The Home Inspection Co

Yes that was a very interesting day, the seller being the vendor of that 15-year-old house didn't make it easy to convince him the following day that the home was suffering the same symptoms as leaky condos. The mold discovery within the stucco walls was the clincher that unfortunately he did not want to believe when told.
By the way I do not allow agents or anyone other than my clients to accompany me during an inspection- this is the buyers private business- discussions with your home inspector should be kept private until you have consolidated all of your information. When 3rd parties are within earshot they will interfere and provide anecdotal solutions (to deflect the gravity of discoveries - this interference does not help the inspector’s job of communicating deficiencies.
As much as homebuyers fall in love with their purchase they must be prepared for some disappointments when they hire someone who does a thorough inspection. Some disappointment can be negotiated, others just require a little knowledge as to cost and procedure to repair but then there are some issues that are not easily or cost-effective to resolve- that's where a photo detailed inspection report can function as a negotiating tool.
Your contract had that tricky: no get out of jail easily clause:
“at the Buyers expense, obtaining and approving a home inspection report against any defects whose cumulative cost of repair exceeds $1,000 and which reasonably may adversely affect the property’s use or value.”
Clause looks innocent enough but rest assured it can be very sticky to prove.
Unfortunately it's the buyers agents who includes this clause- I would love to know how they sell it to the buyers. Agents like this clause because it can lock you into a deal that is very hard to wiggle out of.
Your agent talked you into this clause I would say they can probably get you out of it without you lifting a finger. Whatever, don't hand over your inspection report, this is your private business and you paid for it. The vendor wants this report so they can put Band-Aids and all the deficiencies.
The thousand dollar clause is so subjective that it may cost the buyer extra specialist inspections to prove and then get contractors to provide quotes on repair/remediation. A total waste of time, a lot of time and effort and your money.
Yes this has happened to a few of my clients before when the vendor and agent want to force the deal to go through. What kind of people are these that would want to sell you something you do not want, sounds like desperation. From my experience homebuyers will stick with the deal for as long as possible- negotiating a better deal to accommodate the disappointment of new discoveries, if they don't have options then in many cases people cannot afford to buy the house or money pit and need an unfettered exit.
Up until a few years ago contracts would read something like “subject to approving a home inspection” Period! This language is up to you to request.
Stay in the drivers seat, don't let the frenzy of the deal and agents convince you that signing a contract of this $1000 nature is in your best interest- it most certainly is Not !!
PS: MS- your reduced $700 fee was a result of canceling the need for a report which would have been another full day's work
Happy trails...,
Ted

Hi Ted,
Being an X renovation general contractor I enjoyed the daily problem solving challenges but I find the field of home inspection to be far more rewarding. Being a contractor it's expected, being a home inspector; it's more of a bonus for the homebuyer.
As you have probably guessed; problem solving is one of the main perks of the job. Discovery and exploring improvement possibilities is what makes me happy and excited when the phone rings for an inspection.
As always, your advocate.
Ted (yeah, the same name)

Hi Myles,
Thank you so much for your generous description of our inspection experience. I am always surprised when people write a testimonial, since I do not solicit nor coerce these testimonials except to provide general information about home stars and a link to other trades. Generally people don't write an unsolicited testimonial being busy with their life and new purchase. So thanks!
As you know, I am always available to help you with any projects you take on or with the strata in general.
Happy trails…
Ted

Hi Marius & Adriana,
Sounds like you are settling into your new townhome, I'm waiting for those calls as you work through your repair list. The inspection is a process of discovery and holding your hand through your repair adventures which I am more than happy to provide assistance for.
Thank you so much for your kind comments, it's hard to convey the value of a thorough home inspection except by these testimonials. Simply people have no idea what a home inspection should look like. As you can probably tell, I do home inspections because I like the work and the people I get to meet. I'd like to take this opportunity to make a slight clarification: you followed me through the inspection for 6 hours, but I was there for an hour prior, your custom detailed report took 10 hours and we spent 2 hours reviewing your report on the 2nd day. So as you pointed out, I do charge more, but I like to think that I deliver 4 times the value, which is only possible when I take 2 days to complete a home inspection process.

