Inspection Horror Stories?? (how much, house, buying)

[icibiu]

So I think we maybe gearing up to have an inspection done on a potential home soon and I wanted to hear about anyone elses experiances. What faults did your home inspector find? Did a great house turn out to be a total lemon? Did the inspector find something that you decided you were okay with that after you bought the house you wished you had listened to the inspector? Did you have a horrible inspector who you would NEVER EVER use again? (If you did, please shout them out on here so i know who NOT to use!!)

Ofcourse if you had a great experiance I want to know too

I'm just want to prepare myself for what sorts of stuff might go wrong...

TIA!

[Lusitan]

Make sure you have a search done for an underground oil tank -- don't ever buy a house with an underground oil tank in place.

[luckyshoes]

Termites are one of the biggest things that can get a new owner, but since you can't take down all the walls, it's very hard to get a real inspection. I've known people who had to replace all of the wood beams holding up their house because they were all eaten. Something an inspector would never catch.

[LCMT]

Make sure the yard of the home you are looking to buy didn't back up at one time to an old landfill where the ground can still be contaminated and you have to check the well water every year to make sure its still good....and now the area is a park but has hunting between Nov - Feb where deer could be hunted right into your backyard.

Moderator cut: no manual signatures, please

[Bergenite]

[quote=LCMT;10504593]Make sure the yard of the home you are looking to buy didn't back up at one time to an old landfill where the ground can still be contaminated and you have to check the well water every year to make sure its still good....and now the area is a park but has hunting between Nov - Feb where deer could be hunted right into your backyard.

Yeah, the inspector should've advised you of these items or else... I wouldn't have bought the house!

[MaverickDD]

Inspectors are being as cautious today as appraisers are. You can expect the inspection report to be brutal. Often they're used to try to beat the Seller down on the price some more.

[FrmlyBklyn]

Where shall I begin? Make sure the house you are buying is up to speed on electrical code - Knob & Tube is a fire trap, especially when connected to modern electrical wiring at the box.

Look at any exposed wooden beams - if you see "mud tubes" or what looks like a lighter piece of wood etched into the beam - you probably had or have termites.

Watch for old brass pipes in basement that have white calcium deposits on them - means pipes will fail at some time near in the future

Watch for water damage - white markings on foundation walls called efflorescence, means dampness is seeping through the foundation walls and leaching the lime out of the cement/blocks, look for cracks both inside and outside of foundation walls. Look for water markings on foundation walls - indicates basement floods, the water dries and leaves the markings on the wall.

Do not buy a house where you have another house pitched over your backyard, when it rains, the water will flow to your backyard and towards your house. There will be little you can do to change it.

[JerseyG]

Don't be scared off by what the home inspector says. If any issues should come up, keep in mind that they can be fixed and could be a negotiating point for you with the seller. Also know that home inspectors don't always know the cost to "fix" anything. They aren't contractors yet they tend to run their mouths when it comes to a "buyer" asking for insight on the cost of any repairs when an "issue" is found by a HI.

In the past 10 years I have yet to deal with a home inspector who hasn't cried "fire" when there really wasn't one...while and at they same time they put in their $.02 as to how much a repair "will cost" to the buyer.

They are famous for telling buyers "it's not up to code". While inspecting a 60 -100+ year old home. Ya think?

If there is a septic system in place, have a septic inspection done by a reputable company that only inspects/repairs septic systems, don't listen to what the HI tells you. Have run into too many HI's who "couldn't get the lid off the whatever", but failed the system anyway when it was only 2 years old...or 20 years old. Get someone who specializes in septics...you may end up with an different story.

Also, have a termite inspection done by a company that ONLY does termite inspections.

Home Inspectors tend to know bits and pieces about a lot.

They are Jacks of all trades but masters of none and if they were (masters of all) they would hold themselves accountable to the findings of their inspections...but that's never in the fine print of the contract.

[Peter Bennett]

Originally Posted by JerseyG

Don't be scared off by what the home inspector says. If any issues should come up, keep in mind that they can be fixed and could be a negotiating point for you with the seller. Also know that home inspectors don't always know the cost to "fix" anything. They aren't contractors yet they tend to run their mouths when it comes to a "buyer" asking for insight on the cost of any repairs when an "issue" is found by a HI.

In the past 10 years I have yet to deal with a home inspector who hasn't cried "fire" when there really wasn't one...while and at they same time they put in their $.02 as to how much a repair "will cost" to the buyer.

They are famous for telling buyers "it's not up to code". While inspecting a 60 -100+ year old home. Ya think?

If there is a septic system in place, have a septic inspection done by a reputable company that only inspects/repairs septic systems, don't listen to what the HI tells you. Have run into too many HI's who "couldn't get the lid off the whatever", but failed the system anyway when it was only 2 years old...or 20 years old. Get someone who specializes in septics...you may end up with an different story.

Also, have a termite inspection done by a company that ONLY does termite inspections.

Home Inspectors tend to know bits and pieces about a lot.

They are Jacks of all trades but masters of none and if they were (masters of all) they would hold themselves accountable to the findings of their inspections...but that's never in the fine print of the contract.

I have never cried fire to anyone in 10 years. I know what I know, period.
May I ask "Also, have a termite inspection done by a company that ONLY does termite inspections."?
Now that's a conflict of interest.
I do not treat for WDI infestations, so there's no hidden agenda, just like I do not conduct repairs on any home I have inspected.

Peter W. Bennett, Owner
www.AFullHouseInspection.com

[Bergenite]

Originally Posted by JerseyG

They are Jacks of all trades but masters of none and if they were (masters of all) they would hold themselves accountable to the findings of their inspections...but that's never in the fine print of the contract.

Do you mean accountable for what they didn't find?

Sounds like you've been dealing with some unprofessional inspectors.