If you plan to take advantage of the buyer’s market or refinance your home, you’ll need a home inspection. Don't automatically trust referrals, do your homework.
A woman in Conway said a bad inspection cost her huge money. "The foundation as you can see, cracked and it has caused the whole thing to drop right here and in the house it's pulled away from the windows," said Blakey.
Jackie Blakey said she and her daughter recently bought a home together. The real estate agent they used provided one inspector's name and they hired him. Blakey said he missed major issues, such as a bad HVAC unit, a faulty chimney, a bad roof and major foundation issues.
"He told my daughter that basically, she had a good house and that they did more than what was really needed in the house and that there were just some minor things, cosmetic things he we needed to take care of."
The problem is the inspector claimed he let his insurance policy lapse because he didn't make any money last year. And now, Blakey must come up with the money to make the repairs.
"We spent around $20-30,000 dollars and we still have another, just for the crawl space, the foundation, we have another $20-30,000 to spend,” said Blakey. “I don't even know about the electric. The electric is going to cost us another $2-3000 dollars."
Blakey contacted multiple lawmakers, hired an attorney and initiated an investigation through the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. They ruled he didn't violate any licensing laws and there aren't any appeals. She vowed to continue fighting.
If you plan to hire an inspector, Kathy Graham of the Better Business Bureau said follow these tips:
Make sure the person worked as an inspector for several years.
They should perform at least 250 inspections a year.
Ask what type of report they will provide. Ask for a comprehensive report with pictures.
Make sure they’re licensed and bonded and carry liability insurance.
Don't just take their word on these things. Ask for proof and then call their insurance company and the licensing board for verification.
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