Certified home inspectors play a pivotal role in the home buying process and the inspection report is the heart of it. All of your work inspecting the roof, plumbing, electrical system and everything else in a typical residential structure helps build a report that arms your customers with knowledge.
During a home sale, everyone has someone else to watch their back. For buyers, especially those who work without an agent, that person is you. Appraisers look after the best interest of the lender. Listing agents protect the seller. Home inspectors give buyers something that’s in short supply, which is a set of facts about the property in question.
Here’s what your customers learn and how they can use it to make the smartest buying decision.
#1: What’s Dangerous About the Home
Not every material defect is dangerous, but dangerous problems always make their way into the report. Without your knowledge about home systems and how they can fail, prospective home buyers might have no other way to identify threats to their health, safety or both.
A soft spot on the floor, for example, might seem like character to a buyer who’s in the market for a 100-year-old house. You can determine if there’s something structurally wrong or if the real problem is just a nail pop.
Foundation cracks and cracks along walls are more examples of mysterious defects that could go either way. Some cracks are evidence of normal settling. Others point to structural defects that not only threaten the house but also the safety of people who live there. Homes are filled with mysterious defects and the buyer might not know what’s annoying from what’s a threat.
#2: Aging Systems That Require Costly Replacement
All material defects aren’t dangerous. Sometimes, they’re just expensive problems that add more money to the total cost of home ownership. Buyers who dive in without considering what needs repair or replacement could find themselves over their head financially when an old system eventually fails.
The roof is a good example of an expensive system that might not put buyers in immediate danger but poses a serious threat to the health of their bank account. If the roof is nearing the end of its usable life, the buyer might need $10,000 or more to replace it.
Fussy electrical issues, such as breakers that constantly trip, aren’t cheap to repair or replace and neither are plumbing problems. With an inspection report in hand, the buyer can better evaluate the real affordability of the home.
Trees provide generous shade and act as a wind break, but they can also wreak havoc on plumbing or the roof.
#3: Landscaping Features That Threaten the Dwelling
That gorgeous oak in the front yard could be responsible for the slow bathroom drain. Tree roots tend to seek out drain lines and are powerful enough to break them. A wall covered in lush, green ivy could threaten the integrity of brick mortar, gutter systems, windows and the roof.
Landscaping is more than just decorative. It can help minimize soil erosion and it can also crack a home foundation. The arching maple branch over the garage could destroy the roof if a storm causes it to break and heavy vining plants can weaken a chimney.
Home inspectors aren’t usually landscaping experts. But you can identify green and growing elements that put the home at risk.
Home buyers go into the contract with precious few protections. Unless they have a background in construction or a related field, they might have no idea about the defects that they’re about to finance for 15, 20 or 30 years. That’s why the home inspection industry is such a valuable component of real estate.
A great report depends on great home inspection reporting software. That’s why we developed Report Form Pro. This handy app is compatible with Android and Apple devices. It lets you work quickly and send the report to customers as soon as you’re finished.
If you’re ready for something better than the software you’ve got, download our home inspection app for Android or get it at the App Store for your iPhone or iPad.