home inspections

[Anonymous]

Well, let's see if this post stays put.
I've been interested and involved in some type of construction since my early teens ( I was 13 and helping my uncle who was a sepric tank and weeping bed installer) and very familiar and comfortable around construction projects. Over the many years I have bought and sold property and have never used a home inspector. I have missed things in buying a home but nothing really disasterous. One house I looked at during darkness and signed the deal, I thought had aluminum siding. Days later when I went by dring the day it turned out to have been freshly painted wood siding!!!
A few years ago we moved 3000 miles from a sub zero type climate to a Pacific climate. For the first time in my life I was out of my depth in looking at houses. Not only were the houses built differently, the building code, if ever applied was applied differently. The building practices are different. The problems are different and the really big one is that the house insurance companies have huge control.
We found out that most insurance companies will not insure you if your oil tank is more than 10-15 years old or if you have only a 60amp panel and the list keeps going. All this is brand new to me. Plus I wanted to know if there were things like West Coast man eating killer fungus. Needless to say I hired a home inspector. Maybe when I've been here awhile I'll feel more condident. Right now I'm waiting for his report.

Roger

[Rich]

The post will stay - but it looks like you need to re-register. I'm performing a blood-letting now to make sure that everyone knows how apologetic I am..haha.
I have taken the test for NACHI and passed with no problem - just need to pay their dues to get the certification. NACHI - National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Performed many inspections without it though. There are some reasons for home inspectors.. many of them exactly what you stated - not familiar with local codes. On the other hand there are many home inspections that I've seen that aren't worth a crap.
Good luck with the inspection report - hope it helps.

[grumpydasmurf]

No offense to any home inspectors but this is my experience with a majority of inspectors:

Most have no idea what they are talking about.

I once had an inspector say I forgot to caulk a chimney flashing at that was the cause of their leak. Pshaw! We caulked it during the original install then they claimed it leaked so we came out and caulked again. At the time of the second caulk I told them their chimney mortar is almost not existent. It leaked again and they complained again and I told them again their chimney sucks... They called an inspector who said we didn't caulk the chimney LOL

One home owner called us to replace her roof. She just bought the house and started having leaks a few weeks after she moved in. The inspector said the roof had plenty of life left, a few years at least. I took one glance at the roof and it was clearly way past the end of it's life.

Here is my take on home inspectors: How can one person how everything? Impossible. I truly beleive inspectors should be specialized in various areas of building construction.

[Rich]

I feel the same way about building inspectors...haha. Many of them are specialized in larger communities - but in smaller communities it's all one and the same person. I do agree with your assumption of home inspectors though. If they had built for 10 years as a GC I would feel better. But many of them take the "at home course for home inspectors" and they get some certificate that says they know what they are talking about.. yet they've never picked up a hammer before. Feel much the same about architects and their "no budget, no schedule, theory only" school.

[roger g]

The saga continues. As I said in the beginning, the reason I wanted a home inspection was to find out about local (west coast) problems plus I wanted to "just see" what it was all about. Sooooooo for $300.00 I did get a really neat three ring binder with lots of good stuff in it. He did let me know about certain local insurance company no no's plus he did find some minor things that I had not seen. I have now a check list of things to do when I buy another place. As I said before, I know something about construction but I really like lists because you can't remember everything and though I like lists I generally don't make them.
The problems is I can't understand how he could check a roof and flashing without getting on the roof! This is a bungalow with a 3/12 roof! There is a bunch of real head scratchers which he covers himself with vague and non committal phrases. But I guess you can be sued if you make definite staements and they prove to be wrong. How many definite statements would we make if we thought there was a high probability of being sued.
So I don't think the money was a complete waste because you always learn something even by learning what NOT to do. The next house I will buy I will put in the same condition about a home inspection but I will do it myself. The first time going through a house, you are with the wife and everyone is polite and trying not to poke too much or disturb a lot though there is a certain amount of investigation. I'll put in a price and if accepted I would go back several weeks later (it's surprising how much you miss the first time) with ladders and overalls and stay for hours with my checklist. This is business! If there is any major problems I can back out of the deal. If there are minor but significant problems you can backout and re negotiate.
So, it wasn't a complete waste of money.

Roger

[grumpydasmurf]

Roger any chance you can post that list? :) I too, like you, like lists. Hmm

Just like you, I like lists too. Yeah that sounds better.

[Rich]

haha.. I've got lists of my lists to keep them all straight.

[roger g]

Hi Grump. Sorry I just saw your message about the list. I'll try to find the binder and get back to you.
I'm having so much trouble with the computer I think one day it will stop altogether. It freezes and crashes a dozen times a day.

Roger

[grumpydasmurf]

LOL on Monday my truck wouldnt start and neither would my computer and both are only two years old :)

[Iguana]

Well I'm a Home Inspection student. So I'm in the middle of the argument here. I'm studying from an engineering firm, and the program takes about 1.5 years to complete. 5900 pages of course material, 2 building code courses, field assignments, case studies etc.
A Canadian mentioned that he wasn't certain about certification here. There is the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors, and the Canadian one, both following the lead of ASHI (American).
I don't necessarily see why an Engineer should make a better HI (chemical engineer for ex).
There are certainly many cowboys out there, but trained registered guys should be much better. As for swinging the hammer, I can show you hundreds of photos of guys who've swung the hammer, and the messes they've made of things.
BTW we are trained to be somewhat vague in our wording. There's a great deal of stuff we cannot see. We're like GPs. As for 5-7 hour inspections!! Holy crap! 2-2.5 hours (and that includes writing the report). The buyer and inspector will start loosing their energy and concentration after that.

[CThomp]

The home inspector the inspected my home was worthless. From what I under stand most in Florida are. Not all but most. In Florida when you buy a home as long as the water comes on, the roof doesn't leak and the lights turn on they ignore everything else.

[giddonah]

Hey roger, how 'bout that list? :poke: