In the red hot real estate market of recent years, one important aspect of buying a home fell to the wayside — the home inspection.
Buyers eager to have their offers accepted would forego a home inspection in hopes of getting the nod from the seller. As a result, home inspectors lost so much business that hundreds left the profession.
According to David Nason, owner of Best Inspections and president of the Wisconsin State Association of Home Inspectors, there were 900 certified inspectors prior to the record sales boom of 2021. In December of 2022, that number was down to around 530.
“When the market got so hot, people were lining up at houses,” Nason recalls. “So many people were buying a house after a 15-minute window of seeing it.”
A home inspection is a critical step in a home purchase, Nason says —many things can get missed when prospective buyers are touring a home that a home inspector could identify, such as evidence of water leakage that has been drywalled over.
He notes four things that warrant very close inspections:
- Foundations. “Foundation problems are number one,” he says. “A wall can look fine. Maybe it’s painted. If you really don’t know what you’re looking at, it may be that someone is covering something up. Staining around the bottom of the wall, for example, could be a drain tile issue.”
- Attics. “No one brings a ladder to look in the attic during a home tour,” Nason says. Inspectors check for mold, moisture and chimney fire stoppers. While inspectors aren’t required to inspect for mold, Nason always does and makes note of it to the prospective buyer.
- Roofs. “There are many issues with leaks that you can’t see from the ground,” he says. Some inspectors have started using drones to inspect the roof; Nason recommends that an inspector walk the roof to see its condition and to be able to check for potential trouble spots along the edges and by any skylights, chimneys or venting.
- Electrical. “There can be significant issues with the electrical panel,” Nason says. He added that while solar panels are not yet a required item to inspect, he will notify homeowners of any perceived damage to the panels or the rails.
Inspections take approximately three hours, Nason says, and encourages the buyers to attend them to get educated on all aspects of their home. When people opt out of inspections, the responsibility is theirs when issues arise after closing, he adds.
As the market levels off, home inspections are back on the rise. Consumers are becoming more knowledgeable on issues to look for, too. But there’s still a limited inventory of homes on the market, and Nason doesn’t think that will be resolved soon. MKE
David Nason, who has 10 years of home inspection experience and has spent 25 years in construction, can be heard on the Saturday morning “Mr. Fix-It” show from 7-9 a.m. on WTMJ-AM 620.