For You or Not?
What does a new home inspection do for you? Let’s consider the backdrop in which an inspection is called for. You are moving forward with a home you want to buy. Your purpose for having an inspection done is to be certain of what you are buying and that it is as represented – something that meets your needs and desires in purchasing the property and developments on it.
What you want it to tell you is the particulars about safety, durability and projections on replacement of key elements, such as AC systems, water heaters, roof and even the state of foundation – many of which need minor or major attention if built prior to any significant earthquakes affecting the area in which the house stands.
Whether you are planning to live in this new house, rent it out, give it to a family member or otherwise, you came the point where you are serious enough about it to get an inspection done. You are lucky enough, smart enough or connected well enough to acquire the services of a savvy and experienced inspector in Kingsland and all Highland Lakes District. He or she goes to the site, inspects and comes back to you with a report of findings.
As you get the details, highlights that strike you are that there is evidence of leakage from the roof which has been obviously dry for some years, despite rain in the last few months. There is a recommendation for pipe replacement throughout the whole house. There is a report on wear and tear on the water heater. By the time you feel like you understand most of the details, you feel doubts about the house and have the impression that the costs of maintenance and/or upcoming repairs outweigh the positive points that allowed you to be interested beyond the looks and location. The inspector was very unemotional about his report and gave you comprehensive data which “told it like it is”. He was thus very believable at the time.
You don’t end up getting the house but find out later that a friend from back when you were in college ends up with it. You get to talking and come to find out that the pipes were given another 5 years of estimated life by a different inspector. Also that this was only one point in an overall presentation showing projected time lines for major maintenance or replacement of the very same items which turned you off of buying the house.
You now come to realize that facts and important information can be presented in a way which leaves you confused, or leaves you in doubt as to what to do. Then, ending up with what seems like the “safe” move, you didn’t get what you wanted after all.
In summary, is your home inspector working with you in mind? Does he know what you want and is he contributing to how it can be done? Even if he is doing a thorough and excellent job of the inspection itself, is he careless about providing the information and helping you to understand it in the framework of what you want? A home inspector should work for you, not anything less.
