I just completed my first full house mock inspection using spectora. It took me about 5 hours to do a 1,500 sqft house, 3bed 2 bath. It left me exhausted… and its not like I am severely out of shape or anything. I used the default template and I felt like it had me running around back and forth way too much. I looked at a few other templates and it seems most do that. I liked the Ben Gromicko Template for the descriptions but it still seems to have the same problem.
Is it something I need to get used to and get more experience with? Or are their better templates that you guys are using? How long does it take for you guys to do your inspections on a similar size house? Are you running around or are you going room by room editing multiple categories before moving?
Just trying to fine tune myself before someone puts money on me 
I did the same thing when I was first starting out. Now I work my way around the home in a counterclockwise direction. This goes for the exterior, roof, each floor, attic, & any garages or outbuildings. Let the home tell you what is wrong with it, not the checklist or template. You can always run through the template before you leave.
In my opinion, bouncing all over the home can give the buyers & agents the impression that you aren’t comfortable in what you are doing.
Did that include writing the report onsite when you have no clue what you’re doing yet??
Your template arrangement shouldn’t determine your workflow. But, your workflow could influence your template arrangement.
Skip the pre-built templates and build your own for how you want to do it. That is the only way you will ever get a template that works the best for you.
No. When I first started, I used a 5-page paper checklist on site and took pictures with a digital camera. Once I got back into the office, I would type everything in and upload the photos. I think it might have been an AHIT program.
A few years later I purchased the desktop version of HIP. I still used the 5-page checklist on site and then typed in everything into HIP when I got back into the office. Once I find something that works for me, I hate change. Because of this, I went a few years before adding HIP mobile. It quickly showed me how being stubborn cost me a ton of extra time. I still do not send reports on site. I feel narratives are always better written when you are sitting at a desk than when you are typing them into a mobile device.
Generally, you should learn how to inspect with little regard for the template. You can’t report on things you haven’t inspected, so “first things first”.
You didn’t say, but there are generally two types of templates. Room by room or system. Many inspectors on this forum, including myself, prefer the system templates. As noted above, you need to develop your own workflow and the template can then be modified to follow your particular style.
Fill out your profile so we know where you are inspecting so we can better help you. The reason I looked is to see if your state has its own SOP. Mine (maryland) does and I modified my template (Home Gauge) to reflect the way the state SOP is written. My workflow tends to be, “I’ll see when I get there.”
Rather than try to write the report on site, just take pictures of the defects you encounter. Write the report at home / office by viewing and including the pictures you took. On site you may want a simple checklist to make sure you touched all the bases.
I guess he’s still exhausted to the point he’s not posted again.
Not sure why this one is top of my list despite being a month old, but I wanted to give my unnecessary two cents on this one.
My first 5 inspections were also exhausting and these were my home, a friend, my sister, etc.
Now that I’ve been at it a bit, I still find myself improving. I did a home Friday that was 1900sq, including a 4 point and a wind mit. I was out of there in just over 2 hours. Arguably a great house, I found almost nothing wrong with it and it wasn’t for lack of trying.
Two things I had going for me was that I pre-filled all the stuff I knew about the home in the insurance inspections, so much of that part was just the images.
On the full inspection, since I had pulled the permits for insurance inspections, I pre-filled all that too, like the age of the roof, condenser, water heater.
On-site, I start on the roof, do the outside, then attic, mechanicals, inside, kitchen, then back out through the garage and finally irrigation. I try to finish whatever I can, wherever I’m at and irrigation is last so I don’t track water into the house.
I still do bounce around more than I should but I’ve got it greatly minimized.
I am brand new to Spectora and am not finding a thread that matches my exact issue. I did a mock inspection last week and made the mistake of publishing it. The next week, while doing another mock inspection, details from the former inspection showed up. I couldn’t delete that one, as I had published it. I even spent time with Spectora customer support and they were confused. Has anyone had this issue and if so, could you give me any pointers? Is there an easier app to use?
Does anyone have an updated paper copy of an inspection report?
Sounds like you somehow saved details from the previous inspection as default comments in your template.