Home renovation is crucial for maintaining property value, functionality, and comfort, as well as ensuring long-term investment benefits. A home inspection is an essential step in any renovation project, helping homeowners identify potential issues, ensure safety, and create a solid renovation plan. A home inspector can evaluate the basement and look for pockets of mold before starting a remodel project, providing recommendations if mold is found.
Experts recommend getting a home inspection on a new construction home, as it provides knowledge about the extent and nature of the home. Conducting a thorough home inspection can help identify existing issues and make informed decisions about repairs and upgrades. A Home Renovation Inspection Checklist is a go-to guide for assessing the current condition of your home before embarking on a renovation project.
Another important step is scheduling a whole-home inspection or at least a four-point inspection before starting a remodel. A home inspection service like ours can help ensure the project is being done correctly the first time, simultaneously, or right after the construction. Your inspection before starting renovations will help you determine what steps need to be taken with your current systems.
Setting priorities is also essential when scheduling a home inspection on new construction homes, as they are often not free from defects. By following these tips, you can ensure that your home is in good condition before embarking on a renovation project. In conclusion, a home inspection is an essential step before beginning any renovation project, helping homeowners identify potential issues, prioritize repairs and upgrades, and make informed decisions about their home’s future.
📹 The Truth About HOME INSPECTION REPORTS! What They Leave Out…(Homebuyers SHOULD WATCH This Video!)
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📹 Old House Inspection | Top 5 Issues
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Excellent article. As a 28 year home inspector (retired now for 5 years) I feel the pain of the homebuyer looking for more than many home inspectors are willing or able to give. It’s a balancing act; providing a thorough report while also attempting to prioritize the serious areas of concern over the minor or cosmetic concerns. I always considered it essential to have my home buyer on-site for the inspection, following me around if at all possible. When the client sees how hard you work to do a really good inspection they understand if an issue of little consequence is overlooked. A very rewarding, enjoyable way to make a living.
As a home inspector for the past 35 years and carpenter your assessment was very fair and accurate. We are in a very precarious position. We only have a few hours in the house and sellers do hide and conceal damages. Buyers go in to a purchase with little knowledge and information. In this market 1st time buyers are skipping the inspection. They call us in post inspection and I am finding nightmares. Always get a home inspection! Great, Fair article.
I agree. Most home buyers don’t realize the “inspector” may have never had any construction experience. I was looking at a house that hadn’t been lived in for a few months. When the water tap was turned, a lot of muddy water came out. After a minute or two the water cleared. The inspector said that was because the house hadn’t been lived in, and wrote it off to that. After buying the house I realized that the water bills were higher than expected. I looked at the water meter and the little red arrow was turning. I knew I had a water leak. Turns out I had to replace 1000′ of water line. Yeah. I live in the country. Way off the roadway. I think, since I had the “expert” I didn’t use my own common sense to look deeper. Live and learn.
The last home I bought was in the mid 90s. The lender didn’t require didn’t require an inspection but the experience we had in the home before made it tops on our list. Instead of going to an inspection firm we hired individual inspectors like hvac, electrical, structure roofing etc. We melded the various inspections into a single document with pictures and references to the inspector who did the inspection and presented it to the seller. The seller took 12k off the price and the repairs ended up costing about 11k since we did a few ourselves. The way the housing market is today the seller would have just told me to F off and sell it to the next in line and would get his price. The huge increase of corporations and private equity firms sucking up the available homes without regard to price is destroying the American tradition of home ownership. We are being beaten down to a nation of wage slaves and renters.
I once spent 2 hours with the inspector and the final thing we went through was the basement. We were near the end of the inspection when we discovered that one wall had shifted due to a cracked foundation. Best $200 I spent to avoid a $10000 repair if I had gone forward with the purchase of the house.
As home inspector I have lost so many realtors because I wouldn’t change my verbiage on my reports. So they can close the sale I had one inspection where the stair treads had major cracks that went all the way through bad enough you could see light through it. And the realtor wanted me to change my findings to slight cracks they didn’t even care that the buyer was 4 months pregnant and could get seriously hurt if it gave way. Of course that was the last inspection I did for that realtor. But the buyer was grateful and changed realtors and requested me for her inspections.
My friend, this article should literally be broadcast on every Television! You were unbiased, very accurate, thorough, & provided invaluable info for those needing the service of a home inspector. I am a General Contractor/Carpenter, Real Estate Investor of 20+ years. I also own a Home Inspection Business. I’m revolutionizing the home buying process by reaching out to Home buyers as opposed to Realtors. I would love to share & use this article as part of the education I’m providing Homeowners. I’m working on workshops, training for Home buyers & always can use great info, articles, etc., from tradesmen, to help educate my audience. Thanks for a great article!
Hello! Very fair article. I live in NJ which has pretty rigorous licensing requirements but I will say all the inspectors I know and work with (home inspector here) have history in some sort of trade. Additionally the way we structure our reports they get two summaries at the end of the report, the first is items that require immediate attention, and major concerns. Think leaks, dangerous electrical, structural issues, asbestos, mold, etc. Second summary is maintenance type items, along the lines of deteriorated caulk, missing insulation, beat up floors or windows, things that are not urgent/dangerous. Purely cosmetic issues almost never get mentioned, they don’t affect the safety or function of the home. Lastly our inspections usually take about 2.5-3.5 hours. We go through every single remotely accessible crevice of the building, and find things missed by other inspectors all the time. Informative, but not unnecessarily alarming is what we aim for. I think you did a good job explaining the general process but one thing I think a lot of people forget is that people PURPOSEFULLY try and hide defects in every house, but usually they leave the supplies in the basement/garage which gives away what we should be keeping an eye out for haha
I was blessed to have a good inspector for my last few homes. He made sure to emphasize the “bad” more than the “not so bad” things. First house he inspected, for me, he pointed out a crack in the slab floor that concerned him, and by the tone of his comment, I instantly pulled out of that purchase. I even paid him to do an inspection on my home, that I was selling, so that I’d have knowledge of any potential major problems before I put it on the market. I felt that it was a good idea for me, others may disagree.
