Busted! Don’t Believe These Home Inspection Myths!

Whether you’re planning to buy or sell a house, it’s essential to check the condition of the property, as it will affect your bargaining power when negotiating a deal. Therefore, it’s imperative to hire a home inspector to check that all the significant areas of the building, including plumbing, electrics, and structure, are maintained and don’t require any repairs.

However, when it comes to home inspections, there are many myths and misconceptions that can severely hamper your progress and prevent you from achieving your goal. So to help you steer clear of these misconceptions, True Blue Home Inspections has debunked some of the most widely believed myths about home inspections.

Myth 1: The home inspector will find every problem in the home.
It’s impossible, as home inspections are initially a visual assessment, and if the problems are not accessible to view or detect, they will not be found. I always explain to my clients that I cannot see through walls to examine the pipes and cables that run inside them. Also, as they do not own the home yet, I’m typically not allowed to open the walls to see what is there.

The problem is clearly defined in nearly all professional and licensing standards of practice, where such defects are deemed inaccessible and beyond our duties’ scope.

Unfortunately, this situation only becomes a reality to the new homeowner when such a hidden defect reveals itself as a plumbing leak or electrical power failure. It’s the constant risk all real estate buyers face.

Myth 2: The infrared camera will pick up every defect in the home.
The presumption that the inspector will find all of the defects is never more true when it comes to using an infrared camera. Yes, this camera is a powerful tool and can indeed reveal things behind surfaces. But, the conditions must be just right for the camera to be conclusive with its findings. The camera reads differences in surface temperature, and if the hidden components affect the surface, then yes, the camera will expose them. But, if they do not affect the surface, they will not be visible to the camera.

Much of this also depends on the weather conditions, such as checking for insulation quality. There will be minimal temperature differential if the weather is temperate and the indoor and outdoor temperatures are similar. Therefore, the camera will not provide an accurate reading of insulation performance. It’s why energy efficiency testing is best done in the height of winter or summer when there is plenty of temperature differential.

Myth 3: The inspector can predict the life expectancy of major appliances.
This myth is a bit tricky, as numerous variables need to be considered, including brand/model, maintenance history, and location of equipment. It’s also vital to look at the environmental conditions of the site, sizing of the system for cubic footage served, the average life expectancy of a model, and the number of occupants. Each of these variables can significantly impact the performance and service life of the equipment. I’ve seen water heaters performing well after thirty years when their life expectancy is half that. I’ve also seen new furnaces die after only ten years when their life should have been twice that.

Of the variables noted above, I believe the one with the most impact is the environmental conditions. Equipment will always last longer if housed in a clean and dry utility closet rather than a damp and dirty crawl space.

I hope these points made you think clearly about home inspections. If you’re looking to avoid more myths like these, reach out to James Clark at True Blue Home Inspections.

As a licensed, insured, and certified home inspector in Chicago, Illinois, I provide comprehensive inspections and reports. My services include home buyer inspections, home seller pre-listing inspections, indoor air quality, and commercial lite. I also offer consultation solutions to my clients.

I serve clients across Berwyn, Chicago, Cicero, Des Plaines, Elmwood Park, Evanston, Franklin Park, Glencoe, Glenview, Harwood Heights, and Kenilworth. I also cover Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Norridge, Northbrook, Northfield, Oak Park, Park Ridge, River Grove, Schiller Park, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka.

For a complete list of my services, please click here. If you have any questions about True Blue Home Inspections, I’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch with me here.