I agree with you.

It's always bad when an inspection goes "South" but I've seen so many owners just "defer maintenance" and then get downright hostile when an inspector finds things.

Hello . . .   Your oil heater should be serviced more than once in 12 years and your roof is not a Permanent Fixture. Bat's should not live in your attic and the person who ran 37 feet of extension cord through the attic and into an electrical box outside in the shed DID NOT do a good job for you   ..

I've had some inspectors go "a bit crazy" but it's not the norm. 

Great post. 

I have had some situations where the home inspector over reacted to some details that could have been easily fixed but the buyers have gotten scared even though the repairs were minor they wondered what else was wrong and got cold feet.  But, a good, experienced home inspector rarely kills deals.

Kevin, I've never seen a house commit suicide.  It's always still there after the inspection, whether the report was good or bad.  I have lost a sale because a home inspector overstated the damage and cost of repairing a front porch.

I never thought about inspectors getting blamed for killing the deal.  I agree that the inspector has an obligation to report what he finds - matter-of-factly, not exaggerating.  I guess, because of disappointment, the inspector could be the one to receive the blame.    I'll try not to let that happen to my clients' inspectors.  :)

If the home inspection "uncovers" something that the buyer should know about, then the inspection was done right.  Besides the buyer "hires" the inspector to tell them if there is anything major wrong with the house, right?

If the house has problems, then the buyer is better off looking for another home.  Right?  Seems pretty cut and dry to me.

Jim

Hi Kevin...I agree with you to an extent, but there are inspectors out there that will (as an example) blow a routine maintenance issue so out of proportion they will scare away inexperienced buyers. Probably a good inspector for your own personal purchases or educated buyers, but otherwise....

Hi Kevin...I try to make it a habit to attend all the house inspections my client have...if not for the complete inspection at least for the summary and presentation back to the client.  I have attended inspection reports presented by several different inspection companies, and different inspectors within the same company.  I have to say theres a vast spectrum of professionalism,knowledge, experience, customer relationship, communication skills......etc.  that these Inspectors' provide.

All these qualities come into the equation.  Not just discovering deficiencies and inadequacies in the homes.  Some do kill deals........and some are truly amazing even while uncovering challenging potential issues..........so muchhas to do with how its presented and what the solutions and options might be...j

The inspector has done what they were paid to do.  Inspect the property and report their findings.  I always recommend that my sellers do a pre-inspection before they even list their house, this way they can correct anything major or potentially a deal-breaker

I completely agree with you.  Some properties really have a death wish.  Nothing you can do.

Unless you turn them green.  :)

Kevin!!!!  I LOVE that term!  I can't WAIT to use it!  "The House Committted Suicide" - or should it be "The Sellers Killed the House?"

Tina in Virginia

Aloha Kevin,

Thanks for your post, I always recommend to clients to do your own inspection weeks before the inspector arrives.

It's kinda like visiting the dentist, no one wants to do it, you always dread what they find, and when they do find something it usually hurts and costs a fortune.

maintenance always pays off in the end...

please visit my website: www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com

please join my group Aloha'Oe

Agreed...every once in a while there is an inspector who screams "The sky is falling!"  But usually when a home inspection goes bad, it's the home's fault.  I've recently begun suggesting sellers get the home inspection prior to the listing.  Once everything is fixed, or at least everyone is aware of the issues, it more likely the deal will get closed when the buyer finally comes along.  

Kevin,  I sold a house last year and didn't mind an inspection I always took care of the house.  Or, so I thought.  Actually, the house pasted with 2 exceptions.  The roof joist had separated and a hole in the foundation.  I didn't have a clue of either condition.  I am glad we had the inspection.  Because had the deal fell throught at least I had those items (that would have went unfixed without an inspection) repaired.  I believe in home inspections.  Luckly our repairs were minor and within budget.

