Tony,
I almost always get there 15-20 minutes early. It gives me a chance to meat the seller who may be planing on leaving for the inspection. I take 5 minutes or so to ask questions about the house. I then tell the owner I’m starting on the outside so as not to bother them, I tell them this will take 20-40 minutes then start on the inside. Never has the seller objected.
Bill
As a matter of fact Tony, this happened to me yesterday. I showed up to an evening inspection on a townhome about 15 to 20 minutes early (like I do with every Inspection). I ring the door bell to introduce myself to the seller and ask if it was allright if I start taking a look around the exterior…Do you know she didn’t even want to open the door to tell me that she wouldn’t let me start walking around the property until the scheduled time. After her many failed attempts to play charades with me thru the sidelight glass, she finally opened the door to tell me. I dealt with it by assuring her that I just wanted to let her know that I was there and that I would wait for my clients to show up before I began. She then conceded and said it was ok to look around the outside.
I have never had this problem before until last night.
Sooner in. Sooner out. 
“Sooner in. Sooner out.” - Errol Flyn?
Yep. We’ve even had the police called on us for getting there early and sitting in the car listening to The Beatles, laughing and joking, etc. Even with graphics on the car. California is a place like no others.
We started doing one house early because the MLS listing indicated that it was vacant. Granted, there wasn’t any furniture when we looked in the first-floor windows, but that didn’t mean it was vacant. We had to explain ourselves to the police that time, too.
I’d just as soon everyone else get there ahead of us. Makes it easier for me.
I prefer rib-eye, but if you’re out of that, perhaps a good round or T-bone steak? Does it come already cooked?
Sorry.
Couldn’t resist.
Darn margaritas. 
Not being very patient myself, on more than one occasion after ringing the doorbell and waiting for a while I have had the owner greet me as I was on the roof.:oops:
George asked…
No Raymond Wand…<img><img>
RR
I think we need a new spell check, one that will read my mind.
Actually it sounds like it might have been said by George Bush in regards to Iraq. Ooops.
On my inspection today.
The client arrives at the schueduled time. States that she needs to go to the bank to get $$.
***Wouldnt you think of doing that ahead of time?
***Brings her 2 year old.
Pays no attention to inspection and the kid is running wild.
***Maybe I will offer day care or baby sitting services.
***Please leave the kids with someone for a couple hours.
She wanted to make sure the inspection is done fast so to make a doctors appointment.
House needs: New/Driveway/furnace/Air/Electrical and more.
Thanks
Dave
I hate parents who let their kids run wild. They haven’t got a clue about discipline. I was at inspection some time ago and the two little brats were told repeatedly not to play the piano, not to sit on the white couch, not to do this and that. Do you think the kids listened? No. Do you think one of the parents would back up their orders with a smack? No.
Both parents were with me in the basement. The two brats where upstairs alone, when we all heard a very loud crash. One of the brats tripped over the lamp cord and the floor lamp (one of a kind) fell over and broke. The other kid wet his pants and sat on the white couch. Parents bought a new lamp at $400. The realtor and me were not amused.
I love parents who think their little Johnny or Alice are cute and can do no wrong. Makes me think the parents need the smack and not the kids.
No, George ( the other one) was quite clear on that. People just weren’t listening.
We did an inspection back in November 2003 where the parents brought their three kids along. Halfway through the inspection, we noticed the kids running around the house but parents nowhere to be found. Parents big SUV was gone. We asked the oldest kid where his parents were. “Oh, they went Christmas shopping. They told us to stay here and play.” Huh? In someone else’s furnished house? You’ve got to be kidding me. And leaving them with two total strangers that they had met for the first time only 30 minutes ago. My gawd, folks, I’m gay, so most religious political extremist fundamentalist fanatics consider me a pervert and pedophile. And these parents left their three young boys (5, 6, 9) in the care of my tender arms? Help! Where has our society gone?
We did our best at babysitting, and I guess the kids had fun with us because there was a $100 check from the parents waiting for us at the Realtor’s office the next day when we delivered the report. Along with the check was a little note thanking us for taking care of the kids and telling us that the kid did, indeed, have a good time with us.
I hope just by interracting with you they didn’t “turn gay”…
;);)
Triple wink just in case that comment gets misconstrued…it was a friggin joke people…parodizing all the christian right wing fundamentalist freak shows (That is also a joke, meaning not all christians are like this, only the ones w/ all 5 of those qualities in bold)…who say that if you hang with “those kind of folks” it will rub off.
Jokes are a lot harder to type when you have to explain them…so I won’t be doing that anymore.
But it’s sooooooo much fun to explain one’s jokes. Or one could just use lots and lots of emoticons. Or find some crayons. Or get Frank to help you. 
That’s a joke. Oooooooops. Did it myself, didn’t I? Here’s some more emoticons to make up for it. 
:eek: 
The reply to the quote below had me ROTFLOL. The sheer candor of the statement is refreshing. =D>
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmacy
The main benifit for having a client to be at a inspection is to follow us around and have the systems explained and show the problems to them and answer questions.
For me, the main benefit for having a Client at the inspection is to sign the contract and pay me. Then they can take off for an hour or two, or sit down and eat all my candy. The last thing I want is for them to be following me around. That’s when they start asking questions about something that I’m not even working on at the moment, causing distractions and interfering with the inspection process itself. I provide candy, tape measures, digital cameras, pens and paper, just about anything they want just so they do not follow me around at the inspection. Once I finish doing a good, thorough job for them, I’ll be happy to discuss my findings, show them anything that interests them, and answer their questions.
I like the way Russel Ray thinks. One has to appreciate the candor of the statement “The main benefit of having a client at the inspection is to SIGN the contract and PAY me”.
That is insane, and anyone who considers you are pervert and a pedophile is a moron. 
My contract says that the client should be present during the inspection. On more than one ocassion, the client or agent has pointed out something before I saw it, or something that I did not see and should have. To me, a little aggravation from an overzealous client is sometimes offset by their potential to actually help me locate something I may have otherwise missed. I strive hard to find everything during a standard and not technically exhaustive inspection. Hey, there are a lot of crappily constructed, cluttered and poorly maintained homes here in ATL that have alot of surprises. There’s a ton of stuff to look for and catch. For example, we have termites, rodent damage, water problems in basements & crawlspaces. We have your do-it-yourselfers and passive concealment galore. Booby trapped or rigged dampers, windows, doors, faucets, drains, sump pumps, furnaces, appliances, electrical, difficult to detect leaks, scuttle holes and attic access points, etc. On the other hand, I do like it when the agent brings contracts for them to sign though.