Even the most comprehensive home inspection report is half as good without great images. Clients aren’t usually well-versed in inspections, and they might only know their way around a handful of home systems. With clear pictures, they get a clear understanding of what’s right and wrong with the property. And that makes your report a valuable tool.
Good Photos Really Matter
It’s easy to snap a quick photo using your smartphone or a digital camera and keep on moving. But what’s the quality of that photo like? Is there dust in the air? Dust can affect image clarity. How’s the lighting? Under or overexposure is a common problem. Is the image blurry? If you can’t focus on the objects, your clients can’t focus on the image.
Although it’s better than nothing, a poor image isn’t especially helpful. Clients can see that there’s something in the photo. But when the image lacks fine details, there’s not much to go on when they examine the report.
Your clients want to see a broken gate lock, not a wide-angle picture of a gate with a blurry lock. If they don’t accompany you during the inspection, the image and your words are all that they know.
Mobile Phone Cameras Aren’t an Excuse for Bad Photos
You don’t need an expensive camera setup to get clear images. Some Androids have cameras with over 20 megapixels. That resolution is more than double the average camera ten years ago. With the advances in mobile digital camera quality, you can adjust focus, exposure and other details with nearly as much precision – sometimes more – as you could with a separate camera.
Smartphone and tablet users have an advantage over people who use a separate camera. Using the Home Inspection Report mobile app, your device can take images and attach them to the report on the spot. That helps make you more efficient, but you still need to put in some practice time.
Your phone or tablet probably came with a manual. Study up on its camera instructions and practice taking pictures under different conditions. That’s the only way to improve, and it’s a good investment of time for the benefit of your business.
Working in Bad Conditions
When you inspect a home that’s occupied, your chances of getting clear images greatly improve. But when the property is vacant, it might be dark and full of dust. You never know what to expect from one job to the next, so sometimes you need to help the odds. Here are a few tips from Androidpit.com.
- Keep the camera lens clean
- Skip the flash as often as possible, since it can create strong glare
- Instead of flash, raise the exposure value (EV) and ISO settings
- If a me igher EV and ISO causes graininess, switch to flash
- Avoid the zoom feature as much as possible, as image quality greatly suffers
- Use High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode for better clarity and exposure
The images that you attach to a home inspection report help the client, and they also help you. For the client, they offer a visual aid to clarify the written report. For you, they offer protection. If any party contradicts the inspection findings, your clear images will always be there to back you up.
Home Inspection Report’s mobile app for android makes your job simpler. You can fill out the report step by step on the go, take images and attach them, and then email the finished report before you move on to the next job. And because Android phones have high-quality cameras, a little study and practice on your part can produce great images that serve their purpose well for everyone involved.
If you want a streamlined, efficient and effective software product that generates professional home inspection reports every time, download our home inspection app for Android or Apple products. Great images and great reports are just a click away.