I've had inspectors miss a few things over the years, but far worse are the stories of those that do not have a home inspection.  When buyers to my listings refuse and inspection, I have their agent sign a statement absolving the seller from liability, in addition to the "inspection waiver".  I believe the inspection is always worth the price.  Have a Merry Christmas!

Gabrielle...A good inspector is worth their weight in gold...although I've had many deals fall apart due to the results of an inspection I can lay my head on my pillow at night knowing that my clients are basing their decision to move forward or not to move forward on actual results from a licensed home inspector.

I agree with Peter...I think if you get profesional tradesmen involved they'll many times find something wrong.

If you set the buyers up understanding this is an OVERVIEW of the house. If the inspector or buyer have concerns they should get or recommend a specific inspector for the problem. Just like the medical profession inspectors are not GODS. We need to make sure the buyers understand that and proceed the way they choose. When you buy a "used" home it's like a car at the time of sale everything worked. There are no guarantees. I have even seen brand new construction cause more problems than used homes. The key is talk to the buyers and explain the reason for home inspections!!!! They are not set in stone answers.

While on face value this might sound like a good idea, there are a couple of problems with it---both of which could be alleviated by using a "good" home inspector.  The individual trades will not be trained to see the whole house as a unit and the  indivdual trades may not be impartial.  Remember too it is all of these licensed and qualified people that are sometimes creating the very things that home inspectors find wrong.

That's why home warranties are so important. Sometimes there may be issues that show up after the buyer moves it that may have gone undetected in a home inspection. I believe a home warranty is a must have, at least for the first year. It's much less painful to pay a $60 service fee to get something repaired or replaced. 

I believe the point of having an independent inspector is because he doesn't have skin in the game.

When you take your car to a mechanic, do you really expect him to find nothing wrong?  In the long run, the people who are nervous about every noise and crack will spend money fixing trivial issues whether they are nudged by professionals or not.  And those who feel victimized will not want to spend $5 for a battery to put in an A/C control panel.

Don't forget the Home Warranty.

Gabrielle, that is SO sad about the home warranty companies not taking care of the issue the 1st time.  I suppose that is why people like buying new construction around here.  Most things are covered for 1-2 years and the builder will be sure to fix the problem as word travels fast, and they want to keep their sterling reputation!

1.  Work with tough home inspectors.  If the buyer selects their own, you are out of the picture. 

2.  I wouldn't sell a resale home without a warranty.  I place them at settlement and pay for them. 

One thing for sure, I would never advise a home buyer that they don't need a home inspection.

Certified home inspectors have a lot of training, but also regular certification training.  We are fairly current.  If there is any anomaly I always recommend a specialist, but why spend the money for a specialist unless necessary?

You know this is a difficult position to be in. The buyers forget that ANYTHING can happen right after they purchase a home. Think about how many total mechanical pieces a home has & they can't all work 100% all the time!  I think it's nonsense that they blame the previous owners.  Today it works, tommorrow it doesn't.

Home inspectors might not be perfect but they are impartial.

It is definitely the buyers choice and every buyer has a different opinion on what they expect from an inspector. I personally make it clear to the buyers that at the least they should have a general inspection but understand that is all it is. They are not necessarily experts and they can only do a visual inspection. There job is to simply look for things that you and I am not trained to look for. At that point they can ask the inspector specific questions on whether or not to ge additioanal inspections by more specialized professioanals such as HVAC, electrician, plumber etc. That they choose to do beyond that, is their own decisions, I just simply advise how they need to handle this and stay compliant with the legal contract. That is how I handle it, I try not to guide them one way or the other since this is typically beyond my expertise and of course all that other libility stuff. 

Happy Holiday!

I agree that a good home inspector is an asset.  The really good ones will see suspicious things with a furnace and recommend that you get a separate HVAC servicer to check it out, for example.  But they do not have X-ray eyes. 

I want a Home Inspector for "the entire house".  I know several home inspectors who are Licensed Contractors; I am good with them on the Roof, Plumbing, and Electric.

But I also want an HVAC Inspection by a licensed HVAC person...  with the Caveat expressed by Rich in #9.

I always have a list of at least three home inspectors for my clients to choose from. It just makes sense!

Gabrielle, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a happy and especially a healthy & prosperous 2013!!

Fernando

Happy Holidays and

Merry Christmas to you and yours Gabrielle

May God Bless

Gabrielle  Great post and I'm subscribed.  In this small community we don't have a warranty company that will service this area.  There are a few good inspectors and I have used one for over 10 years with the statement you can hire anyone you want.  Yes, he has the usual disclaimers and he has missed a thing or two but he is very good with communicating and is always available to return to re-inspect.  Comments 3 & 4 are right-on!