Just last week, I had four customers call to cancel inspections at the last minute – one a half-hour before the start time of the inspection. All four of these last minute cancellations were on foreclosure properties, and they were all for the same reason; the water was off, and didn’t get turned back on in time for the inspection.
This seems to be a common theme with foreclosure properties – the house gets winterized, and even though the bank promises to have the water turned back on before the inspection, it typically doesn’t happen as planned. Common problems are leaks when the water gets turned on, problems with the city shutoff at the street, stolen copper pipes, or no one showing up to de-winterize the home. As Sharlene has mentioned in previous posts, working with foreclosure properties can be a trying process.
For anyone buying a foreclosure property, I would recommend scheduling your home inspection after the water gets turned on to save yourself a big hassel. Most of us home inspectors book out about 1 – 3 days, so getting the inspection done within the required timeline is typically not an issue. Also, be aware that some banks will not de-winterize the home, or will require the buyer to take care of it. These are important items to find out about ahead of time.
Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections – Email – Website
