Originally Posted By: jfarsetta This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Okay guys, what do you think of this?
1800 ft bi-level. Converted garage. No seller property disclosure. Lots of renovations. Elevated deck with defective railing. Framing members of deck covered with siding material, view was blocked. Deck fastened to house with nails. No joist hangars used. Defective deck stairs and railing. Dense vegetation all around. Broken retaining wall. Limited access in attic. Frozen downspouts. Clutter on enclosed patio (couldnt see concrete from clutter), but saw lots of cracks. Broken storm door. Defective outside gas lines. Broken hose bibs (2). Hybrid heating system. Falling dropped ceiling in one bathroom. Defective bathroom sinks (2). Frozed water shutoff valves in 2 bathrooms. Defective kitchen range. No GFIs anywhere near water. Broken cabinet doors. Bricks falling off of chimney. Trip hazards on concrete walkways. Defective windows. 2 sets of defective sliding patio doors. Rodent infestation in the attic. 1 foot of access in front of the electrical panel (a wall was built in front of it. Numerous problems in electrical panel. Open grounds on entire 1st floor renovated area. 2 layers of roof.
This house had 5 bedrooms, 2 kitchens, 3 bathrooms, fireplace, full attic, central air, both baseboard and forced-air heat (off of same system). Additionally, it was technically a single family dwelling, but was in fact a mother-daughter after renovations were made (without a permit I believe).
Wrote a 22 page report. Agent complained that I took too long to perform the inspection. It took me 2 hrs, 45 minutes on-site before I was done with noting all the defects. Client is buying the house anyway.
If you dealt with this agent, what would you tell her, or DID I take a little too long? I never time myself. I could care less what she thought, but am always looking to improve myself. A little self-awareness is always a good thing. Thoughts?
Originally Posted By: mhenderson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Joe,
I think you did one helluva job…I did one a while back …it was a duplex…1600sq.ft on each side…agent told his client I would be done in less than an hour…imagine…over 3000 sq ft in less than an hour…the building was built early 1900s & had many changes…I told MY Client… since I was making 2 separate reports…it would take a little more time than what the agent told him…LOL… the agent gave me a nasty look…mumbled on how he had other things to do & did`nt want to spend all day @ one house(his client was glad to hear that & knew where his priority lied…LOL)I told MY client …I will do the best job I can & it takes as long as it takes …smiled… went about my business… Realtor bailed after 1/2 hr… it took 3 hours…& MY client was very pleased on my thoroughness…Do your best & take as long as it takes (usually between2-3 hrs). Rushing thru only invites over-sites… Your reputation is on the line…not the realtors…Again …good job
Originally Posted By: jmyers This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Tell the agent to sell homes in better condition and she will not have to worry about spending too much time on the inspection. You can always put yourself in earlier than the agent and client so you can get a good head start, without the distractions.
Originally Posted By: rwills This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Joe F,
Man, I started reading your post and thought it was the same house I inspected on Monday, yours appears to have been a little worse (not much) condition though. I was with the buyer who is a regular customer of mine and we went through the place with a fine tooth comb. It was a “For sale by owner” so there were no agents around at all,only the sellers father who was house/baby sitting. It was so peaceful it took me just over three hours to complete. It is almost an art to find that many things wrong with a home but not make them sound like a total nightmare to the client. I could only imagine if there had been a paranoid sellers agent around. I sometimes wonder if they themselves don’t scare their own clients with the reactions to inspectors findings. In answer to your question “Did I take too long?”. I think you know the answer to that! On the other side of the coin, I recently did a small townhouse,less than 2 yrs old,no grounds to speak of no fencing,no basement, immaculate shape. I almost felt guilty inspecting it. Only took just under an hour. Question:was that too short?..Bob
Originally Posted By: Ed Porter This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Bob,
If you feel that you covered everything that needed to be covered, then the answer is no. If you walked out wondering if you missed something, then yes.
Originally Posted By: Rusty Rothrock This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Joe F. -
The 2 hrs. 45 min. for a 1800 sq. ft. house might be a little long, but as we all know, it's solely dependent on the condition of the house and how much writing is involved listing all the defects. The bottom line is - It takes as long as it takes. You're in charge, you're the professional, when you feel that you have reported everything in a thorough and concise manner, that's when you're done.
Realtors sometimes get hung up thinking that home inspections should be quicker the smaller the house. This is not always true, it all depends on the condition of the house. I've done inspections on 1200 sq. ft. houses that take me longer to do than one that is 2400 sq. ft.
Joe F., when I first arrive to an inspection and/or get inside the house, one can usually sense that the house looks normal (with normal defects probably to be found) or that the house is in bad shape with a ton of defects probably to be found. I always tell the Realtor and the Purchaser (my client) upfront the approximate time that the inspection will take. This way they're not anxiously sitting around or wearing a path in the carpet.
Many of the professional agents who refer my services, keep busy during the home inspection. They bring their office with them, they're making calls, taking calls, they working on this and that, some even plug in and do computer searches for other clients. Good agents do not look at home inspections as "down time", they use their time wisely and will get a ton of work done during the inspection. Plus they're on hand to be aware of what the home inspector is finding.
