Originally Posted By: pabernathy
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Thanks Mark…
Well let me give you bit of background on why I am not an Alarmist...lol
1.) We have about 6 home inspectors in my area and well a few of them do not get work simply because of how they word their reports. They scare away the buyer and the agent looses the sale...now good or bad this business is still largly a REFERAL business and you need to keep the agent happy...and if not happy you have to atleast EXPLAIN to them why you are concerned to the point of alarm...
2.) In the rush for inspectors to play Code Inspectors we tend to forget we are safety inspectors for the most part as well as inventigators into WHY something was done the way it was done. We also have to remember that building code inspectors are required to govern the TIME of the inspection and not the future of the inspection and in most cases what we see changed is " Happy " homeowner making the low cost changes so we have to draw a careful line.
Now........being able to write a TACTful report that still conveys the concerns without it causing wide spread panic in the buyer is a fine art and takes time to understand. You need to convey importance of safety issues but doing it in a tactful way will preserve future business and at the end of the day that business is what feeds your family.
You can imagine what I see in the way of electrical every day as a electrical inspector, electrical contractor and a home inspector....wrap those things up into one and I could down right scare a home buyer or agent into a COMA......but understanding how to write a report correctly and understanding the proper terms to use as to not frighten the buyer is important.
Sure we have to tell them what is wrong....sure we have to govern the rules that apply...but as with anything learning to write the report to that it DOES draw attention to the problem is better than drawing total alarm to the problem....Now if it is a HUGE issue of safety...do what you MUST but even being tactful in your report can get the message across.....
Example...lets say a Sub-Panel is not run in proper 4 wire( Attached Garage )........now the debate among old electricians still lingers on in just how unsafe is it....as a HI it is simply something you report on....and leave it at that....UNLESS you know exactly how unsafe it is and feel like talking forever to the buyers...Less is Best....More is Boring for the most part to the home owner.
Some free sales advice give to me by someone very successful over the years... When selling yourself talk very little, Let the client ask the questions and do not tell them things about you they do not want to hear. The secret of the sale is silence.....ASk for the sale and wait for the reply...lol
Ok....I digressed off the topic....I do tend to not listen to my own advice..lol
SO.....lets have some examples of HOW you would word the problem of the wrong wiring format to a sub-panel and we can teach others how to report it tactfully...versus saying...HAZZARD....HAZZARD....we are all gonna DIE........lol
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Paul W. Abernathy- NACHI Certified
Electrical Service Specialists
Licensed Master Electrician
Electrical Contractor
President of NACHI Central Virginia Chapter
NEC Instructor
Moderator @ Doityourself.com
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