Lessons Learned: Top inspectors share their experience

I have been a home inspector since 1996 and have always been a part of a multi-inspector firm. In 2012, a longtime friend and I decided to break out and start our own firm. It was a great experience, and I found that I enjoyed the entrepreneurial spirit. When I volunteered to write a “lessons learned” article, I thought it would be more beneficial to you, the reader, to get the sage advice of many as opposed to one top 10 list of lessons learned by one home inspector. So I reached out to several seasoned home inspectors I trust.

Picture Perfect

Personally, the greatest lesson many inspectors say they’ve learned was to take lots of photos during the inspection. We do not necessarily have to insert all images into the report. It is essential, however, to keep these records. Especially if there is a reason we cannot inspect an area we normally would. We have all seen the garage full of stored personal items preparing for moving.

The ASHI SOP does not require photographic documentation and reporting. However, we never know what hidden or latent defects might be concealed. I’ve carried that to an even greater extent. I take photos of each room and appliances, including their labels, attic, foundation, and exterior systems. This gives the client a photo diary of the home and shows we were there and didn’t miss any areas. The only drawback is it considerably lengthens your narrative report.

First and foremost, it is essential that home inspectors take photographs. Inspectors are very good about photographing the defects for their report, but what about the areas with no defects? Every inspection report should have photos showing a quick view of the attic conditions on the day of the inspection, so if a roof leaks or rodents show up in the future, we know they weren’t there that day. Did you crawl to the back of the crawl space? Then you better take photos from there to show your effort, even if there were no reportable conditions that day. Did you find a lot of stored belongings in the home? Then you better step back into the driveway to take a photo of that overcrowded garage—because that’s the home where the buyers will find termite damage along the wall or a slab crack in the floor once items are removed. Photos show clearly that the inspector was in the right place to look for defects that day, and they often show that the defect in question today wasn’t there back then.

The Right Software

Find an ergonomic report writing software to use. I’ve worked with antiquated software and felt like I needed a hammer and chisel. I’ve also worked with software that made me feel like I needed to be a software engineer to use. Excellent report writing software will help you incorporate your own comment library. We should not have to spend hours upon hours on a typical report. Just like an inspection, the report writing should be organized and timely.

Get Involved

I would also say: Get involved. Join and participate in your local chapter. Participate in ASHI social media. I’m amazed at what I learn from friends across the nation. Become a leader in your local and national ASHI organizations. I have grown so much from the friendships that have stemmed from this involvement. I have become a better inspector and person because of ASHI.

Run More Water

John Bean, who has been inspecting properties for 35 years in St. Louis, says you should: “Run more water. The more water you run, the more likely you will identify leaks or blockages that may be present. That said, don’t get caught up in a side conversation while you are running water, as that can result in a sink, tub, or shower pan that will overflow. Some inspectors won’t walk out of a room with flowing water. If you won’t, make sure you allow enough time to run water everywhere during your inspection.”

Take Your Time

John also says, “Don’t get in too big of a rush. If you try to rush through any given inspection so you can be done quicker, squeeze more inspections in a day, or because you might run late to your next appointment, you’ll miss things. Allow for an appropriate amount of time for your inspection based on the property, type of structure, and size. If you rush through, sooner or later you’ll have claims that will turn up because you short-changed the time your inspection should have taken.”

Consider Your Costs

Finally, John says, “We should charge more for what we do. The sewer guy charges $200 for a sewer lateral inspector and is there for about 30 minutes worth of work. We work for two to three hours on an average inspection, plus up to a couple of hours off-site writing a report, and charge $450 or more. Who is making better money with less knowledge? Raise your price 10%. Even if you lose a few clients, you make more money.”

Change Perspectives

Mark Goodman, an ASHI Director and a St. Louis ASHI Director, says, “Look at elements of the property from different perspectives. When I used to teach wilderness search and rescue, we taught searchers to take several steps and do a 360 because they would walk past 50% of the clues they were looking for because of the way the light refracts or something obstructing their view. The same rule applies to doing home inspections. If you don’t look at things from different points of view, you may miss some items, concerns, or defects. Walk around the outside of the house twice in two directions. Try to look at things from different perspectives in the house, on the roof, in the attic, or in the crawl space. You will be surprised at what you didn’t see.”

Listen Up

Bryck Guibor, a longtime home inspector and national speaker on various home inspection topics, says, “Listen to your client’s concerns and make sure you discuss them and address them if warranted in your report. To the inspector, it’s no big deal. But those items come back to haunt you later. If you don’t listen and appropriately address them, you’ll get a message from a client you did an inspection for two months ago saying, ‘You didn’t…’”

Communication

Brian Eisenman with BPG Inspections says, “One of the biggest misconceptions about risk management for home inspectors is that most complaints have nothing to do with something you actually inspect under the ASHI or state standards, but most complaints are about conditions that are outside of scope. These might be rodents in the attic or mold in the basement, or complaints might be about water leaking into a basement after a bad storm or rot in the subfloor that the contractor found during renovations. In practice, the home inspector is very knowledgeable about inspecting to their relevant standards and writing a report that gives a lot of very good information around those topics, but the home inspector might struggle to communicate what is excluded from the inspection and why effectively. How do you train a client to better understand what they paid for? Similarly, how do you give them information to make sure that when something unforeseen comes up in the future, your report can effectively protect you from that future condition?”

I also believe how the inspector communicates around the inspection is almost as vitally important. Inspection agreements are great tools, but you can’t expect the client to actually read that contract.

You need to begin every inspection with a great “driveway presentation.” This should set expectations with the client as to what will happen for the next two to three hours and give them a chance to ask questions and build their confidence in you. Did the client not show up until halfway through? No problem, but stop the inspection there and go spend time with the client before you resume.

Most inspectors like to be done with the client as soon as they click “send” on the report, but I’d urge you to make sure every client gets at least one more contact. You should always check in with the client 24 to 48 hours later to make sure they received the report and that they read the report. If they say “yes” to the second part, you should follow up with something like, “Did you have a chance to hire that plumber yet to get you a quote on that repair?” This is important because the client most likely didn’t read the report, and they almost certainly haven’t acted on anything before closing. By touching base with them when they can still negotiate with the seller, you set up the client to have the best possible experience as they purchase and move in to their new home.

Want to share some of your lessons learned? Email editor@ashi.org to contribute in a future issue!

Opinions of authors are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of ASHI, its agents, or editors. Always check with your local governmental agency and independently verify for accuracy, completeness, and reliability.