A home inspector's criticism changed how I price my flip projects

Last year I bought a house near Plaza Midwood for $285k, planning to flip it. I had a home inspector check the place before I started work, and he told me I was ignoring the foundation cracks. He said 'you're spending $15,000 on new cabinets but skipping a $3,000 foundation repair that buyers will notice.' He was right. I changed my whole approach after that. Now I always budget for hidden structural issues first before cosmetic stuff. Has anyone else had an inspector give you hard feedback that saved you money down the road?

2 comments

2 Comments

hunt.jana22h ago

My buddy flipped a house in NoDa a couple years back and skipped a sewer line inspection. Cost him $8,000 after the first heavy rain hit and the basement flooded. I learned from that and now I always get a separate plumber out to scope the pipes before I touch anything cosmetic. That one $150 inspection saved me from buying a mess.

caseyc3016h ago

The home inspector who did my last place told me something similar about skipping a radon test. I almost laughed it off because it seemed like a money grab, but he explained how many houses in this area test high and the mitigation cost is nothing compared to getting sued later. I read a article on BiggerPockets about a guy who lost a whole flip profit because the buyer found radon during their inspection and walked. Now I just add that test to every initial walkthrough budget. It's crazy how skipping a cheap fix can snowball into a disaster. That foundation crack advice was solid, people get too focused on the shiny stuff and forget the bones matter.