Peter,
OK maybe there is a little more cross over than I let on, but you would be
very surprised at how little there actually is. Each inspector has a form to
follow that appears to be supplied by the franchise they bought or one they
have created themselves. They all cover the house systems.
Here are a few examples of variables between inspectors. You will see that
in each example we have a repair list that varies greatly and the final
repair bill to the seller can vary by several hundred dollars depending on
the inspector. I have been involved in deals where we repaired all the items
on the first inspectors list and the sale of the home did not go through.
The second potential buyer asked for a new inspection and the second
inspector found many items that were not found or reported by the first guy.
The seller had to pay $200 or $300 more than he should have if he would have
ignored the first inspectors list. Remember we are talking about fairly
minor repairs. I have never had an inspector miss any structural or
dangerous items. There is a lack of disclosure on minor items going on
everyday.
1st Example
Inspector #1 may not be willing to test the water stop valves under the
sinks because he may cause a leak himself. He may state on the report that
the valves may need changing due to their age.
Inspector #2 May thoroughly test the valves and report on which ones need
service.
Inspector #3 May test two or three valves and find them faulty and say all
valves need replacing when in fact only those he tested were bad.
2nd Example
Inspector #1 Tile roof inspection. This guy either does not have a ladder
tall enough to get on the third story roof or will not walk on the roofing
because of it's age or composition. He will say so on the report and then
write about the possible condition of a roof of this age.
Inspector #2 Tile roof inspection. This guy walks the roof and reports on
cracked tiles and suggests they be repaired. (Not replaced).
Inspector #3 Tile roof inspection. This guy walks the roof and reports on
the cracked tiles and says they must be replaced. He also notices areas
where the roofing felt is exposed near the ridge cap or near a roof vent and
asks for repair in these areas.
We are hired by the sellers agent. Often we see several things in the home
that need repair but these items are not on the inspection report.
Yes standards exist. Quality of inspectors varies greatly as does their
comprehension of the standards.
We have little or no contact with the buyer. We may have some contact with
the buyers agent. The sellers tend to repair 99% of the items on the
inspection report. Most buyers are reasonable in there request of repairs
and rarely do they use it to negotiate a better price. They just expect the
items to be repaired.
cm
"Peter" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Aug 2006 03:29:37 GMT, "cm" wrote:
Our company specializes in the repairs derived from a home inspection.
From
my experience over the last three years I would have to say never get a
home
inspection before you put your house up for sale. If you hired three
different inspectors you will get three very different lists with little
cross over. None of the inspections are likely to be very thorough.
This is my experience in Arizona.....
cm
In your opinion and experience
If three inspectors are looking at the same house....why would they
generate three lists with little crossover..
Do standards exost suggesting pass/fail conditions of the house systems Or
are
these inspections completely aribitrary at the discretion of the inspector
without comprehensive knowledge of industry or building standards
In all your experience with dealing with home buyers....
Do buyers ever realize that house systems have liimited useful life and
that
a used house does not sell for the same amount as a new house (all other
things being
equal) due to the fact that there is normal wear and tear... or do home
buyers expect to
get a "new" used house for "used" house prices??
Thanks for your response so far...it has been very informative...
"Peter" wrote in message
news
The recent question about handling to do items listed by a home
inspector
was thought
provoking.
The general theme was how necessary repairs would impact the selling
price
of the house
and should be used as a bargaining tool by the buyer.
Does it make any sense for the SELLER to obtain a home
inspection report prior to selling the property. This would allow him
to
repair or
replace those cosmetic items before selling the house and to get an
estimate on the
big ticket items so he could adjust the price of the house accordingly
??
It seems to me two very important things should be done before
placing a home on the market for sale
#1 is to get an appraisal done so you know what the ball park asking
price should be
# 2 is to bring the house up to marketable condition. An adequate
home
inspection would
be a good starting point for #2.
Am I being naive ??? Is it possible that no matter how perfect the
condition of a
house, a home inspector will find "somethiing" wrong with it to justify
their fees ???
Your thoughts, opinions and experiences please ???