For today’s episode, the gang talks from their own experiences about the things a professional home inspector should and shouldn’t say when dealing with clients. They discuss some of the language that should be avoided along with legal details and technicalities. Choosing an experienced home inspector can help guarantee not just their qualifications, but their experiential knowledge and expertise as well.
The show starts off with Reuben sharing the most cringe-worthy comment he heard while conducting a home inspection and his own biggest faux pas that he said during his home inspection training. He also mentions not to get involved in negotiations and that home inspectors shouldn’t be the ones to say who should do what. “As a home inspector, it is none of our business, and we should stay in our lane.” Home inspectors should only talk about the house they are inspecting.
Tessa explains why it is helpful not to be involved in negotiations and that you should always be cautious about what you say. She says that it is very important to not divulge unnecessary information during conversations, to not have phone calls with listing agents, and to always stay professional. She emphasizes that when a home inspector does an inspection, he should just report on the condition, defects, safety upgrades, and maintenance items. And just as Reuben said earlier, saying “who should do what”, “when it should be done,” “they should have been doing this,” or “they haven’t been doing this,” are opinion areas that inspectors should stay from.
Bill then asks the following issues:
- What happens when there's something just off the property that is glaringly obvious? Should an inspector comment on it in terms of things that aren't actually part of this property but anybody with eyes can see? Should the inspector bring this up in conversation, either in the report or just verbally with the client?
- Should an inspector comment about the personal possessions or the cosmetic things in the house being inspected?
- Is it true that we shouldn’t say whether or not a house is family-friendly?
