subject: Home Inspection [print this page] Home Inspection Home Inspection
A rental house was just a short time ago sold by a home seller. As a part of the listing procedure, the realtor suggested that the he should obtain a professional inspector so that the consumer and he are both aware of any problems found. He settled for it. Usually the price for such an inspection varies from $200 for a small house and might go up to $500 as the size increases.
The dealer suggested that the owner gets the inspection done by hiring an inspection company suggested to him by his company. Even though the seller had a very professionally stable experience with another firm, he gave a go ahead to try the new one. He had a meeting with the two inspectors and the agent at the house only a few days later. He has understood from experience that it is best to discuss about any problems which have been discovered and the probable cost of repairs.
It should be on your priority list to hire an inspector who is not also in the repair business so that you get an unbiased inspection. The two inspectors brought a notebook computer with them and it contained a checklist and area for noting down the results of each item they inspected. One of the inspectors did the physical and the dirty work, climbing on the roof and into the attic to check it put and crawling under the house to find faults. The other inspector wrote the results on the notebook computer.
As the computer was used to make the report, the final report became available in just a day. Speed of obtaining the written report can be especially important when a buyer is relying on the inspection results for deciding whether or not to proceed with the home purchase. Generally realtors these days suggest their home buyers acquire professional inspection reports. The primary reason is that the realtor and the home seller cannot later be accused of failure to disclose home defects. If the buyer has knowledge of all the defects and problems associated with the house but still decided to purchase it, he cannot take any action against the seller or realtor.
However, the so called 'professional inspectors' are not as perfect as they seemed, as a seller discovered. After the 'thorough' inspection, the inspectors who had been recommended by the real estate agent could find only a few minor things wrong like a possible tiny leak at the gas valve of the furnace, plus a few loose roof shingles and a defective window crank. The next day he had a furnace repairman check the furnace. The repairman reported there was no leak. Just to see if the repairman had not missed something, the next day an inspector from the gas company came but he too was unable to find anything wrong.
A few days after the seller had agreed to a buyer's purchase offer for the edifice, the buyer got the house inspected by a general contractor. He found only a few loose roof shingles, the defected window crank, some garage wiring which were not inside a proper electrical system and the lack of a junction box between the new and the old wiring in the attic. The inspector who had come earlier for inspection had not found any such major mishap in the house.
When the first inspector was asked for re-inspection, he admitted his fault for having overlooked something of this magnitude and the item was corrected by an electrician. However, the inspectors agreed that the house was not fixed to the foundation. The seller was skeptical about this discovery so he asked the contractor to inspect closer.
The contractor now had a very thorough look on the problem and reported that the house was bolted according to 1955 standards. However, the standards of 1955 were outdated and tougher standards are required today. Now even though the inspection was made, we saw in this case it is not a 100% guarantee.
According to American Society of Home Inspectors or ASHI members need to pass exams along with complete supervised inspections. Even though being an ASHI member is not a sign of competence, it only shows at least basic assessment standards. Since the professional inspectors can be sued if they miss an important word, they play with words while writing a report. Suppose he finds nothing wrong with your wiring, he would still suggest you consult an electrician for professional opinion.
