Home inspector report on gfi in garage

[Stevenfyeager]

If a home inspector recommends replacing regular outlets in a detached garage built in the '60s, the owner is not required to do that since the code didn't require it at the time it was built, correct? There are several outlets. Thank you.

 

[iwire]

If a home inspector recommends replacing regular outlets in a detached garage built in the '60s, the owner is not required to do that since the code didn't require it at the time it was built, correct? There are several outlets. Thank you.

Unless there are local rules saying otherwise home inspectors cannot force anything to be done. It is up to the seller to decide if they want to comply with the HIs report or not.

 

[growler]

A home inspector does not have the authority to require that anything be done. But their opinion may carry enough weight with the buyer to stop the sale of the house if their opinions and suggestions are not followed.

Is GFCI protection a good idea in the garage and how much would it cost ( how many circuits). Finding a sucker to buy a house these days it's the easiest thing in the world so when you get one one the line you want to keep them happy.

 

[kwired]

A 10-$15 GFCI receptacle is going to make or break the sale of a $50-75,000 or even higher house?

 

[480sparky]

If a home inspector recommends replacing regular outlets in a detached garage built in the '60s, the owner is not required to do that since the code didn't require it at the time it was built, correct? There are several outlets. Thank you.

Right there's is the key word.

Even if the seller succumbs, you probably won't have to buy that many GFCIs. You can Line-Load protect most of the receptacles.

 

[FionaZuppa]

"we will replace them before inking the sale, the cost for gfi's will be included" :happyyes:
buyer should care less if the sale is +$100, the brokers will likely split that 50/50 if its really a deal breaker

 

[Jraef]

A 10-$15 GFCI receptacle is going to make or break the sale of a $50-75,000 or even higher house?

Wow, you can still buy a house for $50-75k somewhere? That's barely a down payment here...

The purpose of requiring GFCIs in garages was because of the known fact that most outlets in a garage will be used for tools and equipment that may end up outdoors, exposed to weather and moisture. If I were a buyer and saw that in an inspection report, I would require it be brought up to present code, at least that issue (there may be more).

 

[kwired]

Wow, you can still buy a house for $50-75k somewhere? That's barely a down payment here...

The purpose of requiring GFCIs in garages was because of the known fact that most outlets in a garage will be used for tools and equipment that may end up outdoors, exposed to weather and moisture. If I were a buyer and saw that in an inspection report, I would require it be brought up to present code, at least that issue (there may be more).

House that sells for 50k in some of the small towns here will sell for 200k where you live. They are still pretty decent homes but not top of the line. If you want one that really needs torn down you can get them for less. Many homes here cost more to build then they will sell for.

 

[gadfly56]

House that sells for 50k in some of the small towns here will sell for 200k where you live. They are still pretty decent homes but not top of the line. If you want one that really needs torn down you can get them for less. Many homes here cost more to build then they will sell for.

You couldn't get a 50' x 100' lot in NJ for $50K. A single story frame construction (circa 1970's) with a full basement (walkout basement includes one-bay garage), 3 BDR, 1 full bath, Kitchen, dining room and living room is currently about $325,000 and $9,500/yr in taxes.

 

[kwired]

You couldn't get a 50' x 100' lot in NJ for $50K. A single story frame construction (circa 1970's) with a full basement (walkout basement includes one-bay garage), 3 BDR, 1 full bath, Kitchen, dining room and living room is currently about $325,000 and $9,500/yr in taxes.

supply demand rules apply to real estate as well. If there is more potential buyers then sellers asking prices will be higher.

Prime locations will have higher values regardless, especially for commercially zoned property, or anything that won't be too difficult to convert to commercial zone.

Ag land is worth more then a dwelling in many instances. If they want to develop agland for production they just tear down old farm houses and don't salvage much of anything, especially during the last 5 years or so when commodity prices were high, now that commodities have gone down that probably isn't always the case again.

 

[Jraef]

When I drove through Nebraska a few years ago, I was kind of shocked to see how many old farm houses were abandoned or bulldozed, yet the land was still being farmed. I attributed it to big agribusiness, buying out family farms for the land. Is that what's happening?

