Family Classics: House Hunt

Home inspections: Everyone tells you to get one before you sign your mortgage papers, but it’s a big chunk of change at a time when you’re feeling like everyone in the world is holding a hand out for you to put a check into.  Tempted to skip it?  Let me tell you a genuine horror story.  Sadly, it happened to some of my close relatives (who shall remain nameless, but they passed along their genes to me).

Mr. and Mrs. X sold their home in the city and moved to the tiny town where Mr. X had grown up.  They fell in love with a home that had been built just the previous year by a couple who split up shortly after it was completed.  It was cozy and practically new.  “Get a home inspection!” urged their offspring, particularly the one who worked for real estate attorneys.  “Pshaw!” said Mr. X.  “This is the country, where you seal deals with a handshake and a man’s word is his bond.”  Cue the offspring’s eyes all rolling, in unison.

About a year after Mr. and Mrs. X moved in, problems arose.  Pictures tilted on the walls.  People sneezed a lot.  There was a stench.  Turns out that the house was built on a bog and the foundation was resting in mud.  The home was slowing sinking.  What ensued was every homeowner’s nightmare:  Mr. and Mrs. X had to move out, the house had to be stripped down to the studs, some kind of building material had to be put under the house to steady it and fill in the bog, and then it had to be rebuilt from the ground up.  Mr. and Mrs. X ended up paying for their retirement home twice:  once to buy it and then to rebuild it.  An inspection would have detected the problem.

So now that you’re convinced an inspection is a necessity, how to find an appraiser?  Your real estate agent will probably have some recommendations.  It’s not a bad idea to go with the person your agent knows, but remember that the agent has a vested interest in your prospective home passing inspection and the deal closing.  If you have any doubts about how much you trust your agent, it’s a good idea to hire your own inspector.  Ask your friends for recommendations.  (One thing I’ve noticed about friends who’ve bought homes, they just love to talk about the process.  They’re very vocal about who they had confidence in and who they didn’t.)

Although this article is about older homes, newer homes need inspections just as much.  Consider the case of Mr. and Mrs. X above.  Especially during the real estate boom, developers were building as fast as they could, and contractors in a hurry don’t care as much about quality as they do about getting paid and getting along to another job.  In my new home, we discovered (when the first winter came) that every outdoor door frame had been painted with primer paint only.  It peeled off like a banana skin instead of protecting the wood below.  Thanks, Mr. Contractor; your skipping that sealing coat of paint cost me a few hundred dollars in replacement frames when spring came.

How much does an inspection cost?  A decade ago, mine was $350.  A friend just had one done last month in my neighborhood and it cost him $500.  Of course, prices vary, but don’t be afraid to call around and get quotes before you decide on an inspector.  You may begrudge spending the money, but it might be the most important check you write before you invest in your new home.

• Nolo Law For All:  Getting a Home Inspection
• Publications.USA.gov: For Your Protection, Get a Home Inspection