Are you preparing to purchase a home? You’ll want to have it seen by a professional. New homes too!
Here are 7 truths about the home inspection process that will leave you with sound advice – trust me – my reputation is built on offering sound advise.
Inspectors are only as good as the last man (or woman) in. AKA – “The home inspector should have caught that”.
Sometimes it won’t matter how much experience the inspector has or how many credentials hang on the office wall. The moment you hire someone to work on your home you’ll be told that the issue you’ve hired them to repair is/was preexisting and that the home inspector should-a, would-a, could-a.
Truth: Most repairmen don’t respect home inspector opinions.
What you see is not always what you get. Most sellers want you to know that they’re proud of their home. Pride of homeownership is one of the keys to living the American dream. However, by the time an inspector sees the property the cracks have been caulked, the roof has been patched and the cooling system will freeze you out of the house! After you’ve purchased your home, be prepared. At some point along the way, you’ll find cracks, your roof could begin leaking and the A/C system will need servicing. That’s one of the realities of homeownership and home inspectors can’t prevent it.
Truth: An inspection does not mean you may forego home maintenance.
They have a license to steal. You’ve heard it before – “Gosh, they’ve got a license to steal”! You’ll most likely have that feeling after you’ve been “sold” a line of smoke and mirror tactics that have “little-to-nothing” to do with investigating and/or rendering an opinion about the conditions of your property. A prime example is a home inspection service who offers a 90 Day Warranty. This product is usually prefaced by claims that you’ll be 100%, 110% or even 200% satisfied with the inspection service. Read the details. Most 90 day warranties begin the day of the inspection, often have hidden deductibles and, as coverage begins, you don’t own the home yet. In some cases it can take 30 to 60 days before you take possession. Do the math.
Truth: Don’t be duped by flash and dash – if it’s too good to be true, it most likely is.
There is no a crystal ball. If you speak with an inspector who tells you, without hesitancy, that the roof won’t leak, the walls won’t crack, the drain won’t clog, etc. etc., you should be concerned. Home inspectors can’t predict outcomes and you’ll reinforce the opinion they have a license to steal (see above).
Truth: Inspectors can’t predict the future.
You came recommended. Who says? Inspector recommendations are a hot topic within the real estate industry and have been written and talked about for years.
#1) It’s not wise to hire your inspector based on price.
#2) Be very careful hiring the inspector as a real estate agent’s recommendation.
Most agents have been legally advised to offer you three or more inspector names/companies. They don’t offer three or more pest control companies, they don’t offer three or more alarm companies, or attorneys or/and a host of other professionals.
Why?
An inspector is hired to evaluate the home’s conditions and his findings can seriously alter the outcome of a purchase. Most home purchase contracts include certain contractual contingencies. An example would be that you must financially qualify for the home. Another common condition, called the home inspection contingency, states that you are satisfied with the physical condition of the home at the time of the contract. The buyer will be required to address this contingency before the contract is legally binding.
Truth: This is a huge purchase – don’t cut corners, interview the inspector and hire a trusted professional.
Out of sight, out of mind. There is no possible way (unless the inspector has a habit of jumping into phone booths and flying with a cape) that your inspector will have x-ray vision. If the seller (or the home he/she lives in) has limited the physical access to rooms, the attic, the crawl space or/and other areas of the home it will be impossible to render an opinion. Look for comments in the report that reflect limited or no access. If you don’t see these notes – well, what else has been left out of the report?
Truth: It’s wise to ask plenty of questions about the house.
You did read the entire report, right? Once the inspector is finished, it would not be wise to just flip to the summary and “hit the high spots”. Read the entire report. All of it. Often there’s value in the body of the report. Look for notes on maintenance, care and safety information.
You paid for a comprehensive report – if you don’t get one, well…you should have gotten one.
Truth: It’s wise to ask plenty of questions about the report.
The Take Away :: Look for an experienced home inspector who has plenty of testimonials and a reputation of offering sound advice. Interview the inspector – check with past clients and don’t hire based on inappropriate ethics, discounted services and gimmicks. When the smoke clears – you could regret your choice…and that’s the truth!
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Very interesting post. Very very true that whenever a problem is found after the purchase of a home, the person who gets pointed out is the house inspector. Thank you for the facts shared.
It’s great to know more about home inspections. I like how you said that it’s important to remember that inspectors are human and may not catch everything. We’ll have to remember that as we hire one to help us when we buy a house.
Thanks for mentioning how an inspection doesn’t mean you can skip home maintenance. My brother is interested in the process of home inspections. This might be because he is thinking about buying a new home.
I believe a home inspector would be a great help for someone to decide whether they purchase the house or not.