Woman in front of house with inspector

10 Warning Signs You Hired a Bad Home Inspector

Are you buying a home and looking for a home inspector? Then you need to read this to make sure you don’t hire a bad one. Here are warning signs that you hired a bad home inspector!

Bad Home Inspector Warning Signs

Lazy Home Inspector

There are several major warning signs that you have hired a bad home inspector. One of the most obvious is if your home inspector appears to be lazy, cutting corners, or not thoroughly checking everything.

Another red flag is if the home inspector rushes through the inspection. For example, if a typical thorough home inspection takes around 2.5 to 3 hours, but your inspector completed it in half the time, that’s a cause for concern!

Bad home inspector

Does Not Want You There

A telltale sign that you hired a bad home inspector is if they don’t want you in the house while they are doing the home inspection. That’s a major red flag. Most reputable home inspectors will welcome home buyers to be present in the house while he’s doing the home inspection.

From my experience as a real estate agent, I strongly advise all home buyers to be present and to walk around with the home inspector the whole time he is inspecting your home. This way, if there are any issues, you see them first hand. Plus, you can learn a lot about how to maintain your home by spending a few hours with the home inspector!

No Ladder

One major warning sign that the home buyer has hired a bad home inspector is if the inspector’s truck does not have a ladder. In my experience, the most hardworking and thorough home inspectors will usually climb up to visually inspect the roof. While a comprehensive roof inspection requires a roofer, it’s still important for the home inspector to check the roof.

Inadequate Home Inspection Report

One clear warning sign that you hired a bad home inspector is if you get a home inspection report that lacks detailed information. Meaning there are no pictures and not enough details. It looks like a generic report, more of a template, where the home inspector just ticks off the checkboxes. 

Physically Unfit

One major red flag indicating that you’ve hired an inadequate home inspector is if the inspector is not physically fit. If the inspector appears to have difficulty moving around, it’s a troubling sign.

You need a home inspector who can easily navigate tight spaces like crawl spaces or attics. Without physical fitness, they won’t be able to do a thorough job inspecting your home.

Slow in Getting Inspection Report

If your home inspector is taking an unusually long time to provide the inspection report, it might be a red flag. Normally, you should receive the report within 1-2 days. If it’s taking them a week, you might have hired an unreliable inspector, putting your potential home purchase at risk!

Bad home inspector

Lots of Availablity

It’s a red flag if you discover that your home inspector has plenty of availability. A busy schedule is a sign of a reputable inspector, as their calendars tend to fill up quickly.

Not Licensed in Your State

One warning sign you hired a bad home inspector is if they are from out of town. Hiring a home inspector who isn’t licensed in your state can lead to problems during repair negotiations with the seller. In some cases, the seller may only accept a report from a licensed home inspector from your state.

Also, a home inspector from out of town may not be familiar with the local area, potentially resulting in overlooking important issues during the inspection.

No License

Some home buyers try to save money by hiring a home inspector without a license, thinking they’re getting a good deal. But let me tell you, it’s not worth saving a few hundred dollars. You might end up buying a house with a lot of problems that could end up costing you much more in the long run.

Without a license, you can’t be sure that the home inspector is trained and knows the standards of practice. Remember, you want a qualified home inspector who knows what they’re doing. When making such a significant investment, like buying a house, it’s best not to take the risk of hiring an unlicensed home inspector.

Everything is Fine

When working with a home inspector, it’s a red flag if you ask about any issues, and they respond with “everything is fine, no problems.” This is a major red flag because there’s no such thing as a perfect home with zero issues.

There are always minor problems like plumbing issues, GFCI outlet problems, or faulty wiring. These minor issues can sometimes be overwhelming for new home buyers, but they are not deal breakers.

If the home inspector claims there are no issues, that’s a warning sign. You might end up buying the house, moving in, and later discovering many costly problems.

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