Flipped a Bellevue house and the sewer line inspection caught me off guard

We got the pre-sale inspection done and it came back clean, so I skipped the separate sewer scope to save $350. Buyer's inspector ran one anyway and found roots in the line near the street, cost me $2,800 in repairs before closing. Anyone else skip a specialized inspection to cut costs and regret it?

2 comments

2 Comments

val9744d ago

350 bucks for a clean report seems like solid math most days.

ben_fisher4d ago

The $350 saved turned into a $2,800 lesson, and that math stings. Sewer scopes are one of those things where the seller usually pays for the peace of mind, not the buyer. Roots can be sitting right at the property line and a clean main line inspection won't catch them. Once you close, that repair becomes the new owner's problem, and it's a lot harder to negotiate with a buyer who's already stressed about the deal. Next flip I'm just baking the scope into the budget from day one, no debate.