The inspection report on my first house offer versus the one I actually bought

I put an offer on a 1978 split-level in Kent back in March, and the inspection found over $20,000 in needed fixes, mostly old wiring and a failing roof. I was crushed and walked away. The house I closed on last month, a 1992 rambler, had a totally different report. The big items were solid, but it flagged a bunch of small, dumb stuff like a loose toilet, a missing dryer vent cover, and a dripping outdoor faucet. The difference wasn't just the houses, it was my realtor. For the second one, she made sure the inspector was a real nitpicker on the small things, which showed the sellers had kept up with maintenance. It changed how I see a 'good' inspection report. Has anyone else had an inspection that scared them off, only to find a better one later?

4 comments

4 Comments

garcia.wren12d ago

Wait, a quarter fit in the crack... that's insane. @skyler_johnson32 is right, that kind of stuff makes a wobbly railing sound like a dream.

the_daniel1mo ago

Man, my first inspection found a crack in the foundation that looked like a roadmap...

perry.jesse1mo ago

My buddy Greg bought a place in Oakwood last year. The inspector found a crack in the basement wall you could fit a quarter into. It was a huge structural thing, not just a surface crack. They had to bring in a whole engineering team to look at it. He walked away from that deal and lost his inspection fee, but it was totally worth it.

skyler_johnson321mo ago

Totally get what you mean, that's a huge difference. My first inspection had a bunch of hidden water damage and I freaked out and backed out too. The next one, kinda like yours, was all about a wobbly railing and a slow drain. It really does show how a nitpicky report on small stuff can be a good sign. I mean, @the_daniel's foundation crack story is the perfect example of a real scare. It makes you appreciate the dumb little problems later on. Finding a place where the big things are solid is such a relief.