Home inspector here…For the most part what your saying is accurate about the home inspector business as a whole. I find it interesting how you choose to “straddle the fence” on who’s side your on or what message your trying to put out there. If the client takes the time to read the Standards of Practice document provided to them, prior to the inspection, It will outline every aspect of the very detailed inspection they are paying for. Home inspectors could not possibly know every trade required for all the different entities that encompass a home as a complete unit. Are you a licensed HVAC tech? How about a licensed electrician? Licensed plumber? See where I’m going with this? Should home inspectors be a master at all these trades and be licensed in them? Look through the home inspection report shown in the article at the different sections and see if you are a master of each of those trades then tell your audience here the cost, materials list and labor charges for each issue of the home inspected. You can’t do it. Home inspectors aren’t licensed contractors. That is not the purpose of their industry. I am not a licensed plumber, you know what kind of liability I’m putting on myself and my company by giving professional advice to a client who’s propane fired hot water heater doesn’t have CCST within 18″ of the connection for the water lines and I tell them how to fix it themselves. The lets say “accountant” client who doesn’t own any tools, goes to his neighbors to borrow the tools I told him he’d need to fix the issue I reported (because he didn’t like the price I told him it would cost to fix it) and forgets the step where I tell him to turn off the propane before he loosens the fuel supply and what happens?
As someone who has been learning about the housing market for the last several years with an eye to buying my own house for the first time, I appreciate this information so much. You said a good deal more than you explicitly said here, and made me think about some things in a new way. It’s overwhelming, trying to prepare myself to go into this purchase with fully open eyes. I’m grateful that some like yourself are willing to offer genuine expertise and objective information on the topic of homebuying. Bless.
Awesome article Ethan. I can totally understand some of the deliberate vagueness in the inspection reports especially in the US. But when I moved to Europe, where lawsuit culture is not as prevalent as it is in the US, the inspection reports were just as cautious BUT, there was an interesting thing in the ones I saw, and that was cost-estimate for the repair and even some recommendations on possible fixes. So the cost estimates kind of gave an indication of the importance but the rest of the things you said, like them not trying to reach any hard to access places is true, and with tiny Dutch houses, there are so many of those tiny corners.
I am just starting to complete the business end of becoming an inspector. Your view on Home Inspectors was valuable to me. A high school friend (realtor) learned of my new adventure and commented to me “Don’t be too picky”. That’s what I was just taught to do!! Safety first, functuallity next, cosmetic last. We won’t find everything, but do the best job we can! BE HONEST ! The new buyer should expect the Inspector to be as picky as he can, it’s somebody else’s family, loved ones, safety and money. They want a thorough job. It’s not my job to sell the house, I’m there to INSPECT IT ! I won’t lie about it, it is what it is.
As a 40 year licensed contractor with 50 years in construction, engineering, and maintenance who has also been doing home inspections for 20 years, I have to agree with almost everything you said. If anything, you are being too kind. The decline both in knowledge and professionalism has been precipitous since the market crash of 2008. The industry has become exactly as you described it. It is so bad that I decided a few years ago no longer to call myself a home inspector. I do mainly construction consulting. Much of my work comes to me after a home inspection has been done and the inspector’s report is filled with variations on “Get someone else to do the job you paid me to do”. I’m the someone else. Thanks for the article.
I found out years ago that even a real good inspector can’t find ALL the problems due to old rules & regs. from when the home was built. Had a house that used both copper AND aluminum wiring. Apparently that ok when the house was built. Home builder used what he could get away with at the time & sold them for top dollar. Love your website and appreciate all your insight.
The company I like my clients to use has a stoplight system of severity, in reference to your third point. Red is critical, yellow is caution, and green is minor but notable. I also tell my clients when we discuss inspections that they are generalists, just like a doctor in the clinic. You will get referrals to whatever building system is “sick.” But one is not going to get a stamp of approval for the structural soundness of a 50yo building from the same guy who is doing a thermal cam of the wall insulation and also testing the air conditioning unit. It’s pretty rare to be turning on appliances during a home viewing, and there’s no way you would know what kind of insulation is behind the wall. It is an option for a client to have foundation experts, plumbing experts, etc., come along for a home inspection – the expenses for that would rival many yellow severity repairs on the home itself. Very few would choose to do that, because they are paying out of pocket ahead of a home closing for these inspection costs.
With Every home we’ve purchased, I’ve accompanied the inspector in the crawl space, attic and roof. Some were supportive, while others were annoyed. One even charged us more! There is value in walking through the inspection report since you can place a report item in context and prioritize the items to address with the seller.
As a Health Inspector, I get asked all the time to do a home inspection. I always say, “No way, you need a professional inspector. Here’s a list of Inspectors in my county.” Like you said I don’t have any experience when it comes to construction. Now, if you’re want to know about a water well or a septic system, I’m your guy. And dear God, please make sure the septic system is still functioning and under permit. Otherwise you might be in for a… crappy surprise.
