Alton Darty

I would have to say that it's worth the fee, but that's the inspector in me comin' out. I think that it is well worth it, knowing what a buyers inspector will be looking for and knowing the things that they will find can eliminate some big headaches for the seller. While no two inspectors will report the exact same minor items, they should be close on major conditions.
Pre listing inspections put you in charge when it comes to repairs, do you want to trust a buyers contractor and his possibly inflated estimates? An inspection would give you time to have the work done, or at least allow for estimates from contractors that you trust. You could also decide from the start if you even want to make any repairs at all. Surprise inspection finds just days before closing can leave everyone involved in the transaction concerned that this may not be a good deal after all. - Sun Jan 6 2008, 18:04

Without seeing the property involved, I would be loathe to offer an opinion as to the sanity of the inspector.
I realize that it is difficult to do, but you must understand that the sale of the property is a business transaction and it may be time for a little emotional detachment. You very well could be right in your assessment of the inspector.
How is his/her reputation as an inspector?
Is the inspector from your area, or from out of town? (different localities have different building codes, he may be seeing stuff that is approved in your area and not in his)
Just because a roof is only 2 years old doesn't mean that there may not be problems with it.
Just because a Water heater was just installed doesn't mean that it was done correctly. (It may be done to local code but there may be other problems that may be a safety concern)
Just because an addition was wired by an electrician doesn't mean that it's right either.
And lastly, just because a structure is well maintained, or even new, does not mean that there could be problems. My last inspection was a brand new home, scheduled to close in just a few days. My normal report is 28 pages, this one required 35 pages to list all the issues found. This is a new home, built by a licensed contractor and inspected by the local building official at least 5 times in various stages of it's construction. Granted, most of the issues were minor, but there were a couple of things that will require extensive work to correct and the closing has been delayed now. This inspection caused some hard feelings and resulted in some heated debate, but in the end my client the buyer is getting what they paid for. The contractor and a couple of the sub contractors were finally convinced to correct the problems after the building official did some research and contacted some state agencies for guidance.

In my opening I mentioned that without seeing the property I wouldn't second guess the inspector that was actually there. Without reading the report I have no idea how anything was stated and what items were called out for further evaluation. Have you read the report itself or have you only seen a summary? I would ask the buyer for a copy of the report and read it line by line. If you have only seen the summary or have not read the entire report then you may not be getting the entire gist of the inspectors findings.
As far as paying for any specialist inspections, I wouldn't do it. I would allow the buyer to hire specialists to inspect all they wanted to, and I would cooperate in any way that I could. - Mon Dec 24 2007, 08:53

Without seeing the inspectors report or the offending tiles it would be difficult to offer an opinion. Was there any mention of why the tiles were loose? Was there any mention of previous water intrusion problems? Floor tiles or wall tiles? Where are the tiles located exactly?
A few loose wall tiles around the tub could just be that there was a minor problem with the grout, and if the wall behind the tile is dry and solid the tile can probably just be stuck back up & the joints regrouted.
If a few floor tiles are loose near the tub or around the toilet this could be a major problem, as it may indicate that water damage has gotten into the floor structure itself, and this would be (or could be) a major cost.
Call your inspector and ask if they would elaborate on the damage. Many will only say that damage is present, but some will take the time to explain where damage could have started and what may have been the cause. Please remember that the inspection is a generalist visual inspection. Inspectors aren't plumbers or tile setters and they can't see through walls, so what your inspector may say or may have said is that a plumber is needed to determine the cause of any water damage, and that a contractor would be needed to determine the severity of any structural or mechanical damage and to make said repairs.
Sorry to be so vague but without more detail it isn't really possible to know if this should be a big deal or not. If in doubt, call your inspector and ask. I tell all my clients that I am always available to them for questions on anything that I may have found during an inspection, or any general matter that may be a concern that I can help with. - Sat Dec 8 2007, 04:35

Check out local Inspectors carefully before settling on one. Don't select with price as the determining factor. Ask for references from the Inspectors that you speak with. Then contact those past clients and ask how they feel that their inspection was performed.
Ask the Inspector what training they might have, licenses or board certifications that they might hold and what standards they follow. Make sure that the Inspector that you choose is Licensed, Insured, and follows a nationally recognized Standard of Practice. NACHI, ASHI, CREI, and NAHI are just a few of the National bodies that help to set standards for the industry and there are only minor (for the most part) differences in the Standards of Practice for each organization.
Good luck on your prospective purchase!
Alton - Fri Nov 16 2007, 04:57

From an inspectors standpoint...

My client, be it buyer, seller, or another party to the sale, owns the report. The client has the option to release the report to anyone else that they may choose.

My only request on the use of my report is that I ask that the report not be reproduced in it's entirety for distribution to prospective buyers, or for publication in its entirety to a website for promotion of a sale.

It is a violation of most of the published ethics standards that Home Inspectors are required to follow to present anyone other than the client with a copy of the Inspection Report without prior consent of the client. Most clients do agree to share the report with their own agent, and many don't mind to share the report with the seller and their agent. I always ask the client before I start an inspection, and my Inspection Agreement has a space to check off to grant or deny sharing of the report.
I provide one copy of the printed report to the client on site and a copy on CD with all the photos taken of the property. If the client has agreed to share the report with anyone else I provide info on how to access the report on my website.
Alton - Fri Nov 16 2007, 04:42