When Things Go Wrong
There may come a time that you discover
something wrong with the house, and you may be upset or disappointed
with your home inspection.
Intermittent Or Concealed Problems
Some problems can only be discovered by living in a house.
They cannot be discovered during the few hours of a home inspection.
For example, some shower stalls leak when people are in the shower,
but do not leak when you simply turn on the tap. Some roofs and basements
only leak when specific conditions exist. Some problems will only be
discovered when carpets were lifted, furniture is moved or finishes
are removed.
No Clues
These problems may have existed at the time of the inspection
but there were no clues as to their existence. Our inspections are
based on the past performance of the house. If there are no clues
of a past
problem, it is unfair to assume we should foresee a future problem.
We Always Miss
Some Minor Things
Some say we are inconsistent because our reports identify
some minor problems but not others. The minor problems that are identified
were discovered while looking for more significant problems. We note
them simply as a courtesy. The intent of the inspection is not to find
the $200 problems; it is to find the $2,000 problems. These are the
things that affect people's decisions to purchase.
Contractors' Advice
The main source of dissatisfaction with home inspectors
comes from comments made by contractors. Contractors' opinions often
differ from ours. Don't be surprised when three roofers all say
the
roof needs replacement when we said that, with some minor repairs,
the roof will last a few more years.
Last Man In Theory
While our advice represents the most prudent thing to
do, many contractors are reluctant to undertake these repairs. This
is because of the "Last Man In Theory". The contractor
fears that if he is the last person to work on the roof, he will
get blamed
if the roof leaks, regardless of whether the roof leak is his fault
or not. Consequently, he won't want to do a minor repair with high
liability
when he could re-roof the entire house for more money and reduce the
likelihood of a callback. This is understandable.
Most Recent Advice
Is Best
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. As home inspectors, we unfortunately find ourselves
in the position of "First Man In" and consequently it is
our advice that is often disbelieved.
Why Didn't We
See It
Contractors may say "I can't believe you had this
house inspected, and they didn't find this problem". There are
several reasons for these apparent oversights:
1.
Conditions During Inspection
It is difficult for homeowners to remember the circumstances
in the house, at the time of the inspection. Homeowners seldom remember
that it was snowing, there was storage everywhere in the basement or
that the furnace could not be turned on because the air conditioning
was operating, et cetera. It's impossible for contractors to know what
the circumstances were when the inspection was performed.
2.
The Wisdom Of Hindsight
When the problem manifests itself, it is very easy to
have 20/20 hindsight. Anybody can say that the basement is wet when
there is 2 inches of water on the floor. Predicting the problem is
a
different story.
3.
A Long Look
If we spent 1/2 an hour under the kitchen sink or 45
minutes disassembling the furnace, we'd find more problems too. Unfortunately,
the inspection would take several days and would cost considerably
more.
4. We're
Generalists
We are generalists; we are not specialists. The heating
contractor may indeed have more heating expertise than we do.
5.
An Invasive Look
Problems often become apparent when carpets or plaster
are removed, when fixtures or cabinets are pulled out, and so on. A
home inspection is a visual examination. We don't perform any invasive
or destructive tests.
Not Insurance
In conclusion, a home inspection is designed to better
your odds. It is not designed to eliminate all risk. For that reason,
a home inspection should not be considered an insurance policy. The
premium that 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 fee we charge. It would also not include
the value added by the inspection.
We hope this is food for thought.
<<Back to Report Library
|
|