When Things Go Wrong
There may come a time when homebuyers discover something wrong
with their house, and may be upset or disappointed with the home
inspection.
Some say home inspectors are inconsistent because their reports
identify some minor problems but not others. The minor details
that are identified were probably discovered while looking for
more significant items, and were noted simply as a courtesy. The
intent of the inspection is not to find the $100 detail... it is
to find the $1000 items. Some problems can only be discovered by
living in a house. For example, some shower stalls leak when
people are in the shower, but do not leak when you simply turn
on the tap. If there are no clues of a past problem, one cannot
presume that the inspector should predict a future problem.
The main source of dissatisfaction often comes from comments
made by contractors, whose opinions may differ from that of the
home inspector. Don't be surprised when three roofers all say
the roof needs replacement when the home inspector said that,
with some minor repairs, the roof would last a few more years.
While the inspector's advice might represent the most prudent
thing to do, many contractors are reluctant to undertake
repairs. This is because of the "Last Man In Theory". The
roofing company fears that if they are the last people to work
on the roof, they will be blamed if the roof leaks, regardless
of whether the leak is their fault or not. They might not want
to do a minor repair with high liability when they could re-roof
the entire house for more money and reduce the likelihood of a
call-back. This is understandable.
There is more to the "Last Man In Theory". It suggests that it
is human nature for homeowners to believe the last bit of
"expert" advice they receive, even if it is contrary to previous
advice. Home inspectors unfortunately find themselves in the
position of "first man in" and consequently it is their advice
which is often disbelieved.
"I can't believe you had this house inspected, and they didn't
find this problem."
There are several reasons for apparent oversights: 1. Home
inspectors are generalists, not specialists. The heating
contractor may have more heating expertise than the average home
inspector. This is because home inspectors are also expected to
have cooling, plumbing, roofing, structural and electrical
expertise. 2. When a problem manifests itself, it is very easy
to have 20/20 hindsight. Anybody can say that the basement is
wet when there's 2 inches of water on the floor. Predicting
basement dampness is a different story. 3. If the home inspector
spent half an hour under the kitchen sink or 45 minutes
disassembling the furnace, s/he could find more problems, too...
but the inspection might take a few days, and would cost
considerably more.
Food For Thought:
A home inspection is designed to better one's odds. It is not
designed to totally eliminate all risk. A home inspection should
not be considered an insurance policy. The premium than an
insurance company would have to charge for a policy with no
deductible, no limit and an indefinite policy period would be
considerably more than the average fee for a home inspection. It
would also not include the value added by the inspection.