Submitted By: Dwayne Boggs (Dwayne is a home inspector serving the Thurston County area home inspection market.)
I received a phone call from a home seller last week complaining I killed the deal on her house. I inspected her home for the new buyers, and they decided not to buy it after I inspected it because there were so many issues identified at the inspection.
A few of the issues included an improperly built deck, a roof in need of replacement, and improper exterior flashing. The owner called me and said that I went overboard with my comments, and wanted to make sure I knew that it was my fault that the buyers backed out of the deal.
The angry homeowner told me that one of the items I called out was not a problem because the building official had signed off on the home when it was built. I know that a ton of stuff gets missed during new construction, and it’s always a good idea to have new houses privately inspected. I told the angry homeowner in a passionate, yet professional manner, that just because a building official signed off on something 11 years ago doesn’t make it ok with me.
I should have ended the call instead of getting dragged in to a conversation about my inspection, but I couldn’t help myself – I’m proud of my work, and I stand behind it.
Before ending the call, the angry homeowner wanted to know if I would have bought the home.
That’s a loaded question that I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. I told the homeowner that I don’t know what his home is selling for, what the terms of the purchase agreement are, or what the property is actually worth. Without carefully going over all of those things, I wouldn’t know if a property was a good buy or not.
A home inspection is never a pass / fail, and I never give advice on whether or not to buy a house. My job is to make sure the buyer is making an informed decision.
About the Author
Dwayne is the former past President of the Washington Association of Property Inspectors, Dwayne is also a committee member for the Washington State Pest Management Association (WSPMA), Dwayne has been serving the Thurston County home inspection markets of Olympia home inspection, Lacey home inspection and Tumwater home inspection for many years. Boggs Inspection Services can be reached at 360-480-9602.