My wife and I stumbled on your website a few days ago and we can’t top perusal. I’ve become a pretty adept DIYer over the years but still have learned a lot perusal your articles. We live in NC, too, Durham, in fact, so it’s nice to add an in-stater to the long list of YouTubers we watch regularly. Keep up with the fine articles.
Thanks for an important article. I spent all my working life in construction and did home inspections on the side. The best were when the prospective buyers came along for an in depth look at what they were getting into. In my opinion, the corporate agencies have as their first priority protecting themselves from liability, not getting at the truth of the matter.
Great article! As a fairly new inspector (2 years) with over 20 years of construction experience including a Red Seal Carpentry ticket, I can tell you that there are definitely real estate agents that recommend the fast/easy inspectors. I am extremely thorough and it has definitely negatively impacted my business. If a realtor can get a multi inspector firm in and out of a house in 1.5 hours vs solo me taking 5 hours to pick the house apart, 95% will take the fast and easy.
I’ve been a home inspector for 17 years and this article makes some excellent points. Every industry will have those that are good and some that are not so good at their job. The main compliment I strive for daily is “he’s thorough”. I love the idea of having sellers move their belongings out of the way but I can tell you that is not reality and I’ve moved a lot more items than I wish I ever had to, but I won’t make it the excuse why I didn’t look at something. If I can get my eyes or hands on it, I try my best to do so. Also, I’d be wary of working with any inspector who didn’t want the client to accompany them. I welcome them to watch the process if they wish and ask questions along the way.
Pretty good article. One note about having a qualified contractor inspect and repair: any tradesperson knows the importance of giving an “estimate” on a job. Because once you open up the drywall the damage can be much worse than you initially thought. So many inspectors, including myself, will put that line in a lot because prescribing a specific repair often gives false expectations to the client.
I bought my home in ’98 and didn’t get an inspection. It was built in 1937 so I knew things were old, especially the plumbing which has been getting replaced little by little over the years. I also got new siding to replace the old cedar, windows and a new metal roof. But this house was what I could afford as a factory worker living alone and the mortgage was lower than the rent I was paying even with high interest. I’m 61 now and this house will still be standing long after I’m gone.
I was there to tag along with the inspector during inspection on my house 20+ years ago. Even though I wasn’t as knowledgeable then as I am now about such things, I thought at the time, and still do, think he did a pretty good job. He pointed out many things including evidence of past termite damage which he proved to me with evidence had long been eradicated. Past minor fire in the basement the char of which had been painted over…, and many other things. It’s a 100 yo house, so it does have issues. He was very thorough and communicative.
I have been a past licensed contractor and municipal building inspector. For the past 29 years, I have been a Home Inspector. There are good practitioners in Home Inspections just as there are good Builders and poor Builders. The consumer needs to be aware that experience and education matters! There are a lot of misleading certifications out there. Most Home Inspector certifications are a joke. The only ones that truly matter are ones offered by the Code Congress and ASHI. You are “right on” with your analysis. But, I see the solution as consumer awareness when contracting with a home inspector. Realtors referring Home Inspectors is a huge conflict of interest. Consumer interests do not always line up with Realtor interests. Realtors want to close the deal as that is how they are paid, and who doesn’t want to get paid? A Home Inspector who is “hard on the deal” is not likely to get future business. Home Inspector organizations are small fish compared to the political power of the NAR. So, consumers have to take matters into their own hands. Contracting with a home inspector is not much different than contracting with a builder. Try to get multiple referral sources and look for the most experienced and best education background inspector.
I’m a Realtor, a construction professional, and a property manager. What you are saying is 100% correct. I recommend a couple good inspectors to my real estate clients/buyers, but none of them have true construction experience. Some are quite knowledgeable, but I just don’t think they have a true understanding of what matters. Unfortunately, all the old timers with construction knowledge are retired now. I have no choice but to recommend these guys.
Excellent subject. While I am not an construction expert by any means, I have been around the block when it comes to home repair, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing. Purchased many homes as well. I have seen quite a few home inspection reports that leave out important potential issues that I saw after the fact. So, hats off to you touching on the very important subject. And, keep up the great work.
From an inspectors view, this is absolute truth. I fully agree on being picky on who you choose because it makes a big difference on your understanding of the home at the end of the day. For the Major vs Minor portion, some inspectors have summary pages at the end of the report allowing to breakdown all deficiencies found into categories starting with Major. Great Explanation article!
Perfect! You nailed every point perfectly. I have worked in all the trades over the years, had my own general contracting company, worked around construction sites after that for another 30 years and I am a non-practicing certified Home Inspector. Quite frankly the $300-$500 you earn per home inspection isn’t worth the time invested not to mention the liability risk you undertake and the proper equipment an inspector needs to perform the inspection properly. A thorough inspection is worth $1000 and would be worth every penny to a homeowner from a “skilled” home inspector. I performed my own inspection when walking thru the house and waived the inspection normally required by the bank on the last 2 homes I bought for the reasons you mentioned and my personal skillset. So, all of you reading this get educated so you know what you’re getting into when buying a house and do exactly what Ethan says. My opinion…Don’t ever ask the realtor for a home Inspector as a general rule. Ethan touched on this.
