Less fluff, more home inspection report please

I've always been proud of the home inspection reports that I produce, but a recent peer review of my reports turned my pride to embarrassment.  I swapped home inspection reports with a couple of home inspectors in different parts of the country for a brutal review of each others reports, and had my inspection report torn to shreds.

These home inspectors spent several hours going over every line and every sentence in my inspection report, and I did the same for them.  They pointed out awkward sentences in my reports, photos that weren't clear, opinions on how much info was being conveyed, and so on.  The most pervasive issue with my inspection reports was too much useless information... or fluff.

What is a home inspection report?

After this review, I decided to re-think the entire purpose of a home inspection report: the main purpose of a home inspection is to educate a potential buyer on the condition of a home.  A home inspection report documents the findings of the home inspection; in other words, a home inspection report documents the condition of the house. The key word here is condition(not components).

Maintenance manuals?

Over the years, many home inspection reports, including my own, have morphed in to a homeowner's maintenance manual that waters down the condition of the house by including oodles and oodles of maintenance information that may or may not be of any use to the new homeowner.  A lot of page space also gets dedicated to documenting the components of a building; the condition of these components isn't always easy to determine.  I once attended a week-long home inspection 'school', and was shocked at how little time was spent teaching new home inspectors how to identify defects with houses.  The majority of the class was spent teaching new home inspectors how to fill out a home inspection report, and how to properly document the components of a home, rather than the conditions.

With all of the extra homeowner maintenance information and documention about whatcomponents exist at a home, the most important part of the home inspection report can be tougher and tougher to find.  Why am I including the brand of air conditioner in my inspection reports?  Why does the beginning of my inspection report have a warning about lead paint in old buildings?  Why do I have so much fluff?

I've decided to get rid of all the fluff, and I've also decided that my home inspection reports are not going to imitate a homeowner's maintenance manual.  I still discuss homeowner maintenance during the inspection, and I still include items in my report that are in need of maintenance, but that's all.  If a new home buyer wants a homeowner's maintenance manual, they can buy Home Maintenance for Dummies for ten bucks on Amazon.  I'm sure there will be much more useful information there than I could ever try to cram in to one of my home inspection reports.

My new home inspection reports

From now on, my home inspection reports are packed with photos and comments that explain the photos, as well as recommendations that tell my client what to do.  As an ASHI Certified Home Inspector I follow the ASHI Standards of Practice, so I'm required to document severalcomponents in a house, such as the type of foundation, the type of siding, the size of the electric service, etc.  This documentation is now going to be pushed to the very end of my inspection reports; I think this is the least important stuff that I report on, so it belongs at the end.

I've always included a summary for my inspection reports, but my summaries have always beenway too long.  My new summary lists the items that, in my opinion, are most likely to affect someone's decision to purchase a property.  That's it, that's all.  Here's a sample.

I'm sure in five years I'll look back on this report with disgust, as I do now with the reports I was writing five years ago... but hey, change is good.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email- ASHI Home Inspector Minnesota



 

The Buyer Should Be There

The question I get from home buyers that always makes me chuckle: "Can I be there for part of the inspection?"

I want the buyer there for the whole thing!  Whenever possible.   It allows me to focus on their particular concerns, it lets me tailor the report to their needs, and it helps them to understand everything a little better.

Client Concerns

I encourage my clients to attend the entire inspection so we can go through everything together.  I try to give myself a quick tour of the house and inspect the roof before my clients show up.  This eliminates some  'down time' for my client.  After that, we talk about any particular concerns they have with the house, and I try to get a sense of what's important to them... the stuff they might not know to tell me.  Some clients are very concerned that the house is safe for children, some are concerned with security,  others are planning a big remodel and don't care if the windows in the back of the house are rotted.

The Report

Having my client attend the inspection helps me to write a much more customized report.  I make suggestions about ways to fix things,  and sometimes I suggest upgrades they could do to the house.  My clients will often ask me to put those recommendations in the report, and I also include hyperlinks in my reports to web sites if I know what my clients are interested in.  For instance, just yesterday I inspected a home for a client who was thinking about replacing his entire boiler system with a forced air furnace, so I included a link in his report to my blog about furnaces vs boilers.

When my client's don't attend the inspection, I end up having to write a report with my pickiest client in mind - you know, the person that expects every house to be perfect, and gets worried about hairline cracks in the basement floor.  I end up taking photos of a lot of things that aren'tproblems and I document that they aren't problems, because it saves worried phone calls later.  A good example is something call 'checking' in old wood beams, which is something that happens to old timbers as they dry out.   If my clients aren't there to go through everything with me, they might confuse the checking with 'cracks' in their wood beams and think it's a structural defect, when it's really just something that happens to wood over time, and has no effect on the structural integrity.

Understanding

When my clients attend the inspection, we talk about the importance of repairs.  Some problems have little impact on the home as a whole, such as a rotted storm door or a deteriorated driveway.  On the other hand, a disconnected furnace vent in the attic is a SERIOUS defect that could cause a ridiculous amount of damage over a period of just one heating season.  Without discussing these items or seeing them firsthand, it's difficult for buyers to prioritize these repairs.

If you schedule an inspection and the inspector doesn't want you to attend, this is a big red flag.  Find another inspector.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Detailed Buyers Inspections

RELATED POST:  Should Agents Attend The Inspection?

Are Home Warranties Worth It?

When performing Minneapolis and Saint Paul Home Inspections, I frequently inspect homes that are advertised as having a home warranty, or I hear the buyers talking about purchasing a home warranty.  I’ve heard mixed reviews about the home warranties, and recently read a post at an online home inspector forum from another home inspector asking how a warranty company could charge such a low fee for the service that is supposedly provided.  I decided to do a little research on my own.

A home warranty is somewhat of a service contract, which will typically cover the heating system(s), cooling system(s), electrical, plumbing, water heater(s), kitchen appliances, and possibly other items depending on the contract, which may even include the roof and foundation.  The sales pitch for these contracts is that if an item in the home fails, such as the furnace (on a cold, cold day), you won’t be burdened with unexpected expenses, and the warranty will cover the repairs.  A typically warranty costs about $500, but prices vary depending on the options selected.

The warranty company has a list of service providers they will use to perform the repairs, but only up to a certain dollar amount.  For instance, one popular warranty program will cover up to $1,500.00 towards a heating system repair.  While this would obviously cover the cost of the warranty program, this would only put a dent in the cost to replace a boiler.  There is also a deductible that the owner must pay each time, regardless of the cost of the repair.

One of the most important limitations to be aware of is that pre-existing conditions are not covered, lack of maintenance is not covered, and items that have not been properly installed are also not covered.  As a home inspector, I know there are a ridiculous amount of items that are not properly installed.  Just in the past month, I’ve seen three power-vented water heaters that were newly installed with permits and inspected by the city, but were nevertheless improperly installed.  I personally believe that most people don’t obtain, read, and follow installation instructions – they just do enough to make it work.  I’ve even been guilty of this myself… a long time ago ;).

So how can a $500.00 warranty cover all of these expensive repairs?  Many of the service claims get denied due to pre-existing conditions, improper installations, or improper maintenance. The warranty companies will ask their service providers questions for information that could be used to deny a service claim, and will frequently find one.  If the warranties didn’t exclude so many things, the price of the warranty would have to be much higher.

Why is a Minneapolis home inspector writing about home warranties?  Because it’s my job to identify defects with installations and identify items that are not in proper working order when I conduct my inspections, and it’s important to know about these things ahead of time.  Purchasing a warranty to cover repairs to defective household items may sound silly, but I’ve heard of people doing this many, many times.  Home warranties have their worth, especially for items that have been properly maintained and are at the end of their serviceable life, but I would strongly recommend reading all the fine print before purchasing a warranty. For reviews of different home warranty companies, check out www.homewarrantyreviews.com

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections – Email – Home Inspector in Saint Paul