Trust But Verify and Why Inspections Still Matter
Scott P. Rogers
When we're looking at a home that you might purchase, we'll likely ask the seller a few (or more than a few) questions about the systems of the house and a variety of other items. But, even having feedback from the seller on those items, we'll still want to verify the accuracy of those answers via a home inspection or by other means.
The Roof
The seller says the roof was replaced five years ago... great. We'll likely believe them. But we're still going to have the inspector get up there and look for themselves. Does the wear pattern actually match a five year old roof? Are there any soft spots, missing granules, or flashing issues that shouldn't be there yet? It will probably check out, but we'll want to have the home inspector verify the feedback we receive from the seller.
The Heat Pump.
The seller says it's 30 years old but that it works just fine. That might be true... old equipment can absolutely still work, and sometimes works better than newer systems. But "works fine" is subjective, and a 30 year old heat pump is well past its expected lifespan. So, we'll have the inspector run the system, measure the temperature differential, and make sure it is working within the expected parameters.
The Leak.
The same thing applies or a leak that the seller says they already fixed. We don't typically doubt them. Repairs happen, and most of the time they hold. But a fixed leak today can still have moisture left behind, in places you can't see without running the water and checking with the right tools. So, again, the inspector will verify whether all is well.
None of this is about distrust the seller. It's about doing your due diligence. We will ask the seller, and trust the seller, but we'll verify anyway.
The Roof
The seller says the roof was replaced five years ago... great. We'll likely believe them. But we're still going to have the inspector get up there and look for themselves. Does the wear pattern actually match a five year old roof? Are there any soft spots, missing granules, or flashing issues that shouldn't be there yet? It will probably check out, but we'll want to have the home inspector verify the feedback we receive from the seller.
The Heat Pump.
The seller says it's 30 years old but that it works just fine. That might be true... old equipment can absolutely still work, and sometimes works better than newer systems. But "works fine" is subjective, and a 30 year old heat pump is well past its expected lifespan. So, we'll have the inspector run the system, measure the temperature differential, and make sure it is working within the expected parameters.
The Leak.
The same thing applies or a leak that the seller says they already fixed. We don't typically doubt them. Repairs happen, and most of the time they hold. But a fixed leak today can still have moisture left behind, in places you can't see without running the water and checking with the right tools. So, again, the inspector will verify whether all is well.
None of this is about distrust the seller. It's about doing your due diligence. We will ask the seller, and trust the seller, but we'll verify anyway.
