Don't Forget to Turn Everything On

James,

I hate it when that happens.

There is another aspect, I once had a bank tell me that if there was any damage from turning on the water that I was responsible.  Needless to say the valve didn't get turned by me.  Always read the fine print.

Absolutely, I recently did financing on a foreclosure, the home inspector had to go back out to the property 3 times before all utilities were on.  He didn't do the inspection until they were on, however, he was promised 3 times if he would come at such and such hour everything would be ready.  With gas costs being so high at that time he said it was almost like a freebie and to top things off bank didn't seem to care how they had inconvenienced him or the client.  Thanks for the reminder!

I think with these types of situations all parties need to be REALLY careful.  If the buyer is expecting these things to be on (sometimes they will agree to the inspection understanding the inspection is going to be "marginal").  If I have to make extra trips SOMEBODY has to pay.  Personally if the seller doesn't have the property ready to inspect it also isn't ready to sell---and they shoud pay.  LOL if that is the bank---but they should.  I think the listing agent holds a lot of the responsibility to make sure everything is on at the time of inspection.

A proper home inspection requires that all utilities are on. Banks call enough of the shots when it comes to these transactions, but enough is enough.

Good advice, and it doesn't hurt remember to also be focused on keeping ouselves "turned on"

Good tip James. We see that a lot here too. Sometimes the inspection has to be done without those utilities, but it does involve a major exclusion to the inspection.

The banks are even winterizing homes here in San Diego! Huh?

I had a Realtor who was really upset at me one time because we got to the property and the water was off. I refused to turn it on because I didn't know why it, and only it, had been shut off. Our Clients were in San Francisco and it was a short escrow. So the Realtor told me to go ahead and do the inspection. When I was inspecting the roof and out in the back yard, she turned the water on and then came and joined me in the back yard. When we finally got back to the front and went inside to do the interior, we were greeted with a waterfall down the stairs and a flooded first floor. All the water faucets everywhere had been left on but there was no drain pipe in one of the upstairs bathrooms. I understand the Realtor had a $15,000 repair and cleaning biil. After all was repaired, my Clients thought it was a good bargain with all the new carpet and wood floors -- LOL -- so they bought it.