No Home Is Perfect

In Search of the Right Home for You
The inspectors of James Dobney Inspections have conducted over 55,000 home inspections and we haven’t found a perfect house yet.
Since perfection is not an option, what should you expect?
The 1% Rule
When you consider the life cycle of every component of a house, a reasonable annual
estimate of the cost of normal maintenance is 1% of the value of the house. One year
you may replace the furnace; a few years down the road you may re-surface the roof. Throw in the odd unexpected repair in between and you average 1% per year. It’s incredible but this rule is not far off even for very expensive and very inexpensive houses.
Normal Maintenance
If you strip away the cosmetics, a house is made up of the structure, roof, exterior envelope and the “systems” of the house. The “systems” are things like heating, plumbing, electrical and cooling.
All components and systems eventually wear out. Fortunately, they don’t all wear out at the same time. Different components have different life cycles. Houses tend to settle into what you might call a “normal maintenance pattern”.
What’s the Message Here?
A homebuyer should arrive at the home inspection with realistic expectations. If you are buying a 12-15 year old home, let’s face it, you may need a new roof covering. If you are buying a 60 year old home, you may have to update some plumbing. Don’t let this scare you away from a perfectly good home.
How Long Does it Last?
Below is a short list of typical life cycles of the most common components of the home. Please keep in mind that there will be exceptions in every category.
ROOF | HEATING | ||
conventional asphalt shingles | 12 – 15 yrs | conventional furnace | 20 – 25 yrs |
top quality asphalt shingles | 25 – 30 yrs | mid efficiency furnace | 20 – 25 yrs |
low slope shingles | 10 – 15 yrs | high efficiency furnace | unknown, < 20 yrs |
slate | 40 – 200 yrs | cast iron boiler | 35 – 50 yrs |
tar & gravel roof (built up roof) | 15 – 20 yrs | steel boiler | 20 – 30 yrs |
single ply roof membrane | 15 – 20 yrs | copper tube boiler | 10 – 20 yrs |
roll roofing | 5 – 10 yrs | humidifier | 5 – 10 yrs |
roll roofing | 5 – 10 yrs | electronic air filter | 10 – 20 yrs |
EXTERIOR | COOLING | ||
gutters & downspouts | 20 – 30 yrs | air conditioning condenser | 10 – 15 yrs |
copper gutters & downspouts | 50 – 100 yrs | ||
aluminum siding | 50 plus yrs | PLUMBING | |
wood siding | maintenance dependent | ||
stucco | maintenance dependent | galvanized steel supply pipe | 40 – 50 yrs |
exterior paint | 4 – 6 yrs | copper pipe | indefinite |
deck | 10 – 20 yrs | toilet | 30 – 40 yrs |
asphalt driveway surface | 10 – 20 yrs | sink | 12 – 20 yrs |
driveway sealer | 1 – 3 yrs | faucet | 10 – 15 yrs |
concrete driveway | 30 – 40 yrs | whirlpool bath | 15 – 25 yrs |
garage door opener | 8 – 12 yrs | shower pan | unpredictable |
submersible pump for well | 10 – 15 yrs | ||
INTERIOR | suction or jet pump | 10 – 15 yrs | |
paint | 5 – 10 yrs | water softener | 5 – 15 yrs |
windows | maintenance dependent | sump pump | 2 – 7 yrs |
water heater | 8 – 12 yrs | ||
tile bathtub enclosure | 10 – 50 yrs |
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