Hire an inspector after sale, if you neglected to do it prior

Q. My sister purchased a newly remodeled house. Since moving in, she's had ongoing electrical and plumbing problems. When she offered to buy the house, her agent said the home had been inspected and there were no problems. But the faucets have hot and cold in reverse, and an electrician says the system is not properly grounded. Shouldn't the previous owners pay to repair their remodeling work? And what about the agent's faulty disclosure?A. When an agent says, "The house was inspected and no problems were found," red flags should be waving. Any agent who makes that kind of representation is either ignorant or dishonest. Why? Because a home with no problems is nearly impossible to find. That fact is common knowledge to anyone routinely involved with home inspections and real estate transactions.Furthermore, if the home had been inspected by a professional home inspector, the agent should have given your sister a copy of the inspection report, rather than telling her that no problems were found. Furthermore, the agent should have advised your sister to hire a home inspector of her own, rather than relying on a report that was done for someone else. If your sister bought the house without hiring her own home inspector, now is the time for a full reinspection. A qualified inspector will definitely find defects that are not yet known. Once your sister has her own inspection report, she should discuss repair needs with the sellers and the agent.Q. We have a problem with the dishwasher overflow on our kitchen sink. Sometimes it drains all over the countertop, and water runs onto the floor. We called a plumber, but he couldn't find the cause. We plan to sell the house in a few months and need to get it fixed first. What could be causing the problem? A. The dishwasher overflow device on the rim of your sink is called an airgap. Its purpose is to prevent sewage backflow into the dishwasher. If the airgap is draining onto the countertop, something is blocking the secondary drain hose, the one that connects the airgap to the sink drain or the garbage disposal. This hose could be kinked, or it could be clogged with food, or some food could be stuck in the airgap itself. Clearing the line is a routine repair that should not have stumped your plumber. Before hiring someone else, here are three simple things that you can do: First, pull the chrome cap off the airgap to see if any food or paper is stuck inside. If the airgap is clear, loosen the hose clamps below the counter, pull off the hose, and flush it out with water. Finally, check the fitting where the hose connects to the drainpipe or garbage disposal. Make sure the orifice is open and unobstructed. If this does not eliminate the problem, you have an unusual situation and should try another plumber.bull; E-mail questions to Barry Stone through his Web site, housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.Access Media Group