[quote=bwiley]
I agree 100%
[quote=bwiley]
I agree 100%
That is just the point. You do not need the knowledge of a man like Paul Abernathy do conduct the home insepction. YOU (are the expeer and) know when something needs to be repaired and in most cases replaced. If you are going to defer everything for further evaluation, what the heck is the client paying you for - so he can hire someone else to tell him what needs to be done. If it needs to be repaired / replaced, then tell you client that. The contractor will then have to do his own evaluation to determine what it will take to repair the item and he will give the cost.
There is a little truth in everything that everyone has wrote. I guess it comes down to understanding what is the main goal.
This thread was started with the inquiring of possible liabilities and grew into how to avoid them.
Both attitudes from what I read concerning an AC unit, seem that they will both protect the home owner and the HI. It almost seems like the same thing is being said but with different perspectives.
Can either of you guys tell me the benefits of your wording and reasoning.
No arguing…just info
Very good and timely thread and thanks for posting it. I personally believe there are many people in the HI business that do not know what they are doing. Not entirely their fault but to some degree it is. I think far too many go through a short course of sorts and never get any further education in the various disciplines of home construction. You do not need to be an expert but you sure do need to know the basics and I find many do not. Too many talk too much and listen too little, trying to impress their customers, the Realtors and themselves. This often comes out in their reports. They get into areas they have little or no knowledge in and put things in their reports that are (1) not necessary (2) patently wrong (3) superfluous BS (4) rule of thumb crap they learned in HI schools that are wrong, and I am sure there are numerous more items. I personally know of some inspectors who take only 45 minutes to do a full home Inspection and marvel at those of us who take 3-4 hours average. They are constantly paying for roofs, wood rot, non working appliances, systems and yet do not have enough sense to get out of the business. I know they are operating in the red but continue right on. These people hurt the business and each and every one of us. The best report is one that tells the customer what they need to know about the house they are trying to buy. Most reports are full of disclaimers, items that are not even present in this particular home, the history of plumbing in America stories, tips on gardening, a key that requires a decoder ring to understand and a secret code number to access through the Internet. I personally believe in keeping it simple, concise and above all thorough. Establish your client’s expectations then exceed them but keep the BS out.
No home inspector enters this field at 100%, no matter what our backgrounds may be.
Acquiring the skills necessary to recognize all of the defects in every area covered by our SOP, acquiring the skills necessary to communicate them to our clients, and acquiring the skills to know when to keep our mouth shut ----- comes with time and experience as a home inspector.
Another problem just occurred to me and that is Inspectors who are all too eager and willing to pay for something when they know damned good and well it was not their fault or there was no way for them to know the problem existed. They will go ahead and pay for the problem to make it go away instead of managing the problem. There are those clients who will try to make every little problem yours and expect you to finance their remodel job. That is why the report must be thorough, with photos to back you up and no accessible areas skipped or omitted. Even then it still gets some. The decision to pay for a problem to go away is a personal one and each case is different. One has to look at the cost benefit payoff and be able to predict the outcome. It may be the most prudent way but often it isn’t. In short, don’t be too eager to take the client’s responsibility for buying that POS.
I use short, right to the point statements. Here’s my handrail boiler:
“Handrail to second floor is loose and cause significant injury if not repaired NOW.”
Same here. Bullet statements, keep any emotion out of it.
Pardon my ignorance but is it really true they have to sue to make a claim? A demand letter is not good enough?
I like your statement and use similar language from time to time. I have been advised that saying “NOW” is establishing a repair priority. If I establish repair priorities on this point I should on all or so an attorney can argue. Kind of a tricky thing. Keep on doing what you do; just food for thought
I take a picture of my IR Thermometer pointed at a couple different supply registers and put those pictures in the report to show the unit(s) are functioning today.
While conversing with the client I tell them I have rental properties, some of the Heat Pumps, Condensers, forced air furnaces are 20+ years old and are still working fine, I have them serviced annually and I think it helps preserve the lives of the units.
But I also tell them that I expect them to break down any day, and either need expensive repairs or simply replace the unit to a more efficient unit, cost wise.
So if the Heat and Cooling equipment is operating fine at the time of the inspection, don’t expect an old unit to be functioning tomorrow, because there is a chance it might not be. An educated conversation saves aggravation for all parties involved in the inspection process. Many people buying property simply don’t realize this as common sense, so I feel the need to explain to them in layman’s terms what could happen in the near future, but I wouldn’t go and have a AC man that I didn’t know personally come to a property a client was buying because it was old, they want to sell a new one if they can, and might make you look like an idiot if you didn’t explain what happens in the real world.
I have a couple licensed HVAC contractors who have done a lot of work for me in the past without trying to rip me off, so I give the clients their name and if nothing else, just have them service everything.
Most AC companies want to sell new equipment, plain and simple, that’s were the money is, and I explain to my clients that a AC company will probably try and talk you into having one of their salesman make a visit to price a new unit for you. If the equipment is functioning why buy a new one, unless of course they have the money to blow.
We could go on and on about every aspect of a building, if you just explain the existing conditions at the time of the inspection to the client, and put it in writing like your talking to the client without the “Inspector Speak” canned comments, well, I never had any problems from anyone.
I generally restrict the “NOW” to safety concerns. I see your point about the potential problem with an inspector ‘prioritizing’ issues. If I use ‘safety’ as a #1 priority the vultures probably can’t get me for that.
[quote=rstufflebeem]
Pleeeese don’t kick my ***, scold me and rant over this next statement. A 4 letter word trade association addresses life span in their SoP.
“report those systems . . . . that . . . are near the end of their service lives.”
IMO lifepsan comments are 1) what the consumer wants 2) keep you out of trouble if properly done 3) most agents hate it 4) you may loose business.
I do it because my clients want it. I loose business. I have reduced complaints.
Great point Dale! When I’m inspecting mechanicals that appear to be in good operating condition but have reached their average life span, I always add to the report that the client needs to start budgeting for a replacement unit. I indicate that the unit may last a week or a couple of years, and that it’s impossible to tell exactly how long. I believe anyway, the recommendation to budget for a replacement unit is a good cya.
Thanks again everyone! I read…I learn.
[quote=jcahill]
In my opinion, we are not doing a complete job unless we inform the client that a component is nearing the end of it’s normal or average lifespan.
Robert, you will develop your own style and adapt any reporting system to what works for you. I thnk you can see the variety from the posts here.
With regard to liability, it is important to have an attorney review your Inspection Agreement, as well as to go over it with the client so there are no misconceptions about the inspection.
Realtors, because some of do not know when to shut-up. I have walked away from an inspection because he keep on telling his client misinformation.
James,
During the inspection, wouldn’t this be **your **client also??? Doing a great inspection is not the only way of “looking out for your clients best interests”. Sometime’s one has to put the Realtor in his/her place.
I’m sure that you are aware that when you shoot an IR thermometer at a register that it is not reading the air temp. It is reading the temp of the register itself, the air duct or the area around the register. Only way to get an air temp is to stick a thermometer probe into the air stream.