Home inspection horror stories

The worst thing? The home inspector! I was selling a home, the person doing the inspection implied that the new windows had been stolen and that the permit for the wood stove was fake. I ripped up the deposit check and asked the buyer and inspector to leave. The 'inspector' admitted that he was not a home inspector, he was a construction consultant.

My home inspector missed a termite infestation and a broken furnace. It cost me thousands and they are still in business in Boston.

I am going thru a corporate relocation and had to have a home inspection prior to anything else. The guy they sent was an idiot. I think the only thing easier than being a real estate agent or appraiser is to be a home inspector. The "licensing" is a joke at best. Watch your as these humps have no idea.

The inspectors are also scared of offending the Agents. The agent recommends the inspector.

I think it would be better to pay an electrician, a plumber and a pest guy for an hour of their time to look at the house. I know scheduling would be a pain, but they actually would know what they were taking about, and they could tell you what needs replacing.

For example every time a plumber or furnace guy see’s my boiler they immediately tell me that it should be replaced. The electricians say the same thing about my circuit breakers.

The home inspector refused to comment about either item claiming he couldn’t comment on the furnace or the electrical. What a waste of money.

Home inspections are great. A lot of home inspectors are worthless, however. And its really tough to tell the good from the bad unless you already have enough knowledge to do the inspection yourself.

A bigger issue is the structural one, where the situation is much like appraisers. Home inspectors may seemingly be hired by the buyer, but if they blow up deals no real estate agent will give them the referrals they depend on.

Thus, the person whose interests they are really watching out for is the real estate agents. It has to be truly egregious before a home inspector will say something bad about the house. As that would kill their livelihood - no one would refer buyers to them anymore.

My solution in situations I don't feel qualified to inspect a place myself is to hire contractors that I know to do the inspections. If I'm being really careful, I'll have an electrician look at the electrical, a furnace guy look at the furnace, etc.

In my experience, the home inspectors I used to hire when I bought places missed enormous amounts of stuff. Better than nothing, but not nearly as good as buyers expect.

I used an infamous Wakefield inspection company. What a waste! The inspector missed plumbing that was not installed properly, gaps in the foundation, and a deck that was not built properly. Choose your inspector carefully and unless you really trust your real estate agent, don't let your agent recommend an inspector. Their incentive is not aligned with yours even if they are a buyer agent.

I'm an agent in MA. Most of us would NEVER recommend a particular home inspector for the very reasons mentioned here. We might give you a list of inspectors in the area, but that's as far as it should go. I recommend that my buyers ask folks in their family who have recently used a home inspector, or a friend who has recently used a home inspector and were happy with the services. It would be a clear conflict of interest for an agent to say, for example, "I'll give you the name of the guy I use, he'll do a great job". Well, what if he doesn't? Check references, CALL THEM, find out if they really did a good job for other buyers. And, if you don't feel comfortable with the results of your home inspection, bring in some experts...termites, asbestos, lead paint, etc. Money well spent.

From my experience and my friends experiences the agent alway's gives 1 or 2 recomendations for "Good Inspectors".

When I bought my condo, I used a RE Agent's affiliated home inspector. The seller said the roof was replaced 2 years earlier. The inspector said the roof look new. Four years later, I got hit with $7000 special assessment for roof replacement. When ask the building management, they said the roof was original since the building was built. I got shaft by the seller/re agent/home inspector.

...Actually Home Inspector job is not easier than Re Agent or Appraiser. They crawl under the crawlspace and climb the roof in winter -- it's a dangerous job to get $250. In comparison, the plumber/electrician travel mileage fee costs half of this alone -- I've never understood this travel fee.

@ 4 -AmyH,
I think you expected too much just because he is a home inspector. I don't believe his priority is to determine the reliability furnace. If during his inspection, the thing works when he turns it on it's okay in his term. They are hundreds of things that are bad for an old house if you determine to find them. Home Inspector is human and some times things can be overlooked during his inspection.

Home Inspectors are generalist. They determine the condition of the house at the time of the inspection for major issues. It is up to the consumer to find a good inspector. Recommendations from your RE is not only If you are using a contractor for you home inspection in a licenced state, this is illegal. Go to www.nachi.org and find an inspector who will perform an unbiased inspection. I have used several and their knowledge and integrity are unbeatable. Other associations do not stand up to nachi!

I am a Home Inspector. First, I would like to say that I was not pleased to read what many had to say about home inspectors. However, even though many inspectors like me get referrals from realtors for the most part many times it is due for professional reason. I for one spend an average of three to four hours inspecting a home. As a Certified Real Estate Inspector (CRI) through the National Association of Home Inspectors, I take great pride in finding and reporting defects, so my clients can make educated decisions on their real estate transactions. Most realtors are happy to pass on referrals on good home inspectors, because they view them as their best defense for not being sued for non disclosure of defects. Believe it or not, there are still many highly qualified experience home inspectors out there that have the buyer’s interest at heart. To find them you only have to do the following: Ask which national professional home inspection organization they belong to and go on the internet to check if they are in good standing. Ask for three references for inspections completed in the last 60 days and do check them out. Check with your local Better Business Bureau for any complaints filed against them. When you finally select a home inspector ask them to provide you a copy of their professional organization Standard of Practices that they must follow. Professional home inspection organizations established Standard of Practices to insure their members complete a quality and effective home inspection.

