Doing your own Home Inspections

[shedinator]

I'm a fairly amateur DIYer. I can handle most tools, but I only do most things on a maintenance level, not on the demo/reno scale. Mrs. inator and I have talked about saving for the next year, and then buying a house in need of some serious TLC, at 10-20% the median home price for the area (which is ~107k), and putting what we would've paid in rent toward gradual renovation of the place. This, obviously, would require the home to be habitable from day one. I know MMM does his own home inspections- is there a way I can learn to DIY an inspection this without being apprenticed to a home inspector, or would it be best to just pony up the cash for an inspection until I have a better idea of what to look for?

[Guitarist]

Pay the inspector.

[shedinator]

Pay the inspector.

That was fast!
But I have something like 18 months to learn how. Can't I just have a little peril?

[Guitarist]

18 months... you can learn quite a bit. But there is so much involved I would be wary to not hire a professional who knows everything. I inspect office spaces and buildings and I still would want to hire an inspector on a house I want to buy.
For your average homebuyer, seeing structural issues or signs of water damage aren't always as easy as looking at some rotted wood or stains on the ceiling. Plus, if you fall in love with a house, you may glance over some serious signs.
It's good to have an impartial 3rd party.

[Welmoed]

I'm a licensed home inspector and I wouldn't want to inspect my own home. There is simply too much risk. For your own property, you will have an emotional stake in the findings, and that could very easily cloud your judgment. A home inspector will provide an unbiased assessment of the property.
Sometimes I will do what's called a "Go/No-Go" inspection, which looks only at major, extremely expensive defects (such as bowed foundation walls, terrible electrical issues, evidence of continuing major water intrusion in the basement, etc.). You might look for an inspector who offers a similar service.
In any case, you should hire someone qualified. The best resource is the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) (www.ashi.org). If you want an inspector who is not in the pocket of a realtor, check out the Independent Home Inspectors of North America (www.independentinspectors.org).
We've got a lot of information about choosing a home inspector and what to ask your home inspector on our website: www.inspectionsbybob.com.
--Welmoed

[arebelspy]

Home inspection is only a few hundred bucks, worth using a professional.  And they very well could save you money by finding something you can use to request a lower purchase price.

But go through everything with them, and you'll learn quite a bit.

In the meantime, if it's really important to you, apprentice out to a home inspector.

Also it's awesome that the last reply started with "I'm a licensed home inspector" -- all kinds of people with all kinds of skills here.  :D

[shedinator]

Yeah, really neat to have folks with expertise.

Welmoed- when you talk with potential buyers about the "Go/No-go" option, do you find out from them what sort of things they're willing to deal with? ie, if someone is cool with electrical issues, but not structure or HVAC, or vice versa, do you point out the specific things that are dealbreakers for that individual? It sounds like it could be helpful to talk with the inspector ahead of time and lay out what we can/cannot do...

[JJ]

We have bought a few houses - rentals and homes to live in. Even with a licensed inspector you do need to scope things and understand the expensive bits.  We have had 3 $10k+ fixes the inspectors didn't pick up even though they were licensed. I don't know how you get a full list but here are some of our stuffups:
1) Old plumbing. Main sewer was clay pipes in heavy clay. Turned out it was just about gone. $10k to dig up and replace (it was a 4 unit block)
2) Old electrics. All fine until we tried to replace an electric oven. Not enough capacity on the circuit. Replacing or upgrading the circuit needed a bigger link to the mains, new RCDs etc. $19k. Ouch.
3) Waterproofing under balcony tiles. Leaks into too below. We are living with this one at the moment.

[Welmoed]

Glad to help with home inspection questions. There's an article on our blog about doing your own "first-pass" inspection to weed out the definite dud houses in your search:
http://www.inspectionsbybob.com/home-inspection-confidential/2010/07/save-time-and-money-with-a-diy-first-pass-home-inspection/
As for the go/no-go, sometimes a client will tell us their preferences; sometimes not. We do a permit search prior to the inspection (not many inspectors do this) so if we show up and there's been some major renovation work but we don't see permits for it, that's a big red flag for possible shoddy work that could be expensive to remediate.
(A tip here: if the work you're doing in your house requires permits, DON'T SKIP THEM!! It could jeopardize the deal when you go to sell.)
As to JJ's points, a home inspector cannot determine the condition of a sewer pipe. Anything that's buried, hidden or otherwise not "readily accessible" can't be evaluated. Old electric would be called out during an inspection; anything less than about 125-150A is simply inadequate for today's electrical needs. We're still seeing the occasional 60A service, but most houses are now at least 200A, and larger homes can have 400A (two 200A panels). Heavy-ups can indeed be expensive; the power company will often upgrade the service cables, but all the inside work is up to you. And this is very definitely NOT a DIY project!!
Not sure what you mean by"waterproofing under balcony tiles". Sounds like a flat roof with a membrane finish? These are notorious for leaking. An inspector would look for evidence of prior water intrusion and might even use a thermal imager to check. Again, sellers are famous for hiding all sorts of stuff.
--Welmoed

[JJ]

Re: waterproofing. Yes, the membrane failed because the substrate was unstable. Broke all building codes where we live but hidden by the tiles from on top an the ceiling from below. Hidden until the first big thunderstorm :(. It was an external balcony but the area underneath was later enclosed.

