Home inspection myths explained and disproved

After thousands of inspections completed all over West Texas, I've heard more than my share of inaccurate information about property inspections, property inspectors, and all that's associated. Buying a home in Lubbock, Odessa/Midland, Snyder/Colorado City, or any of our awesome small towns in West Texas can be daunting. Knowledge is power as they say - check out the info below to learn more

More often than not, this incorrect information comes from misunderstandings and miscommunication.  As I've mentioned before in earlier posts, buying a home is one of the biggest decisions you'll make in your life. It's important to know what we're doing before we do it in most any situation, particularly when making such a big investment. This is where research & communication come in. Research on your part: learn all you can about the home buying process, the home inspection process, the appraisal process, the financing process, the closing process, etc. Research on your Agent's part is crucial too. Also, are they good communicators? And are you a communicator in return? 

As far as the home inspection process is concerned, I can help with some common misconceptions that I hear often:

Myth #1 - Whatever the inspection report says, it has to be fixed before the home is purchased.
I hear this one often from first time home buyers and buyers moving to West Texas from out of state. The truth is the exact opposite; nothing HAS to be fixed per any laws. Now, financing can absolutely impact this, but financing has no bearing on home inspectors or what we are licensed by the State of Texas to inspect and report.

Myth #2: The inspector will be able to tell you what class of shingles are on the roof and how old the roof is. 
Surprisingly, this myth I believe is perpetuated by Realtors more often than not. And it's just simply not true. An inspector could make an educated guess at both, (much like a roofing contractor is sometimes happy to do). But to know the class of shingle, or the age of the roof, you'd need to get that info from the roofing contractor that installed it. This is sometimes difficult info to come by; is the roofer still in business? Does the seller know who installed the roof? Etc. This may be why some realtors want the inspector to stick their neck out on this issue. If you find an inspector that will, trust me, he or she is simply guessing, and nothing more!

Myth #3: The inspector moves furniture and the seller's other belongings in order to inspect.

I haven't heard this one in a while, but again, simply not true. To put this in perspective, look at this from the seller's point of view. Your selling your home and you have nice floors, and attractive furniture. Now picture someone coming in and sliding your couch or entertainment center out of the way in order to look behind them. The floor is scratched or the furniture is damaged. Then, the buyuer ends up not purchasing the home. The seller has scracthed floors and now has to try again selling their home! See the predicament? 
Again, any inspector who willingly moves personal belongings in order to inspect is either very new to the industry, or very desperate! Either of those are not a reason to choose a home inspector!

Myth #4: The inspector inspects every single component in the home during an inspection. 
This one can truly hurt you as a home buyer if you go into the home inspection looking for this expectation to be met. It's simply not realistic for any person to complete such a tall order, day in and day out. Think of how different homes are. Some have sprinkler systems, some don't. Some have septic systems, some don't. Some have pools, many don't. Some have cable for TV and internet, some don't. Some have water softeners and RO systems, some don't. I could continue, but you get the idea. Every licensed home inspector in Texas is required to inspect specific areas of the home or property. These areas they are to inspect are generally components you would find at the vast majority of homes or properties. Things like electrical systems, plumbing systems, etc.  

Knowledge is power! Research and communicate!

#home #inspector #property #homeinspection #lubbock #texas