The home inspection trap: my 2019 inspector vs the one I hired last week in Calgary

Back in 2019 I bought a townhouse in the northeast and the inspector gave me a 40 page report full of boilerplate warnings. I trusted it, waived everything, and ended up with a $6,000 window seal failure 18 months later. Last week I used a newer inspector who only charges $550 but spent 3 hours on site, checked the attic with a thermal camera, and found a slow leak in the roof valley the old guy walked right past. Is the industry actually improving, or did I just get lucky twice in opposite directions? I want to know if anyone else has seen the quality gap between older and newer inspectors, and which side you'd trust with a pre-sale.

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linda3354d ago

Ugh, that hurts. A $6,000 surprise like that is exactly why people get so jaded about the whole home buying process. The first guy probably rushed through with a checklist and called it a day, while the new one actually took his time and used real tools. I do think the industry is shifting, especially with younger inspectors who grew up with thermal cameras and moisture meters being standard gear. But it's still a total lottery, you know? You have to interview them hard, ask how long they actually spend on site, and demand to see the thermal images. Sounds like you finally found someone who treats it like a real job instead of a side gig, which is rare as hen's teeth.