I just took the nachi structural exam on a whim. Took me 5 minutes to complete the hour long exam and I got an 88% correct and passed. And this includes guessing at the Nachi SOP questions.

Yes, as a developer I'm knowledgable, but this wasn't exactly inspiring. It was a very easy test.

As president of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), I understand that a home inspection is a consumer’s first line of defense in protecting their largest investment. ASHI's Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics is the industry standard and has been for more than 30 years. ASHI Certified Inspectors agree to follow these standards and ethics and must pass the toughest membership requirements in the industry. I strongly encourage anyone hiring a home inspector to visit, www.ASHI.org to learn more about ASHI’s membership requirements and to view ASHI’s Virtual Home Inspection tool. The website will help you learn more about what a thorough home inspection should include.

I was selling a 70 year old house and the inspector nit-picked the place apart. Pages of problems I never knew existed and a few that I did know about. The buyers wanted me to fix everything- I think they wanted me to rebuild it for them. I finally agreed to fix one cracked floor joist and told them if they wanted the house they could fix the problems themselves- They agreed after chisling the price from 125k to 110k I hated that inspector because it was an old house but still the nicest one on the block.

Sounds like the inspector in #14 did his job pretty well, frankly.

I am also a home inspector. NAHI (National Assn of Home Inspectors) and ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) both require their members to take proctored exams (closed book) and yearly continuing ed. Some other assns (like NACHI or interNACHI as they were forced to change their name to after a lawsuit), have their prospective members take an online unproctored exam. Who knows who really took the interNACHI exam and what books or websites this person was using to get all of the answers? Not a reliable method of 'certifiying' someone, if you ask me.

Home Inspectors are human and like every profession, there are good, honest ones and bad, unethical ones.

When calling around, ask home inspectors these questions:

1. Do they have a background in engineering or construction? From my experience, the best home inspectors come from one of these areas.

2. Are they members of ASHI or NAHI or some other organization?

3. Are they licensed? Some states now require this.

4. What does the final report format? Some inspectors provide a 30~40 page narrative format report that explains in plain English any issues and preventive maintenance suggestions. Other inspectors only provide a 5 or 8 page handwritten checklist that is tough to read and understand.

5. When do you get the report? Some provide it onsite, others email the same day, still some others don't provide the report for days.

6. Is the inspector trained and insured to provide the services he offers? Things like termite/WDI inspections, radon testing, water quality testing, etc. often require special training (other than home inspections) and added insurance coverage.

7. Will the inspector offer to repair things found in the inspection report? If so, this is an obvious conflict of interest and indicates someone you want to stay away from. Do you want someone who may be finding things just to pad a side business? If the inspector finds problems, they should be referred to 3rd parties for repair.

8. Ask the inspector to email or fax you a sample report. That is an easy way to find out what the final report looks like and how thorough it is.

Yes, most home inspectors rely on referrals from Realtors. There is not much we can do about this right now since Realtors are our bread and butter source of business. If states pass legislation that Realtors can not refer home inspectors, appraisers, lenders, etc. this would truly be consumer friendly. Until then, what are we supposed to do?

If an inspector is worth his fee, he will find issues that exist and refer them for repair, whether or not this may affect the next referral. If a Realtor is going to hurt me by not providing a referral next time, then I don't want to work for that Realtor who is not really protecting their buyer's best interest.

When needing a home inspector, call around, ask friend and family, and do some homework to find a qualified home inspector. You'll be glad you did.

For the most part you should quit your - about home inspects and do as the agent stated in # 7. I'm a NAHI CRI have been for several years and I get asked about my backround , education in the trades and references all the time. Do your homework on a inspector or a inspection company well BEFORE you write a offer on a home and that may make the entire transaction go a little smoother .

#14 is what my clients pay me to do. I am a CRI with the National Association of Home Inspectors and have been for years. It is not up to me to delete anything from my report as what might not be important to me could be very important to my client. I am not there to make friends with the seller, I am there to report the condition of the property. Anything less would be a dis-service to them. With that said, more times than not, the complaining or unhappy seller calls me to inspect their new home they want inspected. I consider it a marketing tool, not being pickey. Realtors that expect anything less is not a realtor I want to do business with. Good agents want good inspections. The inspection report is not meant to affend anyone, it is to report the findings. Afterall, the condition reported was the way I found it. I do not just make them up...

