The seller had the house inspected before listing and offered to share the report. Its from 3 months ago with a reputable company. My agent is saying I should still get my own inspection but thats another $500 I wasnt planning on. Is the sellers report enough? What am I really risking here?
6 Comments
Your agent is right imo. The sellers inspection was done for the seller - their inspector has no duty to you and you cant sue them if they missed something. Also things can change in 3 months. Had a buyer use a seller inspection once and missed a roof leak that started after the report was done. Get your own.
thats a good point about liability. i didnt think about not being able to go after them if something was wrong
As an inspector - the report belongs to whoever hired us. We work for them. The scope might be different too. Some pre-listing inspections are intentionally limited to avoid creating disclosure obligations. Your own inspector works for YOU and has professional liability to YOU.
i know $500 feels like a lot when youre already spending hundreds of thousands but think of it this way - its 0.1% of a 500k house. cheapest insurance you can buy. i tried to save money by skipping a sewer scope once and ended up with a $8000 repair bill 6 months after closing. never again
ok ok i hear you all. scheduling my own inspection. $500 it is
One more thing - some sellers provide inspections to create pressure. They want you to feel like everythings been checked so you waive contingency or move faster. The inspection might be fine but understand the psychology of why its being offered.