The prospective purchasers were in shock when the WETT inspection revealed that the fireplace, in the home they hoped to purchase, had major problems.
Nora and Keith had found the perfect home. They could envision the happy times they’d spend sitting by that beautiful fireplace enjoying its cozy warmth. When the time came to place their “offer to purchase”, one of the conditions was that the fireplace be inspected by a WETT certified technician to determine that it be “code compliant”. They wanted to know that it was in good condition and they also knew that their insurance company would be requesting a WETT inspection report.
In order to satisfy Nora and Keith’s requirement, the home’s owners made the appointment to have The Chimney Swift come in and do the “WETT Inspection”. The current owners had been enjoying their fireplace for years. Little did they know that structural areas, that are not visible just by looking at the fireplace, had deteriorated with time and were now in very poor condition. So when The Chimney Swift technician presented them with the WETT inspection report, they were shocked! The report outlined and showed photos of several issues that presented major concerns.
Since the only visible areas of the fireplace are the face of it and the firebox (where you burn the wood), the current homeowners where shocked to find out that most of the terra cotta tiles that line the inside of the chimney flue were either cracked or broken. Because the chimney is very tall, the cost to repair this would be several thousand dollars $$$. The problem areas of the fireplace itemized in the report meant that the fireplace, in its current condition, did not comply with building code requirements and would therefore not be acceptable to the prospective buyers nor to the buyer’s insurance company.
Since the sale of the home was conditional to the fireplace “complying to code”, the current owners immediately brought it to Nora and Keith’s attention. The WETT certified technician discussed various options available to remedy the situation and the current owners worked with Nora and Keith to bring the fireplace up to code. By working together, the home owners sold their house to Nora and Keith who ended up with the home of their dreams. A home with a fabulous fireplace that they knew was in good condition.
Nora and Keith were so thankful that their offer to purchase had included a clause that the fireplace be “code compliant”. Had they purchased the home without that condition, the cost to repair the fireplace would have become their responsibility.
