What are things that a Home Inspector should not do?
In continuing the topic of the January 2024 article, The biggest reason for a Home Inspection: Peace of Mind, what are things that a Home Inspector should not do?
What Don’t Home Inspectors Do?
Buyers always ask what Home Inspectors do during a Home Inspection. As an inspector, it is equally important to set people’s expectations and tell them what we do not do.
Home Inspectors are not Estimators.
Usually, after the defects are summarized to the Buyer, the Buyer will ask, “How much does that cost to fix it”? A Home Inspector is not a General Contractor or a repair person that can give accurate cost estimates. Simply put, a Home Inspector is not qualified to give cost estimates. If they do, and the actual costs far exceed the estimates, the Buyer will be disappointed and blame the Home Inspector for misleading information.
Home Inspectors are not Repair Contractors.
It is a conflict of interest for a Home Inspector to get paid for repairing a defect that is noted in the Home Inspection Report. This can lead to “creating” defects in order to profit from the repairs. Of course, this is against the Code of Ethics for a Home Inspector.
Home Inspectors are not Realtors.
Another commonly asked question by the Buyer is, “Would you buy this House”? Again, the Home Inspector is not qualified to answer this question. The only professional that has the credentials, market knowledge, and sold prices in the neighborhood is the Realtor. All questions regarding the purchase of the property should be directed to the Realtor, not the Home Inspector.
Home Inspectors are not Movers.
Typically, a house may still have tenants or owners living in the house during the Home Inspection. Furniture and other large household items will block access to electrical outlets, crawlspace, windows, and other components that a Home Inspector will ideally check. However, a Home Inspector will not move furniture or other items to test these components. They are not Movers due to liability concerns. If they break a household item during an attempted move, the cost to repair will probably exceed the cost of the Home Inspection. Home Inspectors are not professionally trained Movers.
Home Inspectors are not Appraisers.
The Home Inspector is an expert on the condition of the house. The Appraiser is an expert on the purchase value of the house. These are two vastly different perspectives on the house.
Home Inspectors are not Negotiators.
After the defects are given to the Buyers, they will ask if we can help them convince the Sellers to reduce the offer price on the house. This is not the expertise of a Home Inspector to negotiate with the Seller on the Home Inspection findings. This is definitely a task for a professional that is trained in this field: Your Realtor!
For any questions on this topic, please call Oscar Libed of Inspect Hawaii at 808-728-5707 or send an email to oscar@inspecthawaii.com
