Warning: I nearly lost a house because I skipped the sewer inspection

I put an offer on a cute little bungalow in Denver last spring and was so excited I just went with the basic home inspection package. My realtor suggested a sewer scope but I figured it was an extra $150 I didn't need to spend. Turns out the old cast iron pipe under the slab was completely collapsed, which would have cost $12,000 to fix after closing. I backed out in time but now I tell every first timer to budget for that sewer check no matter what. Has anyone else dodged a bullet on something like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly.margaret10d ago

Did your realtor at least split that $150 cost with you after nearly costing you thousands?

ross.kim10d ago

That's the thing with professionals... they always pass off the little fees like it's nothing, but it adds up to something bigger in the long run. It's the same pattern everywhere you look, like how a coffee shop charges you extra for oat milk or a hotel tacks on a "resort fee" you didn't know about. Those small costs are really just a test to see what you'll put up with, and most people just grumble and pay it. The realtor probably figured $150 was small enough that you wouldn't make a fuss, especially after they almost messed up something way bigger. Just another example of how people in charge nickel and dime you while pretending they're doing you a favor.

nancyramirez10d ago

Wait, hold on. @kelly.margaret that's a good point, actually. But are you telling me the realtor just casually added a $150 "admin fee" after almost costing you the whole deal? That's wild. I can't believe you even had to question it, like it's normal to just tack on extra charges after almost messing up the big stuff. It's the same as when a mechanic "forgets" to mention the diagnostic fee until you're already in the shop. How do people in these jobs sleep at night pulling stuff like that?