[jdchmiel]

you have 18 months to learn something a whole lot more valuable than saving yourself $375 for each property you buy.

[The Money Monk]

I'm a licensed home inspector and I wouldn't want to inspect my own home. There is simply too much risk. For your own property, you will have an emotional stake in the findings, and that could very easily cloud your judgment. A home inspector will provide an unbiased assessment of the property.
Sometimes I will do what's called a "Go/No-Go" inspection, which looks only at major, extremely expensive defects (such as bowed foundation walls, terrible electrical issues, evidence of continuing major water intrusion in the basement, etc.). You might look for an inspector who offers a similar service.
In any case, you should hire someone qualified. The best resource is the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) (www.ashi.org). If you want an inspector who is not in the pocket of a realtor, check out the Independent Home Inspectors of North America (www.independentinspectors.org).
We've got a lot of information about choosing a home inspector and what to ask your home inspector on our website: www.inspectionsbybob.com.
--Welmoed

I think this is a great idea. Doing your own "go, no-go" inspection to start could end up saving you on the inspector. If there is something very obvious or other things that would be deal breakers that you can spot yourself, then you can pass on the house without having spent any money. If it all looks good to your untrained (or self-trained) eyes, then you can pay a professional who knows all the little things to look for, just to be sure.

While I am all for doing things myself, The 200 to 300 you would probably spend on an inspection is nothing compared to the costs that you might incur if you miss an actual problem.

[MountainMan]

If you're shopping for houses to buy, I think a book like this might be good just to avoid wasting time looking at houses with obvious problems.  http://www.amazon.com/Inspect-House-George-Cleborn-Hoffman/dp/0201577089/

I picked up a copy of it at a book sale for .25 cents.  You can get it at Amazon for one cent + shipping.

But before you buy, you should not rely on your own inspection, you should definitely pay a qualified inspector to do the job, like others here have said. 

[HeidiO]

When I bought my current house the inspector pointed out about $2000 worth of problems.  I was very surprised when the sellers immediately offered to pay for all the fixes on the list.  I think having an actual professional (as opposed to me) pointing out the issues made the sellers more willing to pay that money.
Heidi

[Sparky]

Honestly, I'm not going to try and stereotype all home inspectors here (some are actually really good), but most home inspectors I've met and seen are a lip service to the buyers and don't generally find anywhere near the faults of a home. If you have any sort of basic home maintenance and a little construction experience, you can do very good inspection on your own. Ask a friend or family member who knows more about the subject.

The terms of my last home sale had a licensed home inspector. I purposely 'showcased' several errors for them, and they zero of them. I had an entire illegal garage that was completely missed, not to mention an illegal electrical service (can't have 2 overhead services to one residential lot here), improper fittings on the gas lines, mold around the bathroom (minor really), and many plumbing issues.

Not the first time I've seen this either. 10 years in construction and this is all too common to hear from homeowners.

[arebelspy]

Honestly, I'm not going to try and stereotype all home inspectors here (some are actually really good), but most home inspectors I've met and seen are a lip service to the buyers and don't generally find anywhere near the faults of a home.

(Emphasis mine.)

As a buyer, I have my own home inspector.  He finds anything and everything.  Not sure how he'd be lip service, because I'm the client, I'm the one he's working for.

Do you typically find sellers providing home inspections?  And buyers trusting them and not getting their own inspector in there?

[Welmoed]

Sparky,
A home inspector is not a code inspector. The illegal garage and electric drop are code issues. Not as sure about the gas fittings, but we call them out if they don't look "right." Not every inspector will catch every defect. Was yours an ASHI-certified inspector? Does your state require licensing and training? Some areas let anyone call themselves a home inspector with zero training.
The biggest issue with doing your own inspections is that you have an emotional and/or financial stake in the outcome. A home inspector will give you an unbiased report about the house, and what you do with that information is up to you.
People getting ready to sell their homes have us come in to do a "pre-listing inspection." We'll help identify the problems that a buyer's inspector is likely to find. Now, the seller can certainly show the report to a buyer, but we are not liable if the buyer calls us and says we missed XYZ. The person who ordered and paid for the report is our client, and a report can't be "transferred" to a third party.
A home inspection is a "snapshot in time." Even if the inspection was done a short time ago, conditions can and do change. So if the seller shows you a home inspection he had done three weeks prior, things may have changed since then.
What's interesting is that we have had many clients who are or were in the construction trade, and most of them are flabbergasted that we spot defects they missed.
--Welmoed

[The Money Monk]

Honestly, I'm not going to try and stereotype all home inspectors here (some are actually really good), but most home inspectors I've met and seen are a lip service to the buyers and don't generally find anywhere near the faults of a home.

