Introducing a New Series: Home Inspectors
As the home inspector finished his on-site evaluation of my first home (hopefully), I was impressed by how easily he came across issues that would have passed me by. For example, he didn’t like the fact that soil and plants were growing up against the foundation. What really impressed me was when he called-out the roof: “I think this roof has seen better days,” he said with a furrowed brow. Wow, I thought, this is the best $400 I’ve ever spent…………
The truth is, when you’re buying or selling a home, the inspection process is one of the most stressful, frustrating and critical parts of the transaction. Over the years I’ve seen the best and worst side of people emerge after a home inspection. Calm, rational folks turn red with anger when told their electrical panel needs to be replaced, or the roof needs repair. Buyers get very nervous when their inspector emerges from a crawl space having discovered evidence of vermin or a failing water main. Let’s face it, we all want our homes to be perfect. The reality is: NO HOUSE IS PERFECT. Even the mansion on the hill has problems. So, I’m going to begin a series about home inspectors in order to help you understand their role, their obligations, limitations and how to approach the inspection process in a productive, positive way. If you happen to be reading this post and have questions about home inspection, please ask. I have enlisted the help of my favorite home inspector, Stephan Cancler, Owner of Full House Inspections who would love to help you better understand what he does for a living.
June 25th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Love the photo. A home for the outdoorsy type. I agree that many people take pride in their homes, and they just do not realize when certain issues arise that they should be taken care of. Many small items can show up on a report, which are actually cheap to fix, but a seller can be angered that you are criticizing his home, which is not the intention of the inspector. I will be interested to see how your series develops.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Hi James, We haven’t met, I’m Larry’s better half!?,but I went through your blog and you are doing great stuff. I like the flavor and the voice. Kathleen