As a CRI with the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI) I find several of the comments both disturbing, and familiar. It is a few inspectors that give our industry a bad name but the same could be said of any industry I suppose.
I would like to mention some statistics of a personal nature. Over the past three years I have had two clients ask for references and exactly one ask my qualifications. Approximately 40% of the time it is the agent calling to set the appointment. I mention that because I tend to believe that a high level of trust is placed in the agent and clients expect them to have the knowledge and experience to know who the "good" inspector is. The term "good" is often however, relative to the person using it and the consumer may often find they did not get what they expected. If you are a buyer, make a simple step and pick up the phone. As well, visit the National Organization they belong to and see if this inspector meets your needs and expectations. Visit www.NAHI.org and learn about the inspection process, what it includes and equally as important, what it does not. There is some good information in this blog to help a buyer find a good inspector, please do so and protect your investment.

when #14 buys his next house he should use the same inspector and i'll bet he loves him for saving his - as a home inspector for the last 14 years i find that they hate me and then they love me when i inspect their purchase
read nachi's requirements to become an inspector and you will see it aint much- get an ashi or nahi inspector and check his/her references and go along on the inspection and ask a bunch of questions and tell the realtor to back off, and thru it all try to have realistic expectations about what someone can see and what they can't- would you take your car to be inspected and then sue the mechanic if the car got a flat tire a month later?- things wear out and thing break unexpectedly

#10 poster is an obvoius plant for the nefarias organazation previously know as NACHI, now officially known as the interNACHI. The reason they go by that name is a federal judge put a cease and desist on them using the name NACHI, which at one time supposedly stood for the "National Association of Certified Home Inspectors" There is nothing certified about this organization other than it's founder who is a complete -. This fool has done more harm to the Home Inspection Industry than all the flaky, fly by night, bozos who ever hung out a shingle in this basically unregulated industry combined. He has done this by setting "NACHI" up as a 'certifying' organization while it is really nothing more than a watered down playground for people to join up and call themselves home inspectors. In fact, their 'certification' test is a joke and the organization is more like a marketing front for various vendors to ply their wares to wannabe home inspectors than a 'cettifying organization. There are currently only 2 serous home inspection organizations that tend to vet their members and provide comsumers with some level of assurance that members of their organizations are in fact somewhat qualifed to do the job. These are ASHI and NAHI. (American Society of Home Inspectors & National Association of Home inspectors). So when you check out the references of your home inspector, be aware of this fact. This message is brought to by someone who has observed this industry for several years and wants to set the record straight.

A member of our local chapter of NAHI had his 14 year old son (who had never done an inspection or accompanied his dad on one) take the interNACHI "certification" exam. No surprise he passed. There are only two national organizations who take pride in their members because they have to earn that membership. I work very hard for my clients and will not accept referrals from realtors who want me to sell a house for them. Every house has warts and it is my job to see them and report them to the buyer. I am always busy.

One way of telling a poor home inspector from the rest is when he is forced to rely upon what association he is a member of to speak for him.

"I belong to Brand A and all Brand A inspectors are excellent! Whatever you do, do not hire an inspector who is a member of Brand X. All of them are bad."

The truth is, many home inspectors join several associations so they can take advantage of the widespread marketing exposure. Another truth is, due to the political nature of some of these associations, many old-timers after so many years of listening to the BS....quit all of their associations and remain independent.

Anyone can join ASHI who is willing to take the time to fill out an application and send a check. Does that make ASHI bad? If ASHI is bad, how do you explain so many ASHI members who ALSO belong to NAHI and NACHI? Does that make NAHI and NACHI bad, too?

Come on, people.

I am what I am as a home inspector by virtue of my training, my experience, my investment in education and tools, and my willingness to continue to learn. None of that has anything to do with my association.

I prefer to think my associations are better because of my membership...not vice versa.

Number 23 has the right of it. I have been a member of a few national organizations and one cannot generalize as to the quality of the entire membership of the organization. When I chose what org. to join I was qualified to join them all.
It is time to suppress this bantering between orgs. My calendar is full is and most of them are referrals and repeats. This is so because I am a caring, concerned, professional home inspector, not because I am a member of NAHI, INACHI, or ASHI.

www.nachi.org/requirementcomparison.htm says it all.

I will never use Tiger Home Inspections again. Bad job, missed a lot of obvious things and rude and unhelpful after the sale. I will definitely hire specialists one at a time to inspect my next home purchase.

I have used Tiger many times and have never had any kind of issue. I would recommend them to everyone.

The worst thing is the rudeness of one telling me my place was messy {which I agree it is but still} taking flash photos of the mess,threatening me with another inspection and asking me confusing questions.
Besides things that can be broken which makes sense but why allow these strangers to come in to remind you it's not your place.
I hate home inspectors if they could be a little nicer when they might complain and be understanding of people haveing disabiltys like me maybe.
I don't get this fast paced adult stuff but now I know never to open the door never.