Why Your Report Lists Burned-Out Bulbs,
Torn Screens and Missing Tub Stoppers
A light that doesn’t come on might be a bulb. It might be a switch, a fixture or a wire. Russ can’t tell which from the switch, so it goes on the report.
At 191 of Russ’s recent inspections, the report had at least one item from the small end: a light that didn’t respond, a torn or missing window screen, a missing bulb, a closet with no door, a tub with no stopper. Unresponsive lights alone came up at 102 houses.
Buyers sometimes read a 40-item report and panic. A lot of those items are this kind.
The light that doesn’t come on
Russ flips the switches he can reach. When one does nothing, his report says the light fixture or bulb didn’t respond, that this is often caused by a burned out or missing bulb, and that sometimes the problem is more significant. That’s the honest version. From the switch, a dead bulb, a bad switch, a failed fixture and a loose wire all look the same.
So the fix is a test. Put in a known good bulb. If the light works, you’re done. If it doesn’t, an electrician gets a look. Missing bulbs (32 houses) and empty sockets fall in the same bin.
Screens, screen doors and closet doors
Damaged window screens showed up at 74 houses. Missing screens came up at about 50, and screen doors with torn mesh or no screen door at all at more than 30. Missing closet doors came up at 22, and doors that won’t latch have their own post. None of these touches the structure or safety of the house. They’re listed so nobody is surprised in July with no screens on the bedroom windows.
Count them before you move in. Screens are cheap one at a time and a weekend job across a whole house.
Tub stoppers and other small fixtures
A missing tub stopper came up at 20 houses. Russ’s report wording: it means the tub can’t hold water, and while minor, the tub needs one to work as intended. The same goes for a sink stopper that won’t close, a doorbell that doesn’t ring, a cabinet door that sags, or a towel bar pulled out of the drywall.
Real Inspection Photos
Minor Items From Russ's Inspections
Small items from Russ's recent reports.
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A vanity light with a bulb that didn't respond to the switch. -
A basement fixture missing its bulb, with ceiling panels out around it. -
A damaged window screen on an upstairs window. -
A tub with no stopper, so it can't hold water. -
Missing bulbs. A new bulb is the first test before calling an electrician.
How to read the small stuff
Russ’s reports sort findings so the safety and major items aren’t lost in the noise. The minor items are there because the Oregon and Washington standards of practice call for reporting systems and components that don’t work as intended. They also make a decent move-in list.
Two things to watch for. A lot of lights out in one area can point at a single circuit, not a dozen bulbs. And a minor item next to a stain or a soft spot is a different conversation. The first-time buyer checklist covers how the report is laid out.
- Replace bulbs in every listed fixture, then retest
- Note any light that still doesn’t work for an electrician
- Count damaged and missing screens, window by window
- Check tub and sink stoppers in every bathroom
- Look for a pattern: several dead lights in one room or one wall
Unresponsive lights, torn screens and missing stoppers appeared on 191 of Russ’s recent reports. They’re listed because the cause isn’t always visible, and a bulb that fixes nothing becomes an electrical question. Most of them make a weekend move-in list.
For how the categories on a report fit together, see how to read a home inspection report. To set up an inspection, you can book online.
Minor Items FAQ