 

[mpoulton]

When I drove through Nebraska a few years ago, I was kind of shocked to see how many old farm houses were abandoned or bulldozed, yet the land was still being farmed. I attributed it to big agribusiness, buying out family farms for the land. Is that what's happening?

That, and also individual farmers are working more land than they used to because of improved equipment and reduced farming population these days. There are fewer farmers to go around, and they are each more efficient. It's an interesting change. The rural populations are decreasing but the total land area being cultivated remains about the same.

Source: I'm a Cornhusker. Go Big Red!

 

[Barbqranch]

Many years ago, a family could farm 40 to 160 acres. Now, even a family farm is much larger, with fewer people needed. Tractors keep getting bigger, replacing horses. So, fewer people are needed, and the homes are not in use.

In a milk operation, I believe it took a person to milk 10 to 20 cows (not certain on this). Now, with milking machines, one person can handle many times more.

 

[junkhound]

Not as bad as SF here, but could sell my typical house in Seattle area and buy a WHOLE BLOCK of houses in central IL where I grew up ! - 90% of those houses probably still have K&T wiring and nary a GFCI to be seen.


The LOT in back of me sold 3 years ago for $300K

 

[JFletcher]

There are acre sized lots within 40 miles of here that are already cleared and have septic and wells already installed for 20k.

Then there are 1/4 acre sized lots in the city that cost 25x that.

Back on topic, as said the HI cannot require GFCI. Even if they had the authority, houses built then did not have GFCI anywhere.

If the panel is new enough, it's often better to put in a GFCI breaker than receptacle. Since many of those old boxes are very tiny (12in³ or so), were borderline overloaded, and by the time you pigtail the ridiculously short wires, getting a GFCI receptacle in the box, even a slimline, is practically impossible. Plus, here anyway, a lot of the homes build back then have the receptacles fed out of a light box spider like, so you cant get all the receptacles GFCI protected by feeding out of the load side of the receptacle.

 

[gadfly56]

There are acre sized lots within 40 miles of here that are already cleared and have septic and wells already installed for 20k.

Then there are 1/4 acre sized lots in the city that cost 25x that.

Back on topic, as said the HI cannot require GFCI. Even if they had the authority, houses built then did not have GFCI anywhere.

If the panel is new enough, it's often better to put in a GFCI breaker than receptacle. Since many of those old boxes are very tiny (12in³ or so), were borderline overloaded, and by the time you pigtail the ridiculously short wires, getting a GFCI receptacle in the box, even a slimline, is practically impossible. Plus, here anyway, a lot of the homes build back then have the receptacles fed out of a light box spider like, so you cant get all the receptacles GFCI protected by feeding out of the load side of the receptacle.

I hadn't thought of that, good point.

 

[kwired]

When I drove through Nebraska a few years ago, I was kind of shocked to see how many old farm houses were abandoned or bulldozed, yet the land was still being farmed. I attributed it to big agribusiness, buying out family farms for the land. Is that what's happening?

40+ years ago the farm family probably averaged at least 5-6 children, they all helped operate the farm. They didn't have the machines we have today, or the pesticides and genetics we have today and it took more labor to grow crops as well as raise livestock. The average farm family also had much less acres of cropland then operators today typically have, and there was at least one farm family on every other quarter section of land or so.

If you have a combine that only can pick 6 rows of corn at a time, you will never get your crop out of the acres they are farming today. If you have today's huge combines but only 300 acres, you will never pay for that combine with your yields. Similar things happen with other equipment, as well as livestock operations. Even just 20 years ago there were still several small dairy farms that did use machines to milk with but still only could milk 6-10 cows at a time and they maybe only had 50 to 100 cows maximum in the herd. Now in order to be profitable you must have large herds, be able to milk 30-40 cows at one time, and hire cheap labor (often that speaks limited English) to do a lot of that work. The old 6-10 cow milking parlors had 60 or even 100 amp 102/240 single phase service to the building. The modern dairy is essentially a small industrial plant from electrical and mechanical approach and has a 600 amp plus 480/277 supply to it.