10 Surefire Ways to Fail a Home Inspection

The worst of the worst...see theses 10 nightmarish, real-life finds uncovered by home inspectors, courtesy of our friends at the ASHI Reporter, and as seen in This Old House's Home Inspection Nightmares series.

See more of these nightmares at thisoldhouse.com!

1. Stripped of Common Sense

This service entrance cable has NO covering at all. The seller thought it was packaging material, so he took it off. All of it.

David Grudzinski
Advantage Home Inspections
Cranston, R.I.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares XX





2. In Case You Run Out of Wood

This is a boiler radiator found in a working fireplace. One way or another the room will get heated.

Bennie Goble
BG Home Inspection, LLC
Corydon, Ind.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares XIX





3. Ranger Rick

Found: Ranger Rick. Watch it out there, guys and gals. This one wasn't happy...

Dan Gartrell
Homestar Real Estate Services, Inc.
Gainesville, Va.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares XXI





4. Coffee Can Lighting

I found this under 10" of insulation. Do you think this is where the term "can lights" for recessed lighting came from?


Nicholas Dominick
Buyer's Guide Home Inspections LLC
Gambrills, Md.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares XXII






5. Toilet Tie Down

When you find an old toilet and it will not fit, just tie it down.

Bill Coull
Coull Building Inspections, Inc.
Staten Island, N.Y.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares XV






6. The Art of the Termite

We have very artistic termites here in Georgia. This tunnel measured 6 inches wide at the top.

Jeff Nichols
Edifice Inspections, Inc.
Marietta, Ga.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares XVII





7. Doesn't Inspire Confidence

OK-making sure the spark from the light doesn't cause an explosion from a chronic gas leak-that we get. But how do you read the warning without a light?

John Guy
Guy's Home Inspection Services
High Point, N.C.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares XVIII




8. Duct Tape Does it Again

Duct tape is a miracle product. Do you think they could have used a little more in this tub?

Timothy Hemm
Eagle Home Inspections
Yucaipa, Calif.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares X





9. The Amazing Bat Filter

Here is a picture of a bat that I found hanging from the furnace filter during an inspection. Thank goodness it was dead. Apparently, the sellers tried using a bat to keep the filter clean, but the job was too hard.

Ryan A. Heyl
A.B.A Inspections & Consulting
Barnhart, Mo.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares XIV



10. One Strong 2x4

This steel girder in a 21-year-old addition was never properly supported. The girder is set into the pockets on the foundation wall at each end, but not shimmed in the pocket. Instead it's totally supported only by a single vertical 2x4 on each end. So, essentially the whole addition is resting on two 2x4s.

David Bunker
Building Inspectors Consortium, Inc.
Lake Bluff, Ill.

See more from Home Inspection Nightmares VII




Find all our horrifying Home Inspection Nightmares at thisoldhouse.com!