Condominium inspections are simple and straight forward,
right? It’s just like looking around in an apartment. Everything is on one
floor and no need to look on the roof, the basement or the exterior cladding.
Therefore it’s a cinch.
Well, lets take something into consideration. How old is the
condo. Is it new? Or is it 5, 10 or 15 years old. Just how old is the building?
In the Washington area the building maybe a rehab where the original building
may be 20, 30 or 80 years old.
Now, how about the heating and cooling system. Is the
equipment new? If not, is there any indication there has been a service contract?
Have the ducts been cleaned? Are the ducts shared with other units? (In older buildings
a ventilation shaft may be shared by the units). Is the condenser on the roof?
How old is the condenser? How efficient is it? Their useful life is about 15
years, so… you don’t want to have to budget $2000 - $4000 anytime soon. Maybe the cooling and heating is controlled
by a central power plant within the building. If so, it would be nice to know
the condition of the distribution system and the age of the equipment.
Get the idea? Even inspecting a new unit may not be a walk
in the park either. I’ll take the walk…or hike to give you all the information
you need to make a quality decision.
