The Right Home
Inspection Report Can Make a Huge Difference
Home inspections are
a reality check. You fell in love with a home, the price looks right,
but what’s this house going to cost you once you move in? Is the
roof leaking, are there safety concerns that need to be addressed,
what is the condition of the hot water heater, and will you be taking
a cold shower the morning after unpacking? These and many other
questions are what a home inspector is hired to determine. Unlike
some states, New York requires home inspectors to be licensed and
outlines clear training requirement for licensure. As a result the
majority of home inspectors are competent in the inspection process,
differing mainly on their customer service experience. The other area
of difference is in the reporting system they use. Over the past
month I was hired as a consultant to review and evaluate a number of
systems available to home inspectors. Some were straight forward,
others had several fancy features to set them apart. However, at the
end of the day, they were all designed to do one thing, prepare a
written report for the buyer. Your home inspection report should be
thorough but also understandable.
What makes a good
report, and what should you be looking for to ensure a timely closing
process?
1. A clear concise
summary
The first thing most
real estate agents are looking for is a clear and concise summary.
Preferably at the beginning, and outlining any major concerns that
could end the deal if not addressed. Theses would be items of a
particular dollar amount or safety level. The failure to have a
prioritized summary means real estate agents, lawyers, mortgage
brokers and such are required to review every line, looking for a
major defect like a failing roof along side of a maintenance tip to
clean the gutters. This not only wastes time, it minimizes the
importance of the inspection, to find anything that changes the value
of the home. Along with a clear summary is the use of understandable
icons.
2. Understandable
icons
A number of
reporting systems on the market today don’t utilize icons. The use
of codes or checks in columns require the reader to constantly refer
back to the key or top of the report, something frustrating if you
are reading a 30 page report on-line. Icons indicating a safety issue
or repair item help the reader differentiate those items from the
recommended maintenance items or comments throughout the report.
Icons help the reader look for grouped items in a section, such as
what are all the maintenance issues with the property, or what are
the safety concerns in the garage. A good icon system will prioritize
all the comments in a section, grouping them by icon.
3. Clear comments on
every defect
Why is this an
issue, and what should I do about it? Along with icons, any defects
noted should include why it’s a defect, and what the next step is.
Too frequently reports create more questions than answers. A good
home inspection report will not only identify an issue, but will help
the reader understand why they should address it or what may happen
if the issue is not addressed. Finally, how it should be addressed or
next steps should be included. Most home inspectors won’t recommend
a specific course of action, however, if a professional is needed, a
good report will share what kind of contractor, electrician, plumber,
or other professional should be called.
4. Pictures
Finally, your report
should include pictures. With today’s technology, there is no
excuse to not have images in a home inspection report. After the
inspector leaves, images are a great way to look at the problem
again. Many home buyers won’t be able to reenter the house before
closing to crawl through the attic or remove the electric panel cover
again. Pictures are a time stamped document of the condition at the
time of the inspection which helps everyone from the buyer, to the
agent, to a hired contractor understand what was seen and what needs
to be addressed. A home inspection is a visual inspection, the final
document, the report, should also be a visual product.
Many reports today
will include other items as home inspectors and reporting software
all seek to individualize their service, such as seasonal maintenance
ideas, product recalls, life expectancy of components and such. All
of these are nice, but should be considered extras to the real
purpose of the inspection.
When you hire a home
inspector you are buying a service; the only physical item you walk
away with is a report. Many home inspectors will provide samples of
their work on their website or to real estate agents. Before hiring a
home inspector, ask to see a sample of the report, look to see if
they have one on-line and review it to make sure it has the items you
are looking for. Most home inspectors will perform a professional
inspection, but if you want to use that information over the next
weeks, months, or first year you own your home, a good report makes
all the difference.
A final thought;
look for an inspector that uses an on-line reporting system. This way
everyone who needs to see the report can do so easily.