A few overlooked areas of a home inspection
By Ted Gilmour
If your inspector is only spending a max 2-4hrs (“depending on size and age”) get another inspection by an inspector who will do a thorough investigation and who is not dependent on agent referrals; an unspoken cozy relationship of tit-for-tat reciprocity exists between agents and inspectors.
Often when you interview inspectors they will say it will take 2 to 4 hours, maybe five or six hours but that generally includes filling out the report.
Your inspector should spend an entire day or longer to do a complete turnaround, you should also attend the entire inspection, be wary of any argument that claims all you need to spend is a one-hour walk-through at the end of the inspection. Yeah that would be an agent friendly inspector.
A few Areas Overlooked In A Typical Home Inspection:
1- inspectors don’t know who their client is, they often operate as if the agent was paying their fee
2- inspectors are too busy trying to get through the inspection to learn anything from the homes they inspect
3- inspectors often fail to report or will play down any issues that would void a future insurance claim- illegal wiring, knob and tube wiring, Oil tank, asbestos, deficient plumbing system, inadequate drainage interior and out, fireplace requiring an inspection. They are afraid to complicate the deal and upset the agent.
4- Inspectors are not required to open the elec. panel. If they don’t they are potentially missing a home owner’s rat’s nest of wiring not to mention a possible rat in the panel- usually dead and dehydrated in the pose of it’s last fatal move.
5- inspectors are not required to enter a crawl space that is less than approx. 24” high, so many/most don’t. Crawlspaces can be where most big ticket items are located and sources of other problems. They should all be inspected if there’s enough room.
6- Most inspectors inspect the attic space from the hatch, there are potentially a lot of things up there that may need attention that require full entry and investigation from corner to corner.
7- Inspectors are not required to move furniture, carpeting or storage items. I agree with that but if we don’t what are we there for?
8- When everyone arrives (agents and client) it’s up to the inspector to set out a game plan so everyone knows what to expect. Your inspector should inform the agents that he/she requires complete privacy with you during the inspection, at this time confirm the length of the inspection. If the agents claim the inspector needs to be finished by …? Your inspector should tell the agent he/she will be finished when they are satisfied they have covered everything to their satisfaction. If the agent insists, that they have to leave; tell them to find a replacement. Agents try to control the inspection procedure and the amount of time spent. They have no legal right to sway or interfere with your inspection, this is your private business you hired a professional inspector to perform for you.
9- Inspectors need to keep their buyers close at hand to show, demonstrate and instruct . Buyers are there to witness the inspection not to wonder around. They are the guest of the inspector.
10- Probably the most important part of the inspection is the report review. That can take from 1 to 2.5 hrs. This is your opportunity to discuss discovered deficiencies and various options to resolve them. (this is why I feel so sad for all the home buyers who hire the 2-4hr inspectors.)
Special note: Most buyers want to save money on the cost of the inspection, real savings can happen when your inspector discovers deficiencies and presents them in a compelling photo enhanced report that will support an argument for a reduced selling price if warranted.
Ted Gilmour is a Home Inspector in Vancouver Canada. He gets ZERO referrals from Real Estate Agents which equals: Satisfied clients not necessarily satisfied agents. Ted Gilmour can be reached at 604-618-0499 or you can visit http://www.theco.ca.
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