She dun learned me

[Denray]

I went by this house a day early to beat a rain storm so I could look at the outside easier. Heck, where is the crawl space opening. I couldn't see it under the backyard deck. It might be there, but I would check it the next day when I put my crawl gear on.

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Maybe it was behind this planter deal next to the house?

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Nope. So the agent, client, and I looked in all the bedroom closets to see if the carpet would come up and expose a hatch. Nope. So I left saying if they cut a hatch I'll come back. Not too long later the agent called saying that just as she was leaving she checked the broom closet next to the entry door and the carpet did come up there. [:-paperba

Color me dorked!

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I've seen this in a few mountain cabins, but never expected it in a tract house.

[John Kogel]

Expect the unexpected, and leave no stone unturned. []

I had a similar frustration not long ago, alone in the house for 2 hours, went about my biz, finally someone returned my call. The hatch is in the garage slab! Under a pile of tires and hoses, a concrete well that's open to the crawl. Right in the corner where they pile the junk.

Double wide mobile with solid plank skirting. No hatch. I remove a couple of planks, solid plywood nailed to 2X4 framing behind the plank siding. I remove one of the vents and peak in there, even got my head in there (had to fold my ears in), no sign of a hatch, though, but I got some pics.

Then a neighbor comes by to snoop around, tells me there's a hatch alright. In the floor of the porch. Under the astroturf carpet. Starting at the bottom step, we roll up the carpet, then pull it the other way, et voila! there's the big hatch, so simple.

[Marc]

It makes for hard-earned dollars.

Marc

[inspector57]

I had one where I could not find the crawl space access. I too offered to come back when they provided access. When I came back they had removed the electronics and uncovered the hatch where they had converted a closet to hold their TV and electronic gear and built in the cabinetry. Just as well though because "I" was not moving their expensive electronics. How can we keep finding new stuff like this? you would think after almost 20 years I would have seen it all but there are always surprises.

[Denray]

I told them I would come back that same day if they found it for free, otherwise $50, close to my house, but since it was a dork miss I would not have charged them anything.

[Mark P]

A few weeks ago I wrote up that there was no attic access. It was behind the fridge....

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[rjbrown2]

I thought attic access was a fire fighting issue. Behind the fridge presents some issues: First, how the heck are the FFs gonna know its there if no body is home. And, it is a slow down to move it when seconds count.

[fyrmnk]

I thought attic access was a fire fighting issue. Behind the fridge presents some issues: First, how the heck are the FFs gonna know its there if no body is home. And, it is a slow down to move it when seconds count.

At least in my area, if it's on fire, we will make our own accesses. If it's not an obvious fire and just investigating with no smoke from the vents (i.e. lightning strikes), we will take time to find the regular access, whether it's behind something like this or moving stuff the same as on a home inspection. If needed, we would just make our own access in these cases too.