Getting the government involved is almost never a good idea. Also you guys up there really need to start pushing the consulting services. A Pre-Offer Consultation can easily make you more per hour with no report to do at home later. Shoot me a p.m. if want more info.
Thanks Geff I know an inspector doing this He is happy too.
I own a chimney sweep and inspection business. I could expand that and get into repairs.
I could do mold remediation and Crawlspace encapsulation. Radon mitigation sounds interesting. I could totally switch things up and start a staffing agency, or open a Chik-fil-a.
If home inspections become mandatory, fixed prices, and commoditization of the industry will shortly follow. I’d ride the wave for a while. After that, I’d start over. There would be no point.
I already have. I have a side business of lottery ticket investment.
Right now, my ROI is roughly -455%, but it’s gonna change soon. :mrgreen:
More than the price in CA, I like to see ALL Home Inspectors here licensed and bonded through the state. Anyone can be a Home Inspector here with no previous knowledge.
Lol! :lol:
Having a “mandatory inspection” requirements gives the buyer just one option and ends their thought process before it even starts.
I absolutely hate it when I ask a client why they want an Inspection and they say “My Realtor told me to do it”.
The solution is so damn simple it is staggering!
Client: I need a Home Inspection, how much do you charge?
Me: What are your concerns about purchasing this property?
Client: I have none. My Agent told me I should get one.
Me: Are you concerned about roof leaks?
Client: Yes.
Me: Are you concerned about Mold Issues?
Client: Yes.
Me: Are you concerned about Radon?
Client: Yes.
Me: Why?
Client: …
Seeing your concerned about these issues (which are not part of the Home Inspection Standard), I recommend the following testing.
The fee for these services will be…
When would you like to schedule your Inspection?
99% of the time, my callers say:“you seem very thorough and knowledgeable in what you do. No one else has taken the time to go over this with me. Can you fit me in Wednesday afternoon?”.
The other 1% just don’t see it and opt for a $199 inspection (which I do not provide, ever).
The second thing is to write a decent Inspection Report that is worth something to the client.
You are a “Report Writer” not a Home Inspector!
How many time do we have to listed to: “How long should it take to write a report”?
“It takes too long to write a report…”
Report preparation is just as much a part of your job as the Inspection it self.
When you do a good report, you get referrals from past clients. When you get referrals because you are so good in your past clients eyes, the price you charge is not even a factor. If you have time to do the Inspection, is.
There are only a small handful of Inspectors here that do this. It happens they have been around here for some time and will remain because they have a profitable business.
When your not profitable, you do things that cut your services which makes your business worth even less and closer to the actual price you charge for your service.
I think I’ll open up a whore house and have Mr. Fetty and Mr. Clark run it by hand until we get some girls…
Oh! No! I’m in trouble now…LMAO!!
I’m sorry! I just couldn’t help myself…
That would never work.
Whore’s charge for their services :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I’ll cut you in!
Would 10% of the takings work for you?
I’m not callin’ you a cheap whore mind you…
Thanks Mr Anderson,
My conversation is very similar. Sometimes I get “Mr Inspector will do it for $300. Can you match his price?”
I always respond with “no, I value my business and your investment too much to provide a cheap inspection. My service is to provide a thorough understanding and possibly savings on your investment, not on the inspection. Inspectors always charge exactly what they are worth, there are no exceptions”.
I sort of stole that last line from (I think) James Bushart. But it works 99% of the time. I can live without the other 1%. 
When you ask someone if is important if the house they are buying has a roof leak, it makes them stop and think. It’s not if this house has a leak, it’s any house they would consider.
When they realize they definitely don’t want to but a leaking roof, they are asking you to inspect for that. So happens Thermal Imaging can detect these leaks that can not be seen.
Do you wish to invest in thermal imaging in conjunction with your home inspection, or do you hope we can see or access all the leaks? Suddenly an inspection that had no requirements for $199 turns into a $500 job that the client is happy to invest in.
Seeing the $199 guy down the street can’t do thermal imaging, he is out of the picture now. Their only option now is Chuck, who is in Texas and can’t do the job for $500 in Tennessee.
All good points David but my concern was a little different. Back in 2006 the average detached home in Toronto was $346,500. In 2016 - $1,354,625. I don’t have stats for salary increases but I doubt it was by $ 1 Mln. My point is - people not only buying these ridiculously expensive houses. They fight for them in multiple offers effectively driving the prices even higher. Why? Because that is what the market dictates. And people need to live somewhere. They cannot live in the mutual funds. When someone puts a house on the market substantially lower, they get 30-40 offers, and the house is still sold for the current market price. Now to the home inspections. What is the market price for the home inspection? I have been in this business for more than 15 years full time. From day one I tried to be in the upper price range. I started with $300 back in 2001. I charge on average $450 today. An increase of $150 for 15 years compared to real estate market increase at $1 Mln for 10 years. Every home inspector who works in Toronto should take a minute and think about it. Again, there is no value in cheap service.
As for the mandatory inspections… IMHO it does not mean that every buyer should have a home inspection. It means that every house should have one. It could be done by the seller as long as the inspection and report would be prepared exactly the same way as for the buyer and will be recent (within days from the offers). If market in Toronto will continue rising at the same pace as for the past 10 years, no licensing of home inspectors do any good to the consumer who will not have a chance to include inspection condition in their offer.
If you get to force them to have an inspection, they get to force you to do it the way they want for the price they think is appropriate. Invasive government mandates will drive commiditization of the service and increased regulation of the providers. I expect that I would leave the field if it became mandatory.
If there were no market for pre-sale inspections because buyers are fighting each other to overbid on homes, I would deemphasize them in my portfolio. I might offer high priced post-sale inspections for all the people suffering buyer’s remorse and want documentation to sue sellers and agents for failure to disclose. Might even get into expert witness work for really fat retainers. Need to adjust to your market. If there’s big money being spent there’s money to be made by someone in a free market.
Absolutely!
Nice! Thank you Gents. 
This would be the Ontario market we are talking about. Doesn’t matter how you spin it…mould inspection, IR, what has caught on here is the REA’s tell the Buyers no inspection if you want to get the house because of competition.
The listing agent tells the seller accept no offers with conditions such as a home inspection…the REA’s are happy the seller gets his/her price the buyer gets a lump of coal in many cases. Another case where the rich get richer REA’s and the buyer gets jammed.
The excuse is there is not enough “inventory” (when did it stop being called houses for sale?) Just did an after purchase inspection for first timers probably $50,000+ in repairs needed…K and T in poor shape, asbestos tiles, ceiling tiles, furnace on it’s way out 22yrs old, mould in the basement, an obvious roof leak with mould and structural issues Just sayin The consumer needs protection!
It has been the opposite up here in Northern Ontario.
My busiest year
Be it a Home Inspection or a case of beer, you get what you pay for! When you have qualifications, a lot of experience and independent credentials like CMI or NHI, **you DESERVE to charge more! **
And if you get a “window shopper” looking for price, ASK them IF they want a top inspector or a PRICE? Let them decide! As they say: “You pays for what you gets…”!
G.