Lighting can affect a home inspection

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     As much as any inspector would want to, there are times when all deficiencies in a house cannot be found.  There are few circumstances that can affect this.  Personal belongings in the house, furniture, etc.  Bad lighting.  New paint, etc.  I could go on with the list, but I'm not trying to recreate a list of excuses.  I'm more interested in bringing to light, no pun intended, how lighting can affect what is found.

Think of it this way.  When can you see at your best?  With good lighting that is well placed or in dim lighting with a flash light to highlight spots?  I assume you said with good lighting.  Good lighting means both inside and outside.  Very cloudy days can dim what would normally be clearly seen on the exterior.  Shadows cast by the sun and show irregularities in siding materials or roof material that may have been hard to see otherwise.  The same goes for the inside.

Let's take a garage for instance.  Garages are typically not very well lit.  This provides the opportunity for things to go unseen even with a flashlight.  If the doors are open, there is some help in the light department, but then you have the issue of what is now hidden behind garage doors on the ceiling.

So what do you do?  Do you skip an inspection because the light may be bad?  Absolutely not.  Just be aware that lighting does play a role in your inspection.  If you have noticed things on other, possibly brighter days, when you've been in the house.  Then make sure your inspector knows so these possibly hidden items can be found.

Brodie
Browntree Home Inspections.