he shares. “When I got into the crawl space at the end almost every single beam and joist were extremely damaged and I could poke my finger through the framing beam.” Scary!
Shapiro thankfully avoided a different crawlspace where access was littered with multiple cat skeletons and raw sewage from a hoarding situation or the one where running water had pooled almost two feet deep in the basement after the owner’s death.
Commercial and residential consultant Jon Mobly dealt with a similar situation in an old house located near the bay. He kept noticing an odd smell, initially attributing it to the nearby seawater. “When I entered the crawlspace under the house the source of the smell became abundantly clear,” he says. “In the center of the rectangle shaped crawlspace was the main sewer line for the home. It was made of old cast iron and it was wide open and everything that was flushed or went down a drain in the home was emptying out onto the ground below. It looked like a giant septic tank under this house and it appeared this had been an issue for several years.”
Home Inspections with a Dash of Chaos are Tricky and Can be Dangerous
Mobly was also sent to inspect a home where the owner had double-booked that timeslot. His inspection overlapped with the ear-ringingly loud installation of a new roof. “I did my best trying to inspect the exterior of the home while avoiding shingles, metal flashing and tar paper being thrown from the roof to the ground below.”
Residential consultant Eric Padilla faced a potentially dangerous situation. During an inspection, Padilla started feeling extremely nauseous. “But I kept on powering through,” he recalls. “However, when I finally made it into the attic, I noticed a strong gas smell. And then I spotted it. The gas-powered water heater exhaust was open in the attic. After that, I made my way out to the exterior for fresh air.”
Garrett Lafferty of John L. Scott Real Estate has worked with Boggs Inspection Services many times over the years. On showings he has stumbled across families of raccoons living in a home’s kitchen, a bird trapped inside a vacant house and even squatters sleeping in an upstairs bedroom.
Don’t Let Your Home Become a Cautionary Tale, Get It Inspected Today
When you’re ready to see what lies beneath, schedule an inspection with Boggs today. You can request a free quote, book online or call 360.837.6629. Don’t wait until a small repair becomes your family’s nightmare. If the Boggs team does find issues, they offer a vetted list of top rated vendors who can help.
They also provide a sample report, so you can familiarize yourself with what to expect, home maintenance checklist of monthly suggested upkeep and informative blog of tips and tricks. October is spooky enough, don’t let home-sweet-home become a haunted house.