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Spent $600 on a home inspector who missed a cracked foundation...
Hired a guy my realtor recommended, he spent two hours poking around and gave me a clean report. Six months later I noticed water in the basement during a storm... foundation crack was right behind the furnace. Had to spend $3,200 on repairs. Anybody else get burned by a bad inspector?
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davis.dakota16d ago
My realtor recommended my guy too and he actually saved me from a bad foundation. I paid $450 for a full inspection with a thermal camera and he found a hairline crack in the slab that was hidden under some old carpet in the basement. The seller ended up fixing it before closing, cost them about $5,000. So I guess it really depends on the inspector, not just who recommended them. Some of these guys are thorough and some just rush through to cash the check. I always tell people to ask for a sample report before hiring, you can tell a lot from how detailed their paperwork is. A good inspector will take 3-4 hours minimum and they'll get on the roof and in the crawlspace, not just walk around with a flashlight.
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wendyc5318d ago
You mentioned "realtor recommended" and that's exactly what happened to me too. I used to think any home inspector was basically the same, just a guy with a clipboard and a flashlight, but boy was I wrong. Mine missed a leaking pipe behind the wall that caused a mold problem a few months later. I spent over a thousand dollars fixing it and the guy just shrugged and said "sometimes things get missed." Now I tell everyone to get their own inspector, not one the realtor knows, and maybe even a structural engineer if the house is older. A clean report doesn't mean a thing if they're just going through the motions.
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