Chicago condo inspections · South Loop
South Loop condo inspections
South Loop condos are mostly 2000s high-rises, plus the converted printing and warehouse buildings that came before them.
From my South Loop reports
What I find, building by building
I’ve done hundreds of condo inspections across Chicago, a lot of them right here in South Loop.
High-rise units
Water-fed fan-coil units are common here, with the filter inside the front of the unit where it gets forgotten. Most bathrooms have no heat source of their own. Laundry closets often have no ventilation, and the outlet under the kitchen sink often has no GFCI protection.
Loft conversions
The older converted buildings bring older plumbing habits: saddle valves feeding humidifiers (a known leak point), humidifiers disconnected and left in place, and floor damage around the refrigerator from past leaks.
Some findings show up in almost every Chicago condo, whatever the building: outlets that aren’t tamper-resistant, ranges without an anti-tip bracket, compression-style shut-offs under the sinks, and furnace condensate lines missing a trap. They’re cheap to fix, and I list every one so nothing surprises you after closing.
Your unit, and the building around it
What a condo inspection covers
Everything in and serving your unit: plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, appliances, and every room’s surfaces and fixtures. On a low-rise building I also walk the accessible exterior. The roof, structure and shared mechanicals belong to the association and fall outside a unit inspection. Where I can’t reach something, the report says so and tells you what to ask for.
Worth asking the association: Ask about the building’s fan-coil and riser maintenance schedule, and any planned special assessments.
Who you’re hiring
One inspector, start to finish
I spent 15 years renovating houses, then 13 inspecting them. I do every inspection myself and write every report, the same day. Buyers rate me 4.9 out of 5 across more than 150 Redfin reviews. Condos from $325, with an exact price once you send me the address.
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