Why can’t the Buyer do a Home Inspection?
In continuing the topic of the April 2024 article, What are the 7 Systems in a House that you should check?, why can’t the Buyer do a Home Inspection?
What best describes the technique used by a Home Inspector?
A home inspector will use “visual observations” and not use intrusive means to inspect a house.
Sometimes, a Buyer will ask, what is the difference with the Buyer’s eyes observing the same item that the Home Inspector is looking at?
My best reply is, “We can look at the same thing, but each person sees something different!”
Here is an example using triangles:
How many triangles?
The answer is: 24
Why the different answers among the different individuals?
Every person has their own unique knowledge and experiences which are used to interpret and analyze the observed item. A Home Inspector has a “trained eye” from learning the different systems within a house and has specialized knowledge to analyze defects of a house. So, even though the Buyer and Home Inspector are simply looking at the same item on a house, their interpretation will differ.
What is a good example on a house?
Visual observation seen by both the Buyer and the Home Inspector: There is dirt under the soffit vent.
Buyer: I don’t know why.
Home Inspector: It is the dirt from a bird’s legs as they enter the attic due to a broken screen on the vent. Most likely, there is a bird’s nest in the attic. If so, recommend removal since it is a safety hazard.
Moral of the story: Home Inspectors have deep knowledge and experience when conducting visual observations, allowing them to provide high-quality work and accurate insights.
For any questions on this topic, please call Oscar Libed of Inspect Hawaii at 808-728-5707 or send an email to oscar@inspecthawaii.com