I followed my home inspector around like a lost puppy. Attic, the crawlspace under the add-on, onto the roof. We spent several hours. I’ve lived in that house for seven years now and nothing has come up that wasn’t noted in the report. The house next door had a broken sewer drain line. When the renters used water in the house, that water (and the things in it…) would seep up through the driveway and trickle down the street into the storm drain. Some house flippers bought the house last fall and did the usual: new flooring, countertops, ceiling fans. They sold the house last month and the lady that bought it, despite hiring an inspector, got the pleasure of having to hire someone to break up the driveway and replace the sewer drain. She told me there was a large auger and several feet of chain in the pipe, so the sellers had attempted to clear it, but gave up.
Good article. Mostly accurate. Those of us inspectors that DO come from the trades are very often much better than those who do not… but that is not always the case. Common sense goes a long way, as does being taught correctly from the beginning. I have argued with “20-year carpenters” that were simply taught incorrectly and never knew any different. Luckily I have experience in multiple trades, as well as the fancy paperwork to back it up. lol
Very informative article. I am a Home Inspector in South Alabama. Most inspectors in my area are referred by realtors and unfortunately, many inspectors are afraid to be “Too Thorough” for fear of “killing the deal” and thus never referred again by the realtor. Even inspectors who are picked by the buyer, will sometime not be thorough, for fear that may tarnish their name with local realtors. Its a sad situation and worse of all the buyer is paying them to do this to them. I am known as a “Thorough Inspector”. I rarely get referred by realtors, which is evidence to my thoroughness. However, I inspect every house as if I were the one purchasing it. I have a website too called “Southern Home Talk” . Hopefully I will get as good as you presenting my information. Thanks for creating this article.
I’ve spent so much Tim picking my inspector. They were so incredibly thorough and found everything! They also break things down into 3 categories. Fix now, Maintenance, and cosmetic. It was really helpful! Thay also require that after their 4 hour inspection I spent an hour with them reviewing the findings and walking through the house. They were expensive, but worth it!
This just sounds like a good way to approach this as an inspector is maybe set up a team that covers all the things where there might be blind spots. Obviously would cost more, but it might bring in more business because it is a few man team covering all the aspects that an owner would need when it comes to homebuying. I get that making things easier for the uninformed public is difficult and this is just an insight on my end.
I think the YouTube algorithm is targeting us home inspectors. This is a Good thing. I 100% agree that the most frustrating feature of most inspection reports is the lack of distinction between high priority and low priority defects. That’s why many of us intentionally find ways to make this crystal clear in our reports. I’ve been through three different inspection trade school “qualifying education” programs. As important as qualifying education is, it only serves as a basic foundation for how different systems and components affect each other. You have to have BOTH the “big picture” overview AND a “close-up” detail view simultaneously. There’s no substitute for hands-on experience as a contractor, HVAC technician, electrician, or other trade specialty when evaluating those systems. Classroom education is good, but real world experience is without equal.
In BC Canada, the rules changed in 2009. In the course I was part of that was required in 2009, of 16 participants, half of the 16 participants quit within a month because they had no construction experience. The level of detail in the class was overwhelming for them. The remainder were engineers, tradesmen and GCs. Of the 16, only I and an engineer entered the field due to all of the ongoing education, startup costs, insurance and licensing. Some software is designed to prioritize, and as well, provides further detailed explanations through links to exterior pages. All reports are electronic now, in PDF hyperlinked format, which may be printed if they choose to. The report that you show is very rudimentary. There are better out there, including the most comprehensive, but likely most expensive, Horizon. Prior to these regulations, anyone could call themselves a home inspector. A GC that I knew could not physically enter into crawlspaces or attics due to health issues. He quit inspecting once the new rules were imposed.
When we bought our current house, we hired one of the best inspectors in the area (he is teaching inspector-wannabes). That was such a disaster that we had to sue him for misleading us. Our goal with the inspection was to get an idea of what had to be done in the house in terms of safety, insulation, heating… with that report, we would have a leverage in negotiating the selling price… Well, this one was not looking at our interest… and was actually pairing with the real estate agent to ensure the sell price to be the highest possible… We won, but we still feel taken advantage of. Live and learn, I guess. That said, we are very happy with the house, we just have more renovations to do before we can tackle the aesthetics. Thanks a lot for all these articles.
I’m a hvac llc but I am about to have to go through that national group to become a inspector. I do think they should have some background in the trades to be a inspector tradesman have a different mind set when we see a problem even if we are not in that trade the problem is we at least can recognize it and say have it never done that work but I know that’s not good.
As a home inspector that also spent time in the trades, I would say evaluate where your home inspector went to school, was it accredited. Are they licensed and certified. I work in Florida and would say it’s one of the most strict licensing states in the country. Would definitely not pick an inspector that is not organized in their scheduling, website, or has no pride in their vehicle or uniform. Generally these things by themselves mean little to nothing but together they may paint a picture of complacency. And well when your job is attention to detail complacency is the killer. Find someone who looks like they take pride in what they do and in themselves.
Have bought and sold a few houses and this is exactly the problem I hae seen. A few inspectors make sure you know about the major problems (termites, leaks, wiring) and are aware of the cosmetic issues. Others place all of these on the same level (caulking around exterior windows inadequate and structural cracks at same bullet point level)
The best advise I have is look at reviews other customers have given from different sources. Ask the inspector for a sample report as this will give you an idea of how detailed the person is. Is all just check marks or is there a lot of writing to the reports? Another thing is “standards of practice” are minimums. Lots of inspectors including myself go beyond the sop. I hear people say inspectors wont move anything. In most SOP s we don’t have to. However many of us do move things within reason. I move stuff all the time because people are trying to cover things up. Will I spend 30 min to empty a room that is filled floor to ceiling with things, no 🤣. We also have to be very carful because we are in peoples homes and things need to be put back as they were. Plus we have to be careful no to accidentally break something. A lot of times the problem is some realtors couch sellers in the idea that they can put a time limit on us. This of course is a major problem. I have refused some inspections because they want it done in an hour.