(Emphasis mine.)

As a buyer, I have my own home inspector.  He finds anything and everything.  Not sure how he'd be lip service, because I'm the client, I'm the one he's working for.

Do you typically find sellers providing home inspections?  And buyers trusting them and not getting their own inspector in there?

Yeah I hired my own third-party inspector, so I don't see what incentive he would have to try to convince me to buy the house. He was getting his fee either way.

[shedinator]

Yeah I hired my own third-party inspector, so I don't see what incentive he would have to try to convince me to buy the house. He was getting his fee either way.

And would actually get paid more if the house failed inspection, since he'd likely have been doing another inspection for you in the near future.

[Welmoed]

Let me clear up a misconception: There is no such thing as "failing" a home inspection. Only a code inspector can fail something. A home inspector simply presents the facts, and the buyer decides whether or not to purchase the house. We've had clients who decide to purchase a house even though we uncover significant structural issues, bad electric, bad plumbing, you name it. And we've had clients who decide NOT to purchase the house because we find one GFCI fails to trip. You never know what a buyer's comfort level is. Sometimes we do have clients who tell us, "If you find something that's going to be more than $20K to fix, we won't buy the house." In cases like that, if we find a major defect, we'll offer to stop the inspection. We know we'll be hearing from them again when they've found their next potential home.

[shedinator]

Let me clear up a misconception: There is no such thing as "failing" a home inspection. Only a code inspector can fail something. A home inspector simply presents the facts, and the buyer decides whether or not to purchase the house.

We looked into buying a home a few years back, and I recall the lender saying they could give us $X, contingent upon assessment and inspection. I assumed this meant that the bank could deny financing if certain things were uncovered in the inspection, so there was a level at which the house could "fail."

[Edwin_6]

No, i never tried. May be because i am afraid of electric things. I have bad experience with it. So i usually take MOD EDIT: spam link removed services, which is affordable and nice. i liked his services and now having no problem regarding home.

[paddedhat]

Honestly, I'm not going to try and stereotype all home inspectors here (some are actually really good), but most home inspectors I've met and seen are a lip service to the buyers and don't generally find anywhere near the faults of a home. If you have any sort of basic home maintenance and a little construction experience, you can do very good inspection on your own. Ask a friend or family member who knows more about the subject.

The terms of my last home sale had a licensed home inspector. I purposely 'showcased' several errors for them, and they zero of them. I had an entire illegal garage that was completely missed, not to mention an illegal electrical service (can't have 2 overhead services to one residential lot here), improper fittings on the gas lines, mold around the bathroom (minor really), and many plumbing issues.

Not the first time I've seen this either. 10 years in construction and this is all too common to hear from homeowners.

I ended up with nearly three decades in the business, and I can't disagree at all. The inspector that posted here is a bit unusual, in highlighting the conflict between the real estate industry and the inspection industry. The bottom line for most inspectors who rely on the R.E industry for work,  is that they are whores who manage to keep their pants up, yet still get paid well for screwing you.
 
I too have seen criminally negligent work for many of these guys, to the point that they wrote and told the homeowner flat out lies to make the deal happen. I only sell my own properties under one condition, when it comes to home inspections. The buyer is welcome to get one BEFORE we sign a contract. There are no inspection contingencies is any document I will ever sign, and I warn the buyer that I have little patience or time for any snivelly B.S. from any inspector that came "highly recommended" from their realtor, but I will quickly address any issues that are discovered by a legitimate professional. (which is not an issue, since I don't have anything to hide in the first place)

As to the OP, there are times when the right inspector can be valuable, and this may be one of them. Before the boom collapsed here, we had one inspector who used to give realtors the shakes. He refused to do business with any of them, and wasn't shy about calling most of them the incompetent varmints that they are. He would spend 4-5 hours tearing through a house like a Jack Russell trying to excavate a chipmunk from a hole. When he handed you the report, you knew ever dark secret of the place, and how long you could expect every single system and finish to last. That's a guy who earned my respect and was worth twice what a realtor's whore charges. If you can find a guy like that, you might be forever in debt to somebody who headed you away from a disaster, or found you the great diamond in the rough. Good luck.

[DarinC]

Until you can blow through a house and catch everything the inspector does, as well as some things they didn't catch, I think it's worth it to pony up the dough.

[LadyStache]

I would definitely spend the money on a home inspector. Sometimes even home inspectors miss things, so it is wise to educate yourself in addition to bringing in an inspector. You also want to make sure you hire a really thorough inspector. There is a book by Mike Holmes called "Holmes Inspection" that is really great for this. The also has a TV series, Holmes on Homes. He actually suggests bringing in multiple people for your home inspections (including the home inspector, plumber, electrician, etc.) because it's such a big purchase and mistakes the home inspector makes can be really costly to you in the end (see show for horror stories). Also, I strongly agree with others who said the home inspector adds more credibility to your claims when negotiating with the seller over issues found during inspection.