Sad Story - Man thinks he's saving $45 dollars

So true Suzy, The thing that blows my mind is this man was thrilled with my past inspections. As it was, I still gave him a $75 discount but he still opted for the cheaper. The grass is not always greener.

Hey Al, me too, I've haggled over a few dollars with new client call ins too. But I try to hold firm and not de-value my services by price matching. I've also learned that the cheapo mentality is also the same mentality that give you headaches down the road. As a business owner we have a right to reject certain customers that can be a liability.

Update - Well I just reinspected this family's home. It's as bad as they say it is. The ceiling collapsed in the sons bedroom minutes before I arrived. There's absolutely no return air vent for the air handler. NONE. The interior walls are dripping with condensation, The crawlspace has been flooded for so many decades that the footings and structure is sinking. There's no attic ventilation and the roof decking is baked, soaked with water and mildew and rotting. Most of these problems could be seen by anyone yet the home inspector reported everything was great. I saw the report. It was just a checklist form downloaded from the internet. Even thta would have been OK if he documented the problems. 

I asked the buyers why they changed inspectors. They said they didn't want to but their agent said he had another inspector that was better but cheaper than me.  The buyers regret trusting their agent but have taken full responsibility for their choice.

They have sought some estimates for repairs which already are in the tens or thousands because of the structural issues.

Merry Christmas

Sure Lesley, thanks for re-blogging. Fortunately for most homes don't have catastrophic problems and they can eventually overcome what the incompetent inspectors miss.

Yes Cindy, I agree, We have no regulation or governing body for home inspectors in the state of VA. I hate bureaucracy but maybe it would sort out some of the "fly-by-nights".

Inspectors can't and don't report on septic systems much less municipal ordinances. However, they should report on its presence on the property and recommend evaluation by a septic contractor and the implications of not doing do.