Hawaii has no certification for Home Inspectors. Yet, the first home I purchased in Honolulu was thoroughly inspected by Mr. Barry Wong, a real pro. Barry saved us a lot of money on an earlier home with black mold in a dumbwaiter. Not many inspectors would have recommended a lab test under those conditions.
Good article. We are allowed to move stuff in most states. Sometimes we will. It depends on the liability. Inspections do miss things. We are not required to enter areas unsafe or not accessible. We do strive to navigate the entire crawlspace. I strive to always learn more about construction. This helps us provide better information to our clients without freaking people out. I do describe defects as minor, moderate, major with blue, orange, and red colors. I also tell my client if issues are big or small. I do not use “further evaluation by qualified professional” often. I recommend repairs be performed by a professional if necessary. Pipe boot had holes in at the time of inspection. This can allow for water leaks. Recommend correction/repair. When I use “further evaluation” it is for complex issues like electrical issues or occasionally issues I am not sure. Contractors don’t know everything either. In fact most contractors only know about their limited field.
I bought my first home 4 years ago. I had a legacy inspector of sorts and by that he was taught by his father. While I anticipate his father could have found a little more I’m very happy with the service I received. But the biggest thing my inspector did was bullet point at the beginning some of the biggest issues. I’m now wondering if he broke the law but I dont care because I’ll use him again!
Ethan you eluded to something I’ve thought about for decades regarding U.S. businesses that once practiced combining the head knowledge people gain in college, with the practical knowledge that people gain “in the field.” The benefits were obvious but sadly, having “a degree” slowly prevailed allowing head knowledge to first: dictate employment, then decisions, and then policies. What followed then is what you eluded to (1:21); a loss in work quality; thankfully that hasn’t gone unnoticed regardless of vocation. Hopefully the practice of combing “the schooled and the practical” will prevail; then we’ll all benefit. Btw; great article.
I fully agree that the home inspection industry has changed over the years. Anyone can become a home inspector just by hanging out their shingle now. When I started inspecting homes 12 years ago 90% of the inspectors were licensed trades people. I came into the industry as a journeyman carpenter and had remodeled 100’s of homes. It seems that all you need now is book smarts and and good writing skills. I have seen so many reports that only have small stuff like nail holes and carpet stains. I for one never put that stuff in a report. I like my reports to be clean and precise and pointing out the things that will cost a lot to repair. I will however write a statement in the report saying the overall condition if needed. ” Unfortunately we are not allowed to give cost estimates or advice on repairs. I do understand that this can be frustrating but costs can fluctuate and prices are all over the place.
We’ve had homes that we’ve bought and sold in our family for our entire adult life. I’ve learned a few things. Here are my thoughts. 1) Foundation, foundation and foundation. It’s your most expensive repair so take the extra money and spend it on a structural engineer to do a separate inspection that can examine the structure of the house. A plumber or electrician will have zero clue. Water leaking damage alone is extraordinarily expensive to repair (average is $18,000 just to waterproof) let alone damage to the foundation and it’s just misery for a homeowner. Sadly, in my experience, home sellers lie through their teeth. 2) Drainage to the street. Especially on an older home. Have a camera stuck in the drain to the street. That’s a $10,000 repair. 3) I personally would avoid any inspector that’s electrician or plumbing as for the most part, those are cheaper repairs if they miss something but foundations or the structure of the house – oh my gosh. 4) Radon inspection. Take it seriously. It’s expensive if the radon gas is high. Don’t overlook that super important thing and don’t believe the homeowner. We had one house we looked at and did an independent radon inspection. 25. Ya we walked. 5) If you are a new home buyer, don’t be afraid to get two separate inspections and always follow them around and ask politely and nicely lots of questions. If you’re friendly, they will be friendly. It’s super important. 6) Ignore the silly stuff and use that for price negotiation (faucet doesn’t work or whatever.
My inspector refused to let me their while he did his inspection. He as well as another both missed my crawl space rot problem. Needed sistering of joists and new main beam. In my report, it says “no signs of moisture damage with visual inspect.” My 3rd inspection (after i signed the deed to buy) with in 5 seconds of viewing said wow, yeah that guy was very wrong. 35k later First time home buying, i know now for next time. Get multiple inspectors.
My inspector had decades of experience in the filed and worked in construction andwas really thorough and went the extra mile and didn’t mind that I was there with him through the whole inspection, but still there were a lot of things that we didn’t really see until I had to had them fixed several years later,soyou can imagine if that wasn’t the case. But what I really wanted him was to inspect the roof and the foundation and those were fine. And never, ever use a realtor’s referral for most things as they have their interests involved there.
It’s true. I would never trust a home inspector recommend by a real estate agent. I got sucked into that when I bought my house. Firstly she tried to take a massive cut as in she told me to say that she recommended him and I’ll get a good deal which was the price she gave me. So knowing about scans like this, I called for a quote without saying she referred me, and it was hundreds of dollars less than what she told me. Secondly, major problems were left out, costing me tens of thousands of dollars to get fixed. These included massive water damage like rotten floors, serious mould issues, all window hinges were broken, and more. Also when I asked about pests like cockroaches, he said there wasn’t any and then I saw thousands of them everywhere. They were in plain sight ‘cos they were running out of places to hide and when renovating the house cockroaches rained from the ceiling. It was a nightmare to fix the house up. Oh and yes he was a builder too. So it makes you wonder how much he was influenced by the agent.
