As Home Inspectors, we are very thorough in our evaluation of your home and its components. This means there are a lot of things we do at a home inspection. However, there is also a list of things Home Inspectors don’t do. Here’s a list of 7 things home inspectors don’t do.
1. Shovel
On a day like today when there are blizzard warnings and inspections have been rescheduled, it might go without saying that as home inspectors, we do not shovel. It simply is outside our job description. Snowy conditions may be frustrating, but they can provide an opportunity to see things otherwise not visible. Isolated melted areas could indicate a lack of insulation. Icicles hanging from the gutters may be a sign of inadequate attic ventilation/insulation.
2. Offer Real Estate Advice
Home Inspectors specialize in the evaluation of a home, not real estate decisions. We frequently get questions from clients like ‘If you were in our position, would you buy this house?’. We refrain from offering any real estate advice to our clients and typically point them to their realtor for help in answering this question. Deciding to buy a house is challenging and we appreciate the desire to gain as much information and guidance as possible. However, everyone’s situation, circumstances, and resources are different. House A may not be right for you because of the foundation issues it has, while house B might be a better fit because your brother is an electrician and can handle changing out the panel which is a safety hazard.
3. Move Furniture
During an inspection, we evaluate all the accessible portions of the home to the best of our ability. However, we are not in the moving business. We will test all the outlets and windows that we can get to, but we won’t move couches or dressers. This is why we send a note to sellers helping them prepare for an inspection by ensuring we have access to all the necessary components and areas. The most common places we encounter issues are access to the attic and mechanical equipment in basements (including sump pumps and the main water valve in the house).
4. Give Estimates of Repair Costs
Home Inspection reports include lots of detained notes about various deficiencies found during an inspection. We naturally get asked what the various repair costs are for the issues we noted. Unfortunately, we are not able to give estimates of repair costs. We leave estimates to the qualified contractors who are doing that work daily in their respective fields. I might think I know how much it costs to replace a water heater or a furnace, but product prices and labor costs change and we cannot stay abreast of what repair costs may be. We always recommend getting an actual estimate from a qualified contractor.
5. Diagnose Defects
Just because we know it is not working doesn’t mean we know why. I can probably tell you that the ceiling fan is wobbling because it is out of balance, but that may not be the only issue that needs repair. If a fireplace doesn’t light, we may have some suggestions of what the issue is. Unfortunately, we are not able to diagnose what the specific issue is during a home inspection. Diagnosing defects is beyond the scope of what we do. We point out the issues, defects, and concerns we encounter, but we do not try to seek out what the cause is.
6. Estimate Component Lifespans
Many homebuyers want to know how long the furnace will last, how much life is left in the roof, and when they will need to replace the windows. While we can offer general timeframes for most items, we cannot give specific estimates. I can tell you that the typical lifespan for a gas water heater is 8-12 years while an electric one usually lasts 10-15 years. However, how long your unit will last depends on many factors that prevent estimating its specific lifespan.
7. Enter Unsafe Areas
Sometimes during an inspection, there are places that are just too dangerous to enter. As inspectors, we are not required to enter any area that we feel is unsafe or puts us at risk during an inspection. Water on the floor in front of the electrical panel will mean we are not able to inspect the panel. A plumbing leak in a low crawl space will often prevent access to portions of that area. Wet/icy conditions outside will limit our access to the roof. We do our best to look at all portions of the home, however, conditions at the time of inspection can limit what we can access safely.