What is worse than 1 Home Inspector? Who said 2 Home Inspectors?

You find your dream home. You write your best offer. The offer gets accepted. What is next? Oh yes, the Home Inspection. It is on a home I have listed here in the Manchester NH area. The buyer and their agent chose an inspector from "Googling" home inspections. 

It is inspection day. I am there to over see the inspection for the seller. As i pull in there is 2 home inspection trucks. They introduce themselves as "team home inspectors."

The buyer arrives, they go over their contract and the inspectors are off and running. NOW, as a listing agent, I like to stay close to the inspector, never too close to be in the way, but close enough to see and hear what he sees. 

The most important parts of the inspection are often the exterior, i.e. roof, chimney, siding, windows and foundation. The next important step is the basement, electric panel, furnace, hot water heater and checking the sills.

I walk around the exterior following that inspector. Like a fine machine he checks the foundation, pokes and prods. Siding is good and he is heading to the roof. I head inside. Just in time to watch #2 check the furnace and the electric panel. He checks the sump pump and gets his own poker and proder out to check the sills. Later this will be an important thing to have seen. Stay tuned.

That inspector heads to the kitchen and  head to the deck to check on the roof. The inspector is getting down and puts away his ladder. He said it looks great. He heads upstairs and I head to the kitchen where inspector 2 is turning on the appliances. Everything is going well he says as he heads to the bathroom. Running the shower and checking the toilet and sink. He notes a drip under the sink, but states the trap is lose, just tighten it up.

I bounce upstairs al the time Mr Buyer following me as Mrs buyer and the buyer agent measure for curtains. Upstairs everything is great. In about an hour, the whole process is done. If one was looking from the outside in, they would see these 2 inspectors running around, up, down, across and back again. They crossed many times inside, but they got it all done.

Fast forward 2 days and a list the size of a menu from the Outback. The buyer agent wants a new furnace. They want a plumber to replace all plumbing under the bath sink. They want the chimney cleaned, the furnace replaced and to make it easier for my seller, they can just credit the buyer $10,000 in lieu of the work.

Were they at the same inspection I was at? Although 2 inspectors made it hectic. Prioritizing where i needed to be allowed me to see all these items first hand. Having a copy of the report I went over it with my seller. They tightened the trap under the sink, put the water on full blast and no leak. They gave me a receipt that chimney was cleaned in August (before the inspection nd has not been used since). What does the report say again. Well in the notes, that the buyer should clean it yearly.

The furnace clearly had a tag that stated  it was serviced also, in August 2017. What is this about a new furnace? The report says the average life of a furnace is 20 years. This one is 11 years old. A top of the line cast iron boiler. Most often with a life of 40-50 years the plumber who installed it reports. The motor was replaced a year ago and was covered under warranty and still has a warranty. No new furnace is needed.  

A call to the buyer agent goes unanswered. We write our response. The sink is fixed, attach a picture. A copy of the receipt for chimney cleaning and the furnace cleaning. A copy of the email from the heating company about the life of the furnace. There will be no $10,000 credit to the buyer and the seller is VERY happy I was there to see these things first hand. 

The buyer agents reply was "they did not see it and took the report for it's word". The buyer was very happy with the inspection when we were there and the buyer agent a week later, admitted such. No credit, no issues, everything solved and off to closing.

THE BOTTOM LINE that being at the inspection watching out for my seller is part of the job i take when i list a home. Nothing beats being there and seeing first hand. When their is an issue, find a solution and make it work. That is what I do.