Kevin, You are so right, some houses just commit suicide. The thing is, eventually that house will sell to someone despite the inspection reports.  Case in point, one in my neighborhood.  It looked great from the outside, cute little place on a nice corner lot, nice landscaping, even looked pretty good inside.  What wasn't seen on first inspection was a leaking main water valve - major plumbing repair, a foundation that was totally insufficient for the house, propped up with boards and bits and pieces of concrete to keep the floor from sagging, electrical issues from do-it-yourselfers, etc.  I had the buyer - of course.  Well after the report the buyer decided to walk away from the house.  Even if all the above were fixed by the seller, it raised to many red flags with my buyer because he traveled a lot and didn't want to deal with other repair issues that would likely surface over time.  Two weeks later, another buyer, couldn't care less about the foundation, seller fixed the plumbing and electrical stuff, buyer is happy as can be. So just because a house seems to commit suicide on the first go round, there is always a buyer for every house, it is just a matter of finding the match.    

Houses that try to commit suicide don't always succeed, and with proper care, can be revitalized.

I appreciate all your honest and matter of fact posts. I totally agree that Pre-Listng or Pre-Sale home inspections should be done whenever possible. It takes all the sting and surprise out of the inspection, and the buyer wil usually know most everything up front. True, the buyer will have less or no room for negotiation, but then that alone should save a LOT of deals from falling through.

I have heard some horror stories about some home inspectors who appear to blow some things out of proportion. I believe that this sort of thing should be happening less and less, as most home inspectors who may not have had a very good 'bedside manor" are learning better communication skills through training and seminars.

Presentation is key on many issues, and it certainly pays for the inspector to take time with YOUR client, and explain things thoroughly, accurately, and also discuss the possible solutions, and if possible, how much they might cost.

Everything CAN be fixed, it's just a matter of time and money. Do you have the time, and do you want to spend the money? If the answer is no, then walk away from the deal, and find them a house that better suits their needs and budget.

I do have another whole blog on the subject of Pre-Listing  home inspections if any of you would care to check it out. I regularly do realtor presentations on this subject, and I think the idea is gaining momentum.

Tony and Jimmy make some really good points.

Pre listing inspections and just generally an inspection from time to time by a qualified inspector.

If you have been living in your home any length of time and do not know a lot about homes and home maintenance and only getting the work done AFTER there is a problem them you are one that should hire a local home inspector from time to time to inspect the home.

The inspector may even lower his cost if a written report is not required. If you just follow him around and take your own pictures and notes then you can get an idea of what is needed and why.

Maybe you have an elderly parent or friend that could use an inspection just for maintenance reasons from time to time.

I like what Rick Harrington said:    "If you have been living in your home any length of time and do not know a lot about homes and home maintenance and only getting the work done AFTER there is a problem them you are one that should hire a local home inspector from time to time to inspect the home."      That makes so much sense!

Home maintenance is key. Most serious $$ defects I find were at one time very easy, inexpensive repairs.

Home Inspector Chicago 

Realtors, if you can get your sellers to get a pre-listing or pre-sale home inspection, then by all means, try to encourage that. In the long run it will most likely save everyoe involved time,money, and aggaravation. Especially if you do not have to deal with re-negotioation, and unexpected surprises that the home may have been hiding from everyone.

You can then list your home as "pre-inspected" or "move-in certified" and gain a little advantage over most of the competition.... and you'll be one step ahead of the game when it comes to closing the deal.

Good way to put it. Most of the time the seller knows of the "suicidial issues" on the house. Makes me chuckle & I think I'll use it sometime in the future. Pre-inspections maybe? I understand that is starting to make a comeback just for that reason.  I think if the house is a dump it should be preinspected, only those are the people the least likely to do it because of the cost involved.  If they can't afford to fix a $5.00 pipe, how can they pay you?

As long as it is disclosed I do not have a problem with it!

Getting a good home inspection is so important these days. If you are afraid to have your home inspected, then you probably already know that it has some issues that need to be addressed.

Kevin-You are so right. I have had inspectors who did their job really well that they put my first time buyers at ease.

-Joe

I would really really hope that there are no home inspectors out there that would intentionally kill a deal for any reason that was not 100% valid. But everyone involved should keep in mind that is always the possibility of some "unforseen deficiency" involving the home inspection, and those are the very things that we are paid to find. Presenting them in a professional, and "non-alarmist" way is very important. Sometimes just understanding what the possible solutions are is what the home inspector should be offering up to the prospective buyer.

Kevin,

Many "Real Estate Professionals" are overly critical of us all, it is not just you. Some even go after each other.