Too short an inspection

Dear Scott,

We just had our home inspection. The inspector was there for about an hour and told us there wasn’t anything wrong but the grade is toward the house. This is an older home, well-kept but I have a hard time believing there isn’t anything else wrong. Am I worrying for nothing?

Dorothy.

Dear Dorothy,

The answer, as a fellow home inspector, is not an easy one without stepping on toes but I will proceed and may smash a toe or two. You will notice I removed the company from the blog as this is not about “bashing” any individual but telling the truth about an industry. Every industry is going to have people from the bottom of the scale to the top. Our company prides itself on our thorough inspections. There is no way the inspector can find what he needs to in an hour. Most inspections should take 2-3 hours even with a good house. Ours often go much longer. In my 12 years I have not inspected any house, including new construction that had nothing wrong.

It is unfortunate that you inspection contingency time frame is likely passed and you have no choice but to accept the inspection as is. I am not aware of any alternative in this situation. Consulting a Real Estate attorney may be prudent but likely too late. Choosing an inspector is often difficult and we are in a market where you typically get what you pay for. This was likely a cheap inspection and he probably does up to three, may be more, per day based on the time he was there. An average "middle of the road" priced home in SE Wisconsin is around $140,000 to $225,000. Let’s put this in perspective, if you are going to buy a $225,000 car are you going to take it to your local garage to have them check it out before you buy? No you will likely seek out a specialist…Like a top of the line home inspector. I’m not sure I helped you much for the dilemma your in but I hope it may help someone who is buying a house to do their homework on the inspector they choose.