The biggest issue and the reason for so many shoddy inspectors and crappy reports is that the home inspection profession is 100% controlled by sales-minded real estate agents. So in all reality, until homebuyer’s stop asking and relying on their financially-interested-in-the-house-selling agent for inspector referrals, nothing is going to change. The sad part is, inspectors have adapted so well over the years (salesmen), it’s sometimes hard for buyers to distinguish just what kind of service they received.
Here in Toronto, the housing market is so hot that if you make a home offer “pending inspection”, it’ll usually be rejected. So when we sold our house last year, we did our own pre-inspection, then fix 90% of the items. We thought that would make us more attractive to buyers, that we have a home inspection already done with few remaining issues. We ended up selling more than 25 over asking price, so hopefully it contributed.
I had an inspector find $40,000 In hidden termite damage. My new bride freaked out. The inspectors daughter bought the house-for $43,000 less than we had offered. That inspection was worth every dime. I recommend that inspector a dozen times. Great time. My last home inspection was a disaster. He missed WAY to much. He was recommend by my agent. She was as bad as he was.
My take on Home Inspectors and despite very well knowing how realtors in one neighborhood love each other!, if and once an inspector is labeled by them as a “Deal-Breaker”, their carrier is virtually over for him… A potential home buyer should be smarter than that and only choose the person who has been recommended to them by someone who actually loves them or after a good homework and definitely not the realtor or escrows people or likewise. And this is on top of the today’s seller’s market and the fact that a lot of buyers who already placed an offer higher than the rest in hopes of getting the house, and after announcing to place a large down payment or totally go out of the way and buy in cash, just to ensure their offer will be accepted, do voluntarily waive the home inspection, especially when it is buying cash story… God bless all.
It makes no sense to use a realtor’s inspector to find problems that might decrease the realtor’s take home pay from their bread and butter sale listing. Same is true of financing through a realtor. Kickbacks are everywhere, and that brings conflict of interest to the one who writes the check. And it makes no sense to NOT travel WITH the inspector throughout the house to 1. understand their notes when printed out, and 2. make sure the inspector doesn’t disappear to linger, just to get out of any dirty work. That happens more often with community college students looking for a passing degree for a career, and they didn’t want firefighter or EMS. My friend had such an inspector, young adult who came late and acted bored, disappeared, and then gave the property the OK. When I stayed over nite after the sale, I found plumbing out of code under the kitchen sink, and electrical hazards not mentioned in the report … things that weren’t out of reach of any legitimate inspector. It was probably because 1. they didn’t bother to look or 2. they looked, but didn’t know what they were looking at because they barely passed the class in the first place. Knowing these things about inspections would have allowed her more negotiating room during the sale, but now she’s locked into a mortgage, AND has to pay for repairs on top of that. She essentially BOUGHT those problems TWICE from the seller (before sale and after sale cost) and will pay them WITH INTEREST on top of it all. Travel WITH the inspector throughout the home, or if the seller balks, challenge the sale.
I’m a home inspector and do about 225 to 300 jobs per year out here in Los Angeles county. This pretty much hit it on the head. I often hedge my verbal and written statements due to legal liabilities. The software I use differentiates types of defects such as safety concerns, recommended upgrades, and recommended corrections. I still have to tell buyers that not all “safety concerns” are created equal.
I worked in the trades for years, then went to college and obtained a C.E.T. designation. I worked as a municipal inspector for years. My experience, during that period, is the trades generally don’t know much about each other’s codes or design requirements. There are some exceptions where you will get a trade that is very knowledgeable about all aspects of construction. The area most trades fall short is carpentry/structure. I agree that the home inspector needs some practical construction knowledge but also needs to know what they don’t know and educate themselves. People also need to realize that someone who is excellent at construction will make considerably more money working construction. Someone that leaves construction for reasons other than looking to slow down or has sustained an injury that limits their ability to do their trade probably wasn’t that successful or possibly talented. You don’t want to hire an inspector that hides behind all their standards of practice rules. What is important is to find an inspector that has thorough knowledge of all aspects of construction and will actually bust their butt and get into every area of the house they can without doing any destructive investigation.
Imagine a state passing legislation that requires the seller provide an unbiased inspection that’s available to anyone making an offer. The same house for sale will have several inspections…it’s just a money making industry. Why can’t there be one unbiased report? If you want one, you pay, otherwise it’s just another home buying fee.
Just to say, your woodworking / DIY articles are among the best on YouTube. You get to the point with zero BS and are totally clear in your explanations. Years ago I built a a set of kitchen cabinets that came out pretty bad (they were too big for the tools and workshop I had at disposal) and I still struggle to cut a straight line but next time I need to do any woodworking you can count on the fact that I’ll re-watch your articles on circular saws for some tips. (We did build an on grade deck last year, and but designed it to hide a multitude of sins!)
Is it worth budgeting A LOT MORE money for an inspection by a PE (professional engineer)? I mean, if you buy a used car for $15K, you buy the Carfax report and have the car looked over by a professional mechanic. A home will land you on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars, so why aren’t inspections performed by a PE ?
Home inspectors have never thrilled me, but don’t get me started on pest inspectors. That said, during our last home inspection we did receive a prioritized list. In my opinion your best off having the big three trades (General/Framing, Plumbing, Electrical) come take a look at the things in your home that fall under their scope. Assuming you have no capacity to do this yourself that is.
