Have you ever told a client they shouldn't buy this home?
A re-post from 2017, was a Featured Post, still struggle with this a bit...
As Home Inspectors, it is our job to tell the condition of the home we are inspecting, on that particular day of the inspection. It is not our job to tell them to buy or not to buy, although sometimes it is hard not to! Have you ever had a client ask you if they should buy it? "What do you think... is this a good home to buy?" Been asked that a multitude of times! Always the generic answer, "I cannot tell you whether you should buy it or not. My job is to tell you the condition of it so you and your agent have the tools necessary to make that decision."
One time, back a few years ago, I had a young couple that were really excited about buying their first home. It was a POS (I'm sure you know what that means) Everything I pointed out to them was like "I can fix that", but there was a lot! After about 10 "I can fix that"s, I couldn't hold back anymore and told them I knew he could fix all that stuff, but it was a lot, that in my opinion it would be in their best interest to keep looking until they found one in better condition and that I am sure you and your agent can find one in their price range that was in better condition. I felt so sorry for them, a new first time home buyer, with their future right in front of them looking at a hell hole, a money pit... I couldn't let them do it.
Fast forward to today. My client was an older single lady. Her and her even older mother came to the inspection. This house was also a POS! Needed so much, the roof was actively leaking, a ton of rotted wood in the facia and soffit areas, the furnace was all rusted out because the vent had no cap on it and it was raining right down the vent into the furnace, the
windows were not operational, single pane 1950's style crank windows... and so on and so on!
It brought me back to the young couple back a few years ago. I bit my lip and just told them and emphasized heavily what needed to be done. At the end of the walk around I told her that I 
cannot tell her whether she should buy it or not, but she and her agent should look the report over very closely before she makes her decision.
Was that the right thing to do? Was I out of place, overstepping my bounds? Or would it make you feel good that you kept them from buying a nightmare?
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