Property Condition Assessments in Rural New Jersey

 

bird eye view photography of white and brown house surrounded by green grass field

In recent years, many rural parts of New Jersey have been developed with a mix of residential and commercial buildings. Factors such as the pandemic, which has encouraged buyers to move from crowded cities, lower mortgage rates, and the rise of telecommuting, have all contributed to the increased interest in rural real estate such as those in the Garden State.

Like residential properties, many rural New Jersey properties suffer from common building defects, which may come with liability, costs, and safety risks. From barns to commercial centers in Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Burlington, Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties, years of reports reflect some of the most common Property Condition Assessment (PCA) issues found across the rural areas of New Jersey.

Defective Sewerage Systems

Despite central sewerage systems in most rural New Jersey counties, many buildings still rely on septic tanks for their sewerage treatment and disposal. PCA inspectors often cite the following issues related to sewerage systems in many rural New Jersey buildings:

  • Tree roots that infiltrated the sewer line
  • Broken or cracked pipes
  • Pipe corrosion or deterioration
  • Excess water in the septic tank

These problems can be identified and resolved through a complete PCA site inspection, which would help the owner or the prospective buyer avoid any violations with NJDEP’s Standards for Individual Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems.

Water Drainage Problems

Many rural New Jersey counties are flat, which does not drain well. Burlington county, in particular, is said to be facing the most significant risk of flooding across the state, with 7,548 properties at risk of being submerged to runoff during intense rainfall.

An NJ PCA inspector would be able to help property owners in these areas mitigate unexpected drainage issues by inspecting and reviewing the building’s topographic properties. Using flood maps and risk analysis models, PCA inspectors would then be able to provide the owners with alternative solutions to fix the issues and various approaches to calculate loss estimates caused by severe flooding in the building.

Animal Infestations

Inevitably, wildlife and pests will be found in rural areas. Rodents, birds, insects, and bats are just some animals that can cause highly destructive damage to any rural buildings.

Rodents such as rats and mice are not only carriers of diseases. They also chew cables – ranging from telephone lines and even electrical wires, which can cause fires. During a PCA inspection, the inspector can determine if the building is infested by pests by looking for signs such as:

  • Excrements – Many pests leave a trail of urine or feces behind, and this substance can leave a foul odor in the air.
  • Nesting materials: Most insects and rodents build their nests from different types of materials. They can also create their nests using parts of the building itself, such as wood braces, thus resulting in structural issues.
  • Complaints from tenants/owners: As a professional PCA inspector is required to collect information about the building’s performance, they are also likely to uncover records of pest infestation complaints from tenants and owners of nearby houses or buildings.

Mold

Extensive mold growth is often a problem in many properties in rural areas. Sometimes, it can result from years of neglect and can be cleaned up, but most of the time, it is a severe problem that must be resolved immediately after the PCA inspection.

Most PCA inspectors in NJ find outdated ventilation systems and old building materials as the culprit for serious mold growth in rural properties. In such cases, property owners or buyers are often advised to take corrective action such as replacing drafty windows or redoing the attic, roof, or bathrooms to prevent the mold from building up again.

Old Wiring

Old wiring is another issue common in old commercial structures in rural New Jersey. Outdated electrical wiring is difficult to fix and replace, making future renovations challenging and expensive. It can also make running modern equipment and appliances difficult due to limited power output. Lastly, it can even cause insurance companies to refuse coverage due to the increased fire risk.

Finding this issue during the PCA inspection is extremely crucial for prospective rural property buyers, especially if they plan to turn the building into a commercial facility. The following are some of the red flags that a rural property has an outdated electrical system in place:

  • Flickering lights
  • Outlet wall plates are hot to the touch
  • Outlets aren’t grounded
  • Certain equipment/appliances won’t work or won’t work properly
  • Certain equipment/appliances can’t run together

With an experienced NJ PCA inspector, these signs of faulty, outdated wiring can be resolved with the best solution possible, avoiding more substantial damage to the property.

Structural Problems

Last but certainly not least, recurring issues often reported in PCA reports in rural New Jersey are structural defects. These issues include but are not limited to damaged columns, deficient framing, unstable foundation, cracked walls, and missing steel bracing.

These issues are costly to repair because they affect more than one portion of the building and are hard to identify and diagnose because they require the experienced eyes of licensed professionals and modern tools to gauge their severity.

These most common defects reported on many Property Condition Assessments in New Jersey only prove that commercial buildings in rural areas suffer as much damage and fail as those in urban centers. Older buildings in rural areas, in particular, are more likely to require some form of repair or replacement as they are less likely to undergo routine building inspection and maintenance due to financial constraints faced by the owners.

Identify and mitigate the financial risks that these issues present or use them as leverage during the negotiation stage by undertaking a Property Condition Assessment in New Jersey. Visit our website today at www.lockatong.com/lockatong-engineerings-property-condition-assessments to learn more about our PCA services.