The House Mouse Home Inspection in Santa Clarita

SHOULD THINGS GO WRONG…

There may come a time in the future when you unexpectedly discover something wrong with your house. The first thought that will probably come to mind will be, “Why didn’t the home inspection reveal this problem?” We understand your thinking, and respectfully ask you to consider the following:

INTERMITTENT OR CONCEALED PROBLEMS:

Some problems cannot be discovered during the few hours of a home inspection, and will be revealed only by day-to-day living in the house. For example, some shower stalls will begin to leak only if the showering time is lengthy, or when someone is standing in the shower, but will not leak when a small amount of water is run from the tap. Some roofs and basements leak only when certain specific conditions exist, such as during an unusually strong storm, or consistent high wind and rain blowing from a particular direction. Some flooring problems will be discovered only when all furniture, fixtures or finishes are removed, or when carpets have been completely rolled back.

FOLLOWING CLUES:

Home and building inspectors are a lot like detectives. They search for and follow clues that suggest the presence of a problem, or hint at a developing one. Our inspections are based on the past performance of the house or building. If the past has left no observable clues, then we won’t suspect anything is amiss. Minor problems are the ones that typically leave no clues. The primary focus of our inspections is to uncover the truly significant problems-the ones that will impact the greatest on the purchasers pocketbook or perhaps the decision of whether or not to purchase at all. Our inspection reports may seem inconsistent because sometimes they identify certain minor problems in one area, but not in others. In our search for serious problems, we will note any minor defects discovered in the process. These notations are presented in our reports as a courtesy and are not to suggest that every minor defect has been uncovered.

CONFLICTING ADVICE / OPINIONS

A frequent source of confusion about home inspections is caused by the third-party comments of contractors. For instance, two or more roofing contractors may each agree that the roof needs a total replacement, while our inspection report states that, with minor repairs, the roof has a few more years of service life. Also, the repair of more complex problems with the electrical or plumbing systems, for instance, may be tackled from different perspectives, and frequently the approach which a particular contractor will take with a repair is a function not only of his experience, but the type of tools he’s invested in and the number of employees available to work on the project. Thus, scope, cost, and resources will cause contractors’ opinions about a repair to vary considerably from an inspector’s.

THE LAST-ONE-IN SYNDROME:

As professionals of long experience in examining homes and buildings, we feel the advice we give our clients represents the most prudent thing to do. Many times, however, contractors will demonstrate reluctance to undertake the precise level of repair which we have recommended.

Termed the Last-one-in Syndrome, this behavior is a reflection of the contractor’s understandable reluctance to perform a minor repair on something that may later fail, and thus result in blame simply from having been the last one to work on it. The contractor is naturally inclined to recommend a complete replacement, and at a higher cost to the homeowner, to reduce the likelihood of a callback. This is understandable and no blame is intended.

There is one other aspect of Last-one-in Syndrome, and that is The Most Recent Advice Is the Best argument. This perspective suggests that it is only human nature for homeowners to believe the most recent bit of “expert advice” they have received, even if it is contrary to the inspection report we prepared for them. As home inspectors, or role unfortunately places us in the position of being the first-one-in, and as a consequence, sometimes our advice is the first to be discarded when other “experts” begin to toss-in their two-cents worth later.

WHY DIDN’T I SEE IT?

Sometimes a contractor may be called in to fix a problem and he will comment, “I can’t believe you had this house inspected and they didn’t find this problem.” We are quick to point out some important elements that impact the inspection process, which the contractor has probably not considered:

(1) It’s impossible for the contractor to know the circumstances under which the inspection was performed, or what subtle usage and not-so-subtle events or changes have transpired since the inspection was conducted; homeowners, too, easily forget of find it hard to remember the conditions under which the inspection was conducted, such as prevailing weather, or whether the room was filled with storage items, or that the furnace was not operated because the air conditioning unit was running, etc.;

(2) Monday-morning quarterbacking provides an infallible insight; anyone can comment accurately on the basement floor being wet when there’s two inches of water standing on it. But predicting the possibility of the floor becoming wet in the future is a whole other matter, and that is what a home inspection is all about: an informed, professional opinion of the condition before calamity and the likelihood of a need for repairs in the near future;

(3) Inspections must have a reasonable limit in terms of time and cost; if the amount of time spent on an inspection was doubled or tripled, it is reasonable to conclude that a higher number of faults and problems would be covered, but not necessarily ones more likely to fail or involve higher costs to repair. As professionals of long experience, however, we have developed an inspection method that will provide a balanced, quality review at a reasonable cost;

(4) Home inspectors are generalists, not specialists. A contractor who specializes in only one system, such as air conditioning, is reasonably expected to have more knowledge of his area of expertise than others. Inspectors, however, must have a far broader range of knowledge that is focused in identifying Potential problems, not actually repairing them. The difference lies in the fact that the contractor is typically called in after a failure, and then put to repairing it;

(5) A home or building inspection is a visual inspection, not an invasive one. No damage or destruction is carried out to reveal faults. Perhaps later, when the owner is remodeling and tearing down a wall, pulling up carpet, or removing fixtures and cabinetry, a problem will be discovered that simply was not observable in an earlier visual, non-destructive inspection.

THE TRUE VALUE OF A HOME INSPECTION

Perhaps the greatest value of a thorough professional home inspection is the peace of mind that comes from having a skilled and objective professional examine the property for those faults or problems that, if undiscovered, could result in huge repair or replacement costs that would impact so unfavorably on the purchase price and spoil the pleasure of closing on the deal. A professional home inspection improves the odds of a successful purchase, but it is not designed to eliminate all risk. The modest fee for an inspection is far smaller than the premium an insurance company would charge for a policy with no deductible, no limit and an indefinite policy period. It would also not include the value added by the inspection. Truly, you get
what you pay for, and a professional home inspection is the best buy in town.

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