I’m a licensed electrical contractor and roughly 30% of my business is fixing/ repairing home inspection violations. A lot of double tapped circuit breakers, reverse polarity, missing blank plates over junction boxes, or lack of GFCI protection on kitchen countertop receptacles. As a pro, that stuff is pretty important to protect people living in the house. I will however flat out tell a seller that this is not a violation if no violation or fire hazard exists, which happens way too often unfortunately.
Nothing like getting called out to a home because the seller wants to fix the things in the report…..the report claimed the dishwasher line didn’t run up to give a loop and had a photo of it going into the disposal just like it should. I get there to run the line up and find that it’s already through the cabinet side at the top of the cabinet. What’s even worse, the manual to the dishwasher in question actually shows/explains to run the line along the bottom of the cabinet without the high loop. The inspector wasted my time and the homeowner’s money because s/he couldn’t follow a dishwasher exit line.
Home Inspectors are also not code inspectors. It’s not the job of a home inspector to report every single code violation. The report may have observations based on code but reported as a safety issue. Many inspectors will in fact place the most important issues at the beginning of a report in a summary, so the client will know the difference between small and big issues. And if an inspector does not report smaller issues, they know the client will, later on, say why was it not reported.
I’ve bought and sold almost a dozen homes over my lifetime. I feel most inspectors are just finding things to make themselves look worthy. Let me give you a prime example, I bought a house and sold it just under 3 years. The first inspector, when I bought the house, and the report of the second inspector were like night and day. There were only two things the same in both reports. The second inspector blasted me on so many things, and I don’t think he knows what he is talking about. Have you ever swung a hammer? Do you look beyond what you could see with your flash lignt?
As a Handyman, I am SO happy that someone finally called out Home inspectors (sheets) on these facts. I have several customers come to me and ask, “Is this a big deal” or, ” How expensive is it going to be to fix this?”. I wish that their reports would specify Major and Minor as well! Would make things a hell of a lot easier for those of us trying to help the customer!!!
There will always be a conflict of interest when dealing with a home inspector referral from your realtor. We had a a home inspector flag a rotting board on chimney and said it’s just a couple boards. It turned out the whole chimney needed to be rebuilt $25,000. It’s better to have tradesman look at specific items based on their specialty. • roofer • siding • mold • radon • furnace It may cost you an extra $800 or so but will pay huge dividends if something is found.
Home inspections are pretty much a sham. Exactly a lot of times like roof inspections. The inspectors say they find something wrong when there is no real problem or there is simple fix yet they want to charge a ridiculous amount, ie $20 to put on a missing outlet cover in which case the seller should be allowed to fix the items themselves. The inspectors usually don’t have experience in the trades, like stated here they are just looking at obvious problems. Roof inspectors have a conflict of interest issues.
I’ve been doing heritage grade restoration of Victorian and craftsman era interior woodwork and exterior trim and brickwork for many years as a domestic historian and conservationist. This article hit home with me in a meaningful way, and am about to complete the certification course to become a state certified home inspector because you’re absolutely correct on these corners being quite obviously avoided because of course they are. Willfully avoiding the areas of the property where the most important things are generally found hiding is beyond inexcusable. Just because it’s not their $175,000+ being sunk into an unknown risk doesn’t justify taking their hard earned $300-750 for little more than a cursory glance. I think if I can crawl 3/4 mile through a Somali sewer in August without having a problem with it, a 40 crawlspace with dirt and a few spiders is not even a walk in the park, it’s just going out to the mailbox. In older homes in lower income areas, they generally don’t even bother checking if the windows have glass panes in them or have been replaced with plexiglass. One home on my street was sold with a massive bedbug infestation with no hint of it anywhere on the report. There’s no way that could be missed even under the most disinterested inspectors gaze. It’s just shameful. Most around here are ignorant of historical building techniques, and don’t even know what a pier and beam foundation is, and will fail a foundation over some spalling on a small section near a bad downspout and fear monger that the foundation is collapsing and the replacement of the bricks would cost more than the house would ever be worth.
As someone who used to paint houses I wish I could have used personal belongings being in the way as an excuse. Maybe it’s just me but I always found it inconsiderate that not only do you have to move furniture around to paint something, but if it’s something say like a dresser, they won’t even bother to take their stuff off of it.
100% agree! As a longtime custom home builder and senior building code inspector for the past 21 years I figured that it would be the natural progression to go into the home inspection business after retirement. The overwhelming majority of my competitors have little to no REAL construction experience and are saturating my local market. I’ve seen some of the important items that get overlooked by these companies and it’s a shame that home buyers are not being protected the way they should be! Good professional Realtors recognize how much real experience matters and want to protect their clients.
Please do a follow up article. Focus on wiring, plumbing, roof, mold and bugs/snakes. Everything else is pretty easily fixable. The report should be prioritized and organized based on how serious the issue is. The report should also note how old the water heater is and the furnace/AC and indicate the expected life of those items. The inspections I’ve seen have way too much bs in it, small stuff. Also require the inspector t
After having paid $650.00 for this, I will say it was worth it for me to find the flaws but if I could go back, I would get a paid expert to inspect it and then go back with an experienced friend or contractor to look at the flaws the inspector found. Some things he definitely missed because of not “digging” deep enough. But overall, he showed me MANY things I needed to be aware of. His biggest miss was he passed the level 1 chimney inspection but then after the sale it failed the level 2 chimney inspection due to a lack of an insert…and boy was I disappointed. I suggest an inspection and then another with yourself and a trained friend or contractor, if possible. Overall it was worth my money.
