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Thanks for all your opinions. We do have a realtor and the buyers and their realtor are coming up with a repair list. I think we're just a little stressed about them b/c they have been very nitpicky throughout the process.
Oh, and sacredgrooves I am all for thorough home inspectors. In fact ours for our new purchase is one that lots of people fear when they see him coming! I can definitely separate the emotion from them, it's our buyers I'm worried about. They're just inexperienced in the matter (more so than me!). Thanks for your feedback, I don't think you guys are on the wrong side.
When I perform a home inspection I give my clients every bit of information I can. My report lists everything from a door rubbing on the jamb to 6 inches of water in the crawlspace. I have never once walked away from a property that had no items of concern listed in the inspection report.
Expectations need to reasonable on both sides of the deal.
Buyers need to know that there is no such thing as a perfect home and if there was one hiding out there it would not be perfect for long.
Sellers need to give up on the dream that their homes are perfect because they have lived in there for years and never had any “major problems”.
After the report is read by the client and their agent (if using one) another round of negotiations begins. This is one of the most important reasons for hiring an experienced agent. Any one can drive you to a bunch of homes. A good agent is there for helping you through the contract and setting the level of expectation. Expectations may be based on the price of the home, the age of the home, the intended use for the home, the skill and experience of the person buying the home, etc. Remember, every home will have a few issues.
Here is a silly example
The home inspector says that new sealant is needed around the chimney flashing.
I could care less about some chimney flashing needing to be re-sealed because I have more ladders than I know what to do with and in a previous career I worked off of a swinging stage and repelled down the side of high rise buildings. I know I can fix it with $5 in materials and it may take all of 15 minutes. However, if I were a 60 year old woman who is scared to death of heights and has arthritis in both knees or even a 30 year old who was just plain scared of heights, I would certainly ask that it be taken care of before I move in. After all, if I need to hire a roofer to do it, it could cost a few hundred dollars. Wait a second. I am a buyer who is planning to build an addition on the house and the chimney is in the way. I plan on removing the chimney as soon as I close on the house in order to make way for the addition. I could care less about some stupid flashing needing some sealant. What if the house is the most expensive one on the block? What if it’s the cheapest? All of these factors and more will come into play during the re-negotiation process. The home inspector has no chance of knowing, nor should he, all of these variables. Because all of these scenarios are real, I don’t decide what to report and what not to. You pay me as an independent professional to look at a house from top to bottom and issue a report that states what was there and what condition it was in. That is exactly what you get. The facts.
Here is another example of why I report every thing I can. Even a “burnt out” light.
What happens if I find that the hall light is out? Just needs a new bulb right? The inspector is so nit picky right? Well, what if on further review it’s found that the light is out because the fixture is damaged. Did I mention that this damaged fixture is in a 2.5 story foyer and scaffolding may need to be set up to access and replace the fixture, therefore changing the scenario from nit picky light bulb to a repair that will cost over $500.00 or more for a licensed electrician to replace.
If by a failed insulated window, you mean they are no longer insulated, i.e., they are not sealed, I can tell I just had a similar experience selling my house. The inspector found three windows that needed to be fixed/replaced for this reason. There were no pictures (i am not sure how one takes pictures of this type of defect), but when I had a glass/window company come out, they were able to verify this, and so they were replaced, luckily they were covered under the original home warranty. Good luck!!
It would be difficult to show by photo a window that has lost its seal. I have tried...
Mbartels, welcome to the board! It is nice to have another inspector to help me debate the finer points of our business lol.
aaa thanks!
Mike bless you, you win the poster of the day for posting that photo !! Thank you !!
I had a pella door that was compromised in a previous home, they do exactly what Mike's photo captured, it's clearly condensation between the panes.
In our issue I paid $150 to another inspector to justify that the window's seal wasn't compromised nor was even the caulking inferior - no sign of moisture or moisture penetration. What I found irresponsible was the buyer's inspector who surely made photos of everything else he listed, but did not provide a photo of said window compromise?
If it truly is compromised any certified home inspector should be able to take an adequate photo as evidence.
My agent also shared that he sees 50%+ of recent home inspection reports containing inaccuracies around "compromised windows". That is a disturbing metric and I call it a very slippery slope.
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Failed window seals
