I inspected a house last month and found signs of water ingress in the crawlspace. It was dry at the time of inspection, and it might relate to the exterior cladding to grade clearance issue. I honestly reported it to my client that I could not determine when the water ingress happened and I could not guarantee that it won’t happen in the future either, a second opinion from qualified contractor may be needed. My client finally walked away after a couple of days of consideration. The seller’s agent was so angry and he yelled at me over the phone, in a threatening tone, that I won’t get business from him and the thousands of his colleagues.
It reminds me of the importance of the home inspection for the seller although it is typically paid for by the buyer and conducted for the benefit of the buyer. For this case, if a home inspection has been performed before the listing, the crawlspace water ingress issue will be a big red flag. Then, the seller can do something about it, such as insulating the crawlspace with XPS rigid board, and this will be considered an improvement. Sorry for the buyers…
Can I do a home inspection for both the seller and the buyer for the same property? No, this would be a conflict of interest.
Ironically, two weeks after, I received a call from another potential buyer and who asked me if I can inspect the house for him again, and he mentioned he obtained my phone number from the seller’s agent and he called me because the agent was so angry about me. OK, Can I inspect a house twice? I don’t think I want to…