There were quite a few unique challenges (low inventory, bidding wars and more) that cropped up for anyone buying a new home during the pandemic. But with that comes plenty of lessons learned, which is why Angi, a service known for connecting homeowners with trusted pros for any home project or repair, decided to poll those who bought during COVID-19 about their experiences, good and bad. But there was one particularly damning misstep that jumped out.
Out of the 1,000 people interviewed as part of this survey, one in four people waived their home inspection before moving in, and of those, a whopping 20 percent called it a terrible mistake, according to Angi data.
This is based on the unforeseen problems that followed—which could range from plumbing issues to problems with flooring, the foundation, water damage and more. Getting an inspection would have of course allowed them to work with the seller to either adjust the cost or get things resolved before closing on the house.
Still, despite the fact that 75 percent of those surveyed opted to have an official home inspection and 93 percent of those cases saw problems arise, the home buyers that waived it had their reasons. Namely, it was about the pandemic pressure. A need to move quickly, confidence felt from a personal viewing, worries about being outbid all contributed to the decision to skip the inspection.
