Here is a hot water tank exhaust pipe which is loose and exhausting into the home . This pipe was never glued and has been exhausting into the home for a very long time. The home owner was advised to repair this asap .
It is another example of why a newly built home, should be  inspected before taking delivery .

In this case there is a live wire with the shielding melted  ( in red with copper wire exposed ) .
The furnace panel was completely removed with dangerous electrical components accessible to anyone.
It was recommended to the client the furnace would
need extensive repairs , possibly budgeting on the
complete replacement of the electrical furnace .
This was not expected by the first time buyer and they
realized that they may need to readjust their finances , especially on a foreclosed property owned by the bank.

It is important that furnaces be maintained by furnace  technicians for optimum functionality . In this case a new and a
spare fan belt should be on hand so that you won't be left in
the cold. Being proactive and maintaining on a yearly basis
are good steps to the longevity of all furnaces .

Every house that has a forced air heating system should have ducts cleaned . Ducts should be cleaned
particularly after renovations , or after a owner has taken possession of new residence . Here is an example
of house that has not had a cleaning , perhaps ever . There was also evidence of mouse droppings and other
material within air ducts .

This is an example of a pre-fabricated home , transported by truck to the site in two sections. The sections are applied onto the foundation and fastened together . The advantages of such a system are the following :
 1. Quick construction time on site  ;  2. Sections of the home are built in an enclosed environment , so there is minimal to no impact from weather conditions ( wind , water , vandalism ) ; 3. Accurate workmanship at the factory;
 4. Interior can be finished off and the owner can take possession in less time than a house being constructed in a conventional manner .

This is a video clip from one house that was inspected. It was raining heavily that day and the water table was very high. The pressure of the water was actually flowing in through the point of least resistance, which in this case was the slab floor, into the basement through the old condensate drain next to the furnace.

Clearly the weeping tile around the house was in poor condition. The house needed a sump pump and pit to eject the water out from the house. Over time, such water intrusion can have a considerable impact on the foundation of a house and all the materials within the basement that would promote mould growth .

Here is another wonder you don't see every day! The humidity was so high in one house we inspected, that mushrooms had begun to spring up on the carpet.

Every now and then in this line of business you come across something really special. The picture below is graphic.

At one home inspection I came across a  dead mouse in the breaker panel. Who knows how long the carcass had been there. The panel had holes for which wires are introduced into the panel , and from there the mouse had
entered . Fortunately, limited damage had occurred within the panel.

This demonstrates that the electrical panel must be sealed for safety.

Some houses just beg for an inspection, like this one outside of Spencerville. After a decade or so of neglect, the prior owner lost this 130-year old farm house to the bank. A young couple decided to take a chance on it, but wisely put in their offer conditions for not just one inspection, but four.

Fortunately for them, the house was structurally very sound. There were spots on the roof that suggested it might need replaced or at the least repaired. A couple of joists were rotted in the basement. On the whole, the floors had been remarkable even for a house of that age.

Even if your house seems solid, however, an inspection can help uncover those secrets the building is keeping from you.  A rotten joist won't stand out to everyone and can impact the structure of your home considerably.