How often should a home be inspected?

Client asks; The home I am going to buy was inspected by the sellers two years ago so should I get it inspected now?

This is a question I face from time to time and this week I came across a situation that confirms that you should always have an inspection regardless of when it was last inspected. In fact I have two stories to tell. First of all you should never take the word of the seller or anyone for that matter, that the last inspector said it was fine. This happened to a lady here in the Midwest a few months back. She bought a home and the seller said the last home inspector said everything was fine with the home but the buyer didn’t buy the home because of finances. When she moved in her dad realized right away that the floors seemed to be un-level. Upon closer inspection it was discovered that there was no main beam in the home. The home was literally falling down! So make sure you know what you are buying, it is your responsibility and your money.
The next story happened just last week. I received a call to inspect an older home that I had inspected just two years ago. The buyers had reviewed my past report that was left on the table for them yet they still wanted me to go through it again to be sure that no new problems had developed in the two years since I had last inspected it. When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see how the owners had updated the home. I proceeded with the inspection just as I always do, assuming the best but prepared for whatever may present itself. By the end of the inspection I had discovered several new issues and at least one that had been repaired but was likely to re-occur in the future. I discovered that the furnace blower motor was on its last legs and there was also a gas leak at the furnace. The hot water tank was now leaking and the floor of the porch was near zero degrees Celsius. I do not believe the seller knew this was happening and when he found out he promptly had the necessary repairs completed. This is just another example of doing your due diligence to protect your money and your health. If you want to see this inspection complete with a video of the leaking gas, it is now on my website under the SAMPLE REPORT tab at www.borderhi.com