Thank you for the advice with this article. As a new Home Inspector running my own company these issues that you’ve covered seems to reign true. During my training and education the “need’ for previous experience in the construction industry or various trades was not necessary. However the training I went through did a great job at teaching as much about the building process to allow me to have a better understanding of how all the components are put together. Though I personally do not have a background in the construction trade I want to be the best inspector in my area and am always learning from people within the construction industry or various trades about more insider information.
When I bought my home I paid for a home inspection and tagged along. The one thing that we missed was when we went into the crawlspace under the house. We noted that there must have been a raccoon under there at some point, but were unable to inspect the entire perimeter foundation due to rigid ducting. We checked it from the outside instead and everything seemed fine. Cut to a month ago when I needed to go under the house to run some conduit and forced my way into a corner that we weren’t able to go to. I’m going along and suddenly realize that there’s a massive opening in my foundation leading to under my deck. Apparently when the previous owner wanted to put a deck in, they ran into some external doors to the crawlspace and just took off the doors. They didn’t bother to install anything to stop my house from having a wonderful basement apartment for local wildlife. So, that’s my new next project :/
Home inspection for my current house bought 23 years ago was of very little value. The inspection failed to inform me that the soil in the crawl space was too close to the wooden structure in part of the space far from the door. The pillars were spaced too far apart under the main girder. There was a rotted hole in the deck that had been simply roofed over. There were other problems due to low standard in construction. The aluminum frame windows caused some of the frames under them to have black mold due to condensation.
The Honest Carpenter who posted this article touched on some legitimate points but also spouted a lot of gibberish, his lack of knowledge about the home inspection industry is telling. The necessary E&O insurance and the need to stick to the rigid standards of practice is absolutely necessary on every inspection.
My biggest problem with home inspectors is their relationships with realtors. That tie needs to be cut. Instead, they try to befriend each other and ultimately the homeowner is paying for their relationship building instead of their investment. And, there is never a case where a realtor doesn’t want a sale to go through. It’s not just some cases. That’s the only way they get paid. They will do whatever they have to to get that paycheck.
As a home inspector you make many good points but I disagree with you on few points. First you said at 6:50 that major defects get the same space as aesthetic defects. That’s not necessarily true. A good home inspection report is going to have general information with minor repairs such as caulking and a section with material defects which are defects that are both safety concerns and/or can cause major damage to the property. These material defects are also highlighted in a summary report on the home inspection report. Also remember, a home inspector is a generalist not a specialist. We will identify and even if possible suggest a cause and possible results if the defect is left unattended. Sometimes we will go as far as identify ways to fixed the defects, but we often save that for the specialist (as you said correctly there is a liability issue with that). It’s like going to a general practitioner who then recommends a surgeon who is a specialist. I do agree that a home inspector should know about building homes and components surrounding that topic, but they should also know building science, have good report writing skills, and excellent communication and customer service skills. Being a home inspector is far more difficult then many people can imagine. We work for our clients, typically buyers, but still have to deal with sellers, buyer agents, and listing agents and someone is not going to always be happy with us. In the end we prioritize our clients, their safety, and their investment.
I rarely find Realtors wanting a thorough home inspection and that’s what I’ve run into and constantly told Im to thorough, they just want to sell the house that is the true issue that’s going on now especially with the suing situation. The reason home inspecting has gotten so vague it’s cuz everyone is suing and Realtors will not hire a true inspector that’s just the truth. I think laying the blame just on the inspectors here is not exactly the point. I think home buyers need to be very astute about what’s going on with the Realtors these days.
Honestly… If an inspector has never had any on hands experience.., chances are, you are just getting a bookworm. OMG! My first house I bought was a total fail, .. but it passed ! (Realtor suggested) . Moved in.. and holy F word! I had to rip off all the sheetrock.. I mean skim coated paneling that was wrote down as “insulated and sheetrock” … Really too much to list. But as an excited “first time home buyer”.. never expected that within a year my house was ready to fall into the basement. I trusted what the inspector wrote down. Cost me more to fix the place, than I paid for it. Be careful out there people ! If only I knew I could’ve went after his insurance for his negligence.. could’ve save 10’s of thousands of dollars.. . #trustnobody #clownworldpa
The concept holds true in many disciplines. There are many that are doing a job, but few that actually do the job. In my realm of expertise, that is why I am on second shift, for whatever first shift works on, second shift repairs. Reality is that too many folk are just hacks… but they talk the talk and look really busy really good.
What sucks is the homebuyer thinks that everything on the list has to be fixed. And like you said.. They can often miss things either because of lazy, lack of access, knowledge, or education. They are usually not experts in things. House has old knob and tube wiring. Then homebuyer thinks this HASTOBE changed.
Of the four homes my wife and I have bought and lived in during our 50 years of marriage, the last two had/have water leaking through basement wall to floor joints during heavier rainfalls,…and both were sold to us as having been inspected (we hired the home inspector) with evidence of such an issue not found. Upon asking around (friends, cohorts, neighbors) we’ve found that this issue of leaky basements is more a ‘standard’ than an exception,…and that home inspection rarely ever gave advance alert to existing evidence of prior experiences.😬
It’s hard to catch every little thing in one pass too. Living in the house over a period of time things will inevitably be discovered by the home owner. My HI found a floor joist that looked wet, choked it up to an accident in a hall closet that the seller had repaired. But later I discovered by going under the house myself that our bathtub drain gasket was leaking all over the floor joist… I’ve thought about being an inspector myself, feel like I can catch those kinds of things.