Happy trails….
Ted

Yes, your journey had a major hiccup. Although I wasn't your initial home inspector. I'm very pleased that I was able to step in to provide the help you needed when other professionals basically abandoned you, not knowing what to do to resolve your problem. You had tried most everything to source a persistent problem and tired all the possible trade experts. Fortunately, because I'm a jack of all trades, so to speak. I approached your problem, much like a physician would- run a battery of tests and weigh the results. A process of elimination eventually produced a eureka moment that led to your solution.
Yes, I think we were all pretty happy, detective work is my passion.
Thanks for the opportunity to be of help.
Happy trails,
Ted

Hi Jo,
There was nothing easy about your purchase process, one of the critical points is: agents operate as if the seller was paying their commission when in fact it's the buyer who brings the money to the table to be divvied up. I suspect there was a point where you may have considered hiring another inspector because I was requesting as many as 10 hours access for the inspection when most other inspectors could be finished within 4 to 6 hrs.. Yes, they were hoping for an agent friendly inspector.
I often find agents treat homebuyers as if they are freeloading on the agent's goodwill, very politely of course, dragging their heels, so to speak when it comes to responding to requests for access time and sometimes information. It's not uncommon to find agents working against the buyer's best interests, working towards the center, the center which is them and their bottom line. I'm often told: there are honest agents out there.
It was a big old home, it had lots going on, and as we discovered and through further investigations there were no easy solutions. One thing people don't realize; just because the homeowner made multiple improvements over the years, they may have only addressed the cosmetic and functional aspects of the living environment. As they say all this cosmetic candy can be distracting while the infrastructures may have been fudged and or covered over malignancies by: uncaring, unskilled, and unscrupulous contractor/trades people.
So when people wonder why an inspection takes a complete day, it's because I have a lot of work to do, detecting and track down the obscure deficiencies to verify their cause and educating you, the buyer. This level of deficiency discovery is not limited to older homes. In my opinion a home inspection should be a complete day or more turnaround, too many people are looking for a quick, cheap and easy inspection, I say they should save their money and just buy the house if they want it that badly.
Thankfully you recognized the easy garden path laid out for you and decided on your own path of due diligence.

Happy trails,
Ted

Hi BJ,
Yes that was a interesting inspection; there were many features of outstanding appeal, fortunately that's not how I process what is actually going on with the house. What is behind all the nice, nice, nice? With many years of renovation and construction to inform my observations; in the final analysis we managed to sort out all the anomalies and histories of previous renovations, no permits, additions and Fudging. Yes that house would've been a life of hurt.
Often times the people who make alterations to their home have enjoyed the fruits of their thrift and ignorance but by the time they go to sell the sum of these improvements are often ready to self-destruct. Yes they still look good but it's a balanced act that is held together by routine, faith and bailing wire.
We can do way better!!
Happy trails.... Ted

Yes we do have some history and I'm very pleased to have worked with you, family and friends. One thing that stands out in your generous praise of my service is the inclusiveness: "we never would have found", "educating the buyer the whole time", and the term which defines how I operate "friends who have worked with him". Some people see a home inspection as a fairly straightforward service which concludes with a yes or no inspiring product.
Thankfully that's not what I'm about, I require my clients to accompany me through the entire inspection so they know firsthand rather than me telling them what's wrong with their house, it's not for everyone, but for the ones who do hire me they do appreciate the process. I am often told of the value of their experience and use terms like: "working with me" which is the core of the process.
My clients, like you, are impressed with the variety and quantity of their new knowledge which serves their purchase decision and understanding of the care required to maintain their investment. This type of involvement is not for everyone, there's nothing resembling a cookie-cutter inspection, I am happy to say.

Hi Guy,
I do appreciate hearing from the people I've gotten to know while helping them navigate real estate. I'm very pleased you are able to get Sean Wiens in my stead for your 2nd house inspection. We share very similar values when it comes to client dedicated service. I wish you all the best in your new home.
Ted