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Integra Inspection Services, LLC Logo of a magnifying glass over a house

Inspecting Huntsville, AL & Madison, AL

Exceeding Expectations, Backed by Guarantee


Licensed & Insured AL, TN
InterNACHI Certified Pro Inspector
ASHI Certified Home Inspector

256-542-1049

The Integra Inspection Review Process and Client Attendance at Inspections

by Todd Thuss, owner/inspector

Home Inspectors have two main tasks: 

Discover and document material defects as thoroughly as possible

and,

Communicate these findings to a client so they understand the defects, their implications, and what to do about them.

The usual path is for the inspector to perform the inspection, discuss the “top” few defects with the client at the end of the inspection, and provide a written report.

After years and thousands of inspections, I’ve found that approach to be lacking.

Integra's Google business listing
Integra’s Google business listing
 
 
How did I get a 99.99% 5-Star Rating on Google and other places? Being thorough, experienced, and diligent certainly helped. But Integra’s “secret sauce” is our post-inspection review process.
 
Let’s walk through the typical inspection process most inspectors follow.
The inspector performs the inspection. The client and agent may be there the whole time, or may show up at the end.  Some inspectors allow clients to follow them around during the inspection. After 2 to 5, or more, hours of standing around chatting with the agent (and away from work or other responsibilities), the inspector attempts to verbally describe a few of the most significant findings, leaves, and sends a report. The client is left to comprehend the rest of the findings in the report, only to discover that what the inspector considered “significant” or “insignificant”, they did not. Additional questions arise, along with fear and misunderstanding. Bad decisions, such as walking away from a perfectly good house, can ensue.
 
What went wrong here? 
First,  it’s difficult to describe something without the benefit of pictures, context, and background information…things that a written report provides.  The in-person summary of the “top” defects can be overwhelming and confusing.  And, no, it’s often not possible to physically show a client a defect, particularly when it’s on a roof, in a crawlspace, or deep in an attic.
Second, communication effectively ended once the report was sent.  Additional questions invariably arise. A bad decision may be made to walk away from a good home, purchase a money pit, or overwhelm a seller with demands to fix things they’re not contractually responsible for.
 
Why Keep Doing It This Way?

Let’s be honest. It’s a lot simpler for someone to verbally give us a short list of things than read through a long, detailed account.  But, most home inspections don’t lend themselves to a simple black-and-white situation.  Most homes do not have $50,000 foundation issues or other material defects that would lead a buyer to walk away from the purchase.  Rather, most homes have a laundry list of issues ranging from simple maintenance items such as caulking and loose doorknobs, to roof leaks, to end-of-life roofs and HVAC systems. Instead of a few very expensive items, poorly-maintained homes often present a long list of inexpensive-to-moderately expensive items that add up.  These homes don’t lend themselves to a quick, five-minute summary at the end of the inspection.  

 
A Better Way

After years of experimenting, I developed a simple formula.  I perform the inspection alone, free from distraction and noise, issue a detailed report, and then review the report with the client (and, optionally, the agent) over the phone or by a video chat. 

Why is this better?

  1. Clients have the benefit of reading a detailed, photo-and-video-documented report before discussion begins. Many hours go into preparing a report. Carefully chosen and researched language is used to present an unbiased and simple-to-comprehend description of the home’s defects and other issues.
  2. Comprehension of the home’s issues is greater with a detailed review than talking about a few items that the inspector considers most significant.
  3. Clients don’t spend valuable time idle at a long inspection.
  4. Clients can get their questions addressed at once instead of a protracted back-and-forth that can last for days.  The inspection process involves communication, but it’s not open-ended. A closing date looms, and decisions must be made relatively quickly.
  5. The review occurs in a controlled environment, free from distractions and time pressures. 
  6. The inspector works without distraction.  Noise, such as conversation, can mask issues such as water dripping or irregularities in HVAC and appliance operation.  A silent, empty house is the ideal situation for an inspector. I’ve found a slow plumbing leak once that could be heard only once everyone cleared out of the house.  
  7. The inspection concludes more quickly. People present at an inspection invariably lengthen the process for everyone, including the sellers. 
 
Objections to the Process

Being present allows the buyer to learn more about the house

An inspector’s primary job is to find and document defects, not explain home ownership and maintenance. However, Integra’s inspection reports do contain many helpful maintenance tips, photos/locations of utility shutoff valves and switches, and other useful information. A home maintenance guide is included with every inspection.

Being present allows the buyer to see defects.

Most critical defects are in hazardous or dirty locations such as roofs, attics, and crawlspaces. Most inspectors will not agree to allow a client to climb a roof or walk through an attic unless the client has the protective gear and experience to do so.  The report documents defects in these locations with photos and/or videos.

The buyer wants to show the house to family, look around more, or measure rooms

Understood. Many potential buyers have had limited time in a home, and that’s by design.  The longer they’re there, the more they’ll see, for good and bad.  That said, a home inspection is not the time to be showing or measuring rooms in a home. The appraiser and pest inspector certainly are not expected to meet these demands.  The buyer’s agent can accommodate additional visits to the home. However, exceptions can be made provided the inspector is left undisturbed. 

 

Conclusion

Every home inspector has their own process. I’ve chosen my approach to provide the best comprehension of the inspection with the least impact on a client’s schedule.  

Integra offers a phone or Zoom-based review of the inspection report once it’s been read.  These reviews are strongly encouraged for existing homes but optional (and not commonly requested) for new construction. New builds have a different process, where the builder typically addresses most defects in the report